Christian Gerhaher (baritone) & Gerold Huber (piano)
Christian Gerhaher is the outstanding Lieder singer of our time. His recordings of the art songs and song cycles by Schubert, Schumann, Brahms and Mahler possess reference status, and have been awarded many major prizes. In the UK alone his awards include the 2009 BBC Music Magazine Award for Vocal Performance, a Gramophone award in 2006, and in 2011 he won the Olivier Outstanding Achievement in Opera award.
Gerhaher now presents his first ‘concept album’, which is at the same time his first album of songs by multiple composers in 10 years.
‘Ferne Geliebte’ (Distant Beloved) juxtaposes compositions from the two great Vienna schools, Viennese Classicism on the one hand, represented by Haydn and Beethoven, and the Second Viennese School with Schönberg and Berg on the other. The connection between them all is their preoccupation with loneliness, longing and hopeless love.
“He treats the cycles with the same care for the meaning of every word, beauty of tone, subtle emphasis and shading...Both the Schoenberg and the Berg are usually sung by a soprano or mezzo...But hearing them juxtaposed in such poised performances – Gerold Huber is Gerhaher's acutely sensitive partner – seems totally logical.” The Guardian
“a recital of rare and compelling musical intelligence and integrity of response...But as well as the intellectual satisfaction of this recital, there is also the sheer delight of Gerhaher's superbly cultivated baritone, and his outstanding artistry. If ever art concealed art, it is here” BBC Music Magazine
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