Hyperion Schubert Edition -- it's over!!
Jon A Conrad
emptiness as I realized that the series that has been a reliable source of
depletion-of-cash 2 or 3 times a year for the last 13 years is now
officially over, with the release in the UK (US soon to follow) of volume
37 of Hyperion's series of the complete Schubert songs.
Is anyone else feeling this (and as far as I'm concerned, also feeling a
bit foolish for feeling it :-) )?
It seems a good time to salute both the label for committing to it (which
meant inventing a new kind of CD box when the booklets got thicker and
thicker!), and Graham Johnson for seeing it through as planner,
programmer, talent-wrangler, and annotator. They not only planned it, they
actually *did* it. And on a first-class level from start to finish.
Not that every performance is the best ever, any more than every song is.
But that's not the point; very very little in the series is less than good
(only one volume really sticks out for me in this respect), and much is
extraordinary.
Anybody have ideas as to highlights from the series? I think of Anthony
Rolfe Johnson's "night" volume, because he was in such superb vocal form
and got inside the songs so well. Sarah Walker's searing Erlkoenig.
Brigitte Fassbaender's whole volume, dealing with death and immortality.
Thomas Hampson at his very best. Thomas Allen. Matthias Goerne doing
Schlegel. The two big cycles also fared well, with an unexpectedly fine
Schoene Muellerin from Ian Bostridge, and a Goerne Winterreise that (if
apparently not quite on the mesmerizing level he has been known to achieve
in live performance) is not less than excellent.
And of course Johnson's standard-setting commentary needs no further
praise from me.
So: hats off, say I.
Jon
Jon Alan Conrad
Department of Music
University of Delaware
con...@udel.edu
js...@my-deja.com
con...@copland.udel.edu (Jon A Conrad) wrote:
> Opening my new GRAMOPHONE yesterday brought on an unexpected sense of
> emptiness as I realized that the series that has been a reliable
source of
> depletion-of-cash 2 or 3 times a year for the last 13 years is now
> officially over, with the release in the UK (US soon to follow) of
volume
> 37 of Hyperion's series of the complete Schubert songs.
>
> Is anyone else feeling this (and as far as I'm concerned, also feeling
a
> bit foolish for feeling it :-) )?
Well, I am now. I didn't know v.37 was being released September. And I'm
both sorry it's coming to a close and eagerly anticipating hearing
Michael Schade sing Auf dem Strome with David Pyatt's horn
accompaniment.
>
<snip - and, yes, I think Hyperion and Graham Johnson both deserve
highest praise for the project>
> Anybody have ideas as to highlights from the series? I think of
Anthony
> Rolfe Johnson's "night" volume, because he was in such superb vocal
form
> and got inside the songs so well. Sarah Walker's searing Erlkoenig.
> Brigitte Fassbaender's whole volume, dealing with death and
immortality.
> Thomas Hampson at his very best. Thomas Allen. Matthias Goerne doing
> Schlegel.
Agreed on all counts. I also love a couple of Ann Murray's songs (esp.
the Mayrhofer Abschied that closes the volume), Philip Langridge's
Nachtstuck, Felicity Lott's Am See, Pregardien's Harper songs, Elly
Ameling's Kosegarten songs, Margaret Price's Gondelfahrer, Lucia Popp's
Am Grabe Anselmos, Peter Schreier's Im Fruhling (and his magical way
with the 1816 songs and the Goethe setting An die Entefernte) ... of the
Schubertiades, I thought the 1822 and 1826 volumes were especially
illuminating and successful. Really, there are good things everywhere.
And I think it did the world a great service by having lots of singers
participate--it makes Schubert's wide range clearer this way.
Sent via Deja.com http://www.deja.com/
Before you buy.
Jim Paul
to mention one more favorite -- Volume 9 with the late Arleen Auger.
There's only one volume which sticks out in my mind as less than very
good. I wonder if we're thinking of the same one.
Actually, my one (small and perhaps churlish) complaint about the
series concerns Graham Johnson's program notes. As the series went on,
they became longer and longer, and more and more detailed, and I read
less and less. They contain an incredible wealth of information, and
informed speculation and opinion, but I prefer to listen without having
everything explained to me in advance. And just how are these notes to
be used? Read the whole damn booklet before you play the disc? Pause
the disc after each song to read the next essay? If Johnson wanted to
write a book on Schubert, I wish he'd made that a separate project and
tried to keep the booklet notes to a more reasonable length.
But that small annoyance aside, this is one of the great recording
projects of recent times. Hats off to everyone involved!
Simon Roberts
: Anybody have ideas as to highlights from the series? I think of Anthony
: Rolfe Johnson's "night" volume, because he was in such superb vocal form
: and got inside the songs so well. Sarah Walker's searing Erlkoenig.
: Brigitte Fassbaender's whole volume, dealing with death and immortality.
: Thomas Hampson at his very best. Thomas Allen. Matthias Goerne doing
: Schlegel. The two big cycles also fared well, with an unexpectedly fine
: Schoene Muellerin from Ian Bostridge, and a Goerne Winterreise that (if
: apparently not quite on the mesmerizing level he has been known to achieve
: in live performance) is not less than excellent.
: And of course Johnson's standard-setting commentary needs no further
: praise from me.
: So: hats off, say I.
Indeed; I agree re the highlights you list also. Too bad they
discontinued Goodman's Haydn symphonies....
Simon
js...@my-deja.com
> Actually, my one (small and perhaps churlish) complaint about the
> series concerns Graham Johnson's program notes. As the series went
on,
> they became longer and longer, and more and more detailed, and I read
> less and less. They contain an incredible wealth of information, and
> informed speculation and opinion, but I prefer to listen without
having
> everything explained to me in advance. And just how are these notes
to
> be used? Read the whole damn booklet before you play the disc? Pause
> the disc after each song to read the next essay? If Johnson wanted to
> write a book on Schubert, I wish he'd made that a separate project and
> tried to keep the booklet notes to a more reasonable length.
Coupla things: the world of book publishing keeps changing. Where would
an accompanist find time to write an analysis of each of Schubert's
songs, for a book (if not when doing liner notes or program booklets)?
And how big's the market? I can't imagine he'd ever get an advance
that would justify the effort. He's ventured out there with a few very
interesting (to me) projects, but the market looks pretty small. His
presentation of recital programs--a terrific idea--wasn't distributed in
the U.S.
I haven't read every word for a number of volumes at this point
(although I keep meaning to ...). I tend to make a point of reading them
in two situations: where a song seems especially undistinguished or I
don't really get it, and when a song that I don't know really grabs me.
Actually, I don't usually listen to these volumes all the way through.
Often I'll do it in two listening sessions, and often I'll just listen
to particular songs. For a while, I'd amuse myself by listening to all
the settings a particular poet, which caused me to hop around a lot. The
series lends itself very well to such use. I feel doubly fortunate,
because I started listening seriously to lieder shortly after the series
began, and it's thus been enriching for me in many ways--I was somehow
supported in the first glow of my interest.
Conclusion? I'm glad he's writing (but he could use an editor!).
John
Jim Paul
birthday (duly noted on rec.music.opera): the singer of the very first
volume -- the great Janet Baker.
Celia A. Sgroi
achievement. Ted Perry at Hyperion, Graham Johnson, and all the performers
who took part deserve enormous credit and gratitude for what they did. I
hope they continue with the Schumann Edition they have started, not to
mention other Lieder projects. More Wolf and Beethoven would be
welcome. The volumes with Stephan Genz and Roger Vognoles made a very nice
start to the proceedings.
As for highlights, I only bought a few of the volumes because I didn't
want to duplicate everything I already had in the big DG Schubert
Collection with DFD and Gerald Moore.(And the EMI collection of Schubert
songs by Janet Baker and Gerald Moore, which I have always thought of as a
kind of companion volume.) However, every volume I bought (Fassbaender,
Hampson, Schreier, Goerne) was first rate, and the "Winterreise" and
"Schoene Muellerin," although I didn't think they were superlative
performances, were nevertheless on a very high level. Graham Johnson as
performer, note-writer, and artistic conscience of the project did an
incredibly fine job. One only has to compare the results on Hyperion to
the Schubert CDs now being released on Naxos to see just how good the
Hyperion series is.
I only have two complaints about the whole thing, and they are minor
ones. First, I think some of the British singers used, especially in the
early volumes of the series, were not quite as good as many of the young
German singers they used toward the end of the project. However, some of
those kids weren't even performing professionally when the series began,
and some of the others are being used in the Schumann series (such as
Juliane Banse, Stella Doufexis and Oliver Widmer). The other is that I
wish they hadn't embedded the song texts within Johnson's copious
notes. If you just want to look at a text, you have to leaf through the
whole essay to find it.
But everyone involved deserves a resounding bravo. Keep up the good work,
guys!
Hey Jon-- are you ever going to make a comeback appearance on Lieder-l?
Celia
Celia A. Sgroi
State University of New York
College at Oswego
sg...@oswego.edu
Matthew B. Tepper
>
> Well, I am now. I didn't know v.37 was being released September. And I'm
> both sorry it's coming to a close and eagerly anticipating hearing
> Michael Schade sing Auf dem Strome with David Pyatt's horn
> accompaniment.
Years ago, on an old Parnassus LP, there was a performance with Richard
Lewis (not the comedian), Dennie Brain, and ... not sure who the pianist
was ... Cyril Preedy?
--
Matthew B. Tepper: WWW, science fiction, classical music, ducks!
My personal home page -- http://home.earthlink.net/~oy/index.html
My main music page --- http://home.earthlink.net/~oy/berlioz.html
"Compassionate Conservatism?" * "Tight Slacks?" * "Jumbo Shrimp?"
Matthew B. Tepper
>
> Well, I am now. I didn't know v.37 was being released September. And I'm
> both sorry it's coming to a close and eagerly anticipating hearing
> Michael Schade sing Auf dem Strome with David Pyatt's horn
> accompaniment.
Years ago, on an old Parnassus LP, there was a performance with Richard
Lewis (not the comedian), Dennis Brain, and ... not sure who the pianist
Mike Painter
I've enjoyed every one I've picked up and I'm looking forward to
completing the collection (someday).
My one wish is that the BMG Club would hurry up and include more of the
series in its offerings. So far, they only have 4 volumes: Janet Baker,
Thomas Hampson, Margaret Price, and Peter Schreier, all of which I already
have.
cheers,
Mike
To respond via e-mail, remove * from address.
Jon A Conrad
>I hope they continue with the Schumann Edition they have started,
It seems to be going ahead full force. Volume 4 came out a month or two
ago. The estimate is that this will take 12 volumes.
>not to
>mention other Lieder projects.
Not Lieder exactly, but the French Song Edition (inevitably a sampler
rather than "complete" kind of thing) has been very rewarding for me, with
Gounod, Hahn, Bizet, and Severac already out. Ted Perry wrote me that a
complete Chausson on 2 CDs is out next.
>I only have two complaints about the whole thing, and they are minor
>ones. First, I think some of the British singers used, especially in the
>early volumes of the series, were not quite as good as many of the young
>German singers they used toward the end of the project.
Agreed. But then some of the British contributors (Baker, Varcoe for my
money, Murray, Rolfe Johnson, Walker -- I'm just sticking to the first few
volumes before we get to Allen etc.) are first-rate themselves. Not all,
certainly. To answer a previous responder, my candidate for the only real
lemon in the batch is Adrian Thompson.
>The other is that I
>wish they hadn't embedded the song texts within Johnson's copious
>notes. If you just want to look at a text, you have to leaf through the
>whole essay to find it.
But that's not really so hard, is it? And I *so* much prefer this
arrangement, I'm delighted it was maintained throughout. It makes no sense
to me to have the text separate from the commentary -- that's really a
lot of flipping back and forth.
And to again refer to that self-confessed "churlish" complaint: :-)
there's no law that we have to read the booklet at all! But it's foreign
to my temperament, I guess, to complain of having too much of a good
thing. If I don't want to read it all now, I needn't; if I want to pause
between songs and read, I can do that; if I want to save some for later, I
can do that. But how marvelous to have the resource at hand.
There have been feelers for book publication of all this, I hear; and
maybe it'll even happen. But even if texts/translations were omitted, it
would be a huge book, 2 fat volumes at least. So for now, this is the mots
comprehensive and up-to-date writing on these songs. I can't be anything
but grateful for having it.
>Hey Jon-- are you ever going to make a comeback appearance on Lieder-l?
I doubt it. I was told yesterday that my subscription had finally expired.
No disrespect intended to you and some other valued conributors, whom it
was always a pleasure to talk with, but I came to find the general
atmosphere so unpleasant that it just improved the quality of my life to
stay away. I'm sure I was never missed....
Jim Paul
>
But then some of the British contributors (Baker, Varcoe for my
> money, Murray, Rolfe Johnson, Walker -- I'm just sticking to the
first few
> volumes before we get to Allen etc.) are first-rate themselves. Not
all,
> certainly. To answer a previous responder, my candidate for the only
real
> lemon in the batch is Adrian Thompson.
Yes, that's the one I was thinking of too.
> And to again refer to that self-confessed "churlish" complaint: :-)
> there's no law that we have to read the booklet at all! But it's
foreign
> to my temperament, I guess, to complain of having too much of a good
> thing. If I don't want to read it all now, I needn't; if I want to
pause
> between songs and read, I can do that; if I want to save some for
later, I
> can do that. But how marvelous to have the resource at hand.
>
> There have been feelers for book publication of all this, I hear; and
> maybe it'll even happen. But even if texts/translations were omitted,
it
> would be a huge book, 2 fat volumes at least. So for now, this is the
mots
> comprehensive and up-to-date writing on these songs. I can't be
anything
> but grateful for having it.
You're right, of course. And I've managed to get over any guilty
feelings I may have had about not reading all of it. And it's
especially nice to have biographical sketches of the poets Schubert
set. But I do sometimes wish that I had the option of reading a brief
note
about a particular song, instead of skimming through a four-page essay.
--
---
De gustibus ain't what dey used to be
(S.J. Perelman)
Jon Bell
Jon A Conrad <con...@copland.udel.edu> wrote:
>Opening my new GRAMOPHONE yesterday brought on an unexpected sense of
>emptiness as I realized that the series that has been a reliable source of
>depletion-of-cash 2 or 3 times a year for the last 13 years is now
>officially over, with the release in the UK (US soon to follow) of volume
>37 of Hyperion's series of the complete Schubert songs.
That reminds me, BIS must be getting close to the end of their complete
Sibelius project (now up to at least 49 discs, according to one I bought
recently). I think they still need a couple of discs of songs, and there
might be some more juvenilia and odds and ends.
It would be nice if they could re-do the piano music and get someone
better than Erik Tavaststjerna. Maybe Ralf Gothoni would be
interested; he's recorded some of it for other labels.
--
Jon Bell <jtb...@presby.edu> Presbyterian College
Dept. of Physics and Computer Science Clinton, South Carolina USA
[ Questions about newsgroups? Visit http://www.geocities.com/nnqweb/ ]
[ or ask in news:news.newusers.questions ]
Lani Spahr
>js...@my-deja.com wrote:
>>
>> Well, I am now. I didn't know v.37 was being released September. And I'm
>> both sorry it's coming to a close and eagerly anticipating hearing
>> Michael Schade sing Auf dem Strome with David Pyatt's horn
>> accompaniment.
>
>Years ago, on an old Parnassus LP, there was a performance with Richard
>was ... Cyril Preedy?
Lush...
--
Cheers,
Lani Spahr
Bruckner Symphony Versions Discography
http://people.ne.mediaone.net/lspahr
Edward A. Cowan
> Actually, my one (small and perhaps churlish) complaint about the
> series concerns Graham Johnson's program notes. As the series went on,
> they became longer and longer, and more and more detailed, and I read
> less and less. They contain an incredible wealth of information, and
> informed speculation and opinion, but I prefer to listen without having
> everything explained to me in advance. And just how are these notes to
> be used? Read the whole damn booklet before you play the disc? Pause
> the disc after each song to read the next essay? If Johnson wanted to
> write a book on Schubert, I wish he'd made that a separate project and
> tried to keep the booklet notes to a more reasonable length.
FWIW, I have twenty-one of the thirty-seven volumes of the Hyperion
Schubert Lieder series, items scattered throughout the series, but
beginning with volume 1 (Dame Janet Baker) and including a few of the
most recent volumes with their special double-jointed boxes that enclose
the CD and the bulging booklets.
I have taken, now and again, just about every measure listed above in
the post from Jim Paul, but I suggest hearing the songs first. (Btw.,
the texts and translations for the series are already available in book
form. Now it's time for Graham Johnson's notes also to appear in that
form, but tastefully edited to remove passages that I find excessively
prolix.) Johnson is a very amiable and perceptive writer as well as a
splendid accompanist. Perhaps the best way to read one of the larger
booklets (say, the one for "Winterreise") is to prop up in bed of an
evening and read it through, using the smallest "PostIt" notes as
markers. If one also has the Peters scores for the songs (not all the
songs come from Peters, it seems, but most of them do), so much the
better.
Now I need to compile a list of what I have so I can select confidently
while acquiring the remaining volumes without duplicating items I
already have...
--
E.A.C.
Matthew B. Tepper
>
> Matthew B. Tepper wrote in message <39A2D901...@earthlink.net>...
> >js...@my-deja.com wrote:
> >>
> >> Well, I am now. I didn't know v.37 was being released September. And
> >> I'm both sorry it's coming to a close and eagerly anticipating
> >> hearing Michael Schade sing Auf dem Strome with David Pyatt's horn
> >> accompaniment.
> >
> >Years ago, on an old Parnassus LP, there was a performance with Richard
> >Lewis (not the comedian), Dennie Brain, and ... not sure who the
> >pianist was ... Cyril Preedy?
>
> Lush...
No, just a Sidney Beer every now and then. (Thank you, Russell!)
--
Matthew B. Tepper: WWW, science fiction, classical music, ducks!
My personal home page -- http://home.earthlink.net/~oy/index.html
My main music page --- http://home.earthlink.net/~oy/berlioz.html
To write to me, do for my address what Androcles did for the lion
Rajeev Aloysius
Jim Paul <jrp...@phjw.com> wrote:
> I should mention one more standout, especially since yesterday was her
> birthday (duly noted on rec.music.opera): the singer of the very first
> volume -- the great Janet Baker.
And she duly appears on the cover of the new Gramophone, taking both
occasions into account.
Happy Birthday, Dame Janet!
--
Rajeev Aloysius
raj...@starmail.com
*Please reply to my Email address*
wk...@my-deja.com
con...@copland.udel.edu (Jon A Conrad) wrote:
>Anybody have ideas as to highlights from the series? I think of
>Anthony Rolfe Johnson's "night" volume, because he was in such superb
>vocal form and got inside the songs so well.
This is certainly my favorite of those that I've heard (the first 30 or
so) - certainly one of ARJ's best recordings. And anyone with access to
a Tower store that sells cutouts may be able to find this volume for all
of $6.99 - there were a couple of copies in the Boston Tower cutout bin
today.
Bill
--
William D. Kasimer
wk...@juno.com
Never argue with idiots. They bring you down to their level, and then
beat you with experience.
Dan Koren
jtb...@presby.edu (Jon Bell) wrote:
> That reminds me, BIS must be getting close to the end of their
complete
> Sibelius project (now up to at least 49 discs, according to one I
bought
> recently). I think they still need a couple of discs of songs, and
there
> might be some more juvenilia and odds and ends.
>
> It would be nice if they could re-do the piano music and get someone
> better than Erik Tavaststjerna. Maybe Ralf Gothoni would be
> interested; he's recorded some of it for other labels.
Or maybe Mustonen or Matti Raekkalio.... :)
dk
PS. Or Margit Rahkonen 'cause she looks so attractive :)
rne...@my-deja.com
All I can say is Let's Get on With the Schumann! And the Vivaldi
Sacred Music. And what ever happened to the Gothic Voice series, Music
of England and France? Love my Purcell.
Great label though. I mean how much money are they ever going to make
back on the Liszt set? - and yet would they even consider cancelling it?
No way. (Don't ask about the Goodman Haydn.) Great label. B me no BMG
and crossover me no Sony.