Yes, Schubert song recitals are a dime a dozen (or two a penny), and yes, the organizing principles for this release by baritone Samuel Hasselhorn sound pretty general, both in the title ("Belief, Hope, Love") and in the various marketing materials that accompany the album. Nevertheless, no one should be thereby discouraged from checking out what is an absolutely top-notch Schubert recital from Hasselhorn and ace accompanist Joseph Middleton. What unifies the group is that the 15 songs included here are some of Schubert's ...
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Yes, Schubert song recitals are a dime a dozen (or two a penny), and yes, the organizing principles for this release by baritone Samuel Hasselhorn sound pretty general, both in the title ("Belief, Hope, Love") and in the various marketing materials that accompany the album. Nevertheless, no one should be thereby discouraged from checking out what is an absolutely top-notch Schubert recital from Hasselhorn and ace accompanist Joseph Middleton. What unifies the group is that the 15 songs included here are some of Schubert's most daring, most individual works in the form. There are a few familiar numbers, including Erlkönig, D. 328, the most famous Schubert song of all, but placed in this context, surrounded by unique pieces, its originality shines forth anew. Many of the pieces will be new even to confirmed Schubertians. There are longer ballads of the sort singers always seem uncertain what to do with like Der Zwerg, D. 771, a truly existential song in the form of Totengräbers Heimweh, D. 842, and, to...
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Add this copy of Schubert: Glaube, Hoffnung, Liebe to cart. $21.57, new condition, Sold by Importcds rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Sunrise, FL, UNITED STATES, published 2022 by Harmonia Mundi.
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Add this copy of Schubert: Glaube, Hoffnung, Liebe, Lieder to cart. $27.72, new condition, Sold by newtownvideo rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from huntingdon valley, PA, UNITED STATES, published 2022 by Harmonia Mundi.
Baritone Samuel Hasselhorn and pianist Joseph Middleton combine in this 2022 recital of 16 song by Franz Schubert. After winning the 2018 Queen Elizabeth Competition in Belgium, Hasselhorn went on to an impressive career as an operatic and song singer, with an ongoing project of recording Schubert songs in process through 2028, the year of the composer's death. Middleton has enjoyed a career as a collaborative pianist and chamber musician. Singer and pianist work together beautifully on this CD.
The title of the CD, "Faith, Hope, and Love" is based upon the opening song, D. 955 which in turn is based upon a passage from First Corinthians 1:13. Schubert sets a poem by one Christoph Kuffner, his only setting of this poet. He had written a different setting shortly before , D954, for mixed chorus and wind orchestra. This song, D.955, is rarely performed and many lovers of Schubert songs are unfamiliar with it. It is in an expansive, unusual style for a song with three stanzas and a bell-like piano part. It was an inspiration to use this song to open the recital, and it sets the stage for what follows.
The themes of the opening song, "Faith Hope, and Love" pervade the recital and show the range of Schubert's genius as a song composer. The recital includes familiar Schubert songs, including "Erlkonig" and "Auf dem Wasser zu Singen", together with songs that may be familiar to lovers of Schubert songs and songs, such as the title work, that will likely be unfamiliar to most listeners. The songs cover much of Schubert's brief life, beginning with the song "Rastlose Liebe", D. 138 and likely concluding with the setting of "Faith, Hope, and Love". The songs include texts by a variety of poets. Many single CD recitals of Schubert emphasize on his best-known works, and this CD offers an outstanding loosely themed collection of familiar and relatively obscure songs. Thus, listeners with varying degrees of familiarity with Schubert will enjoy this recital.
The CD has received strong critical praise. Colin Clarke's review in the May 8. 2022 "Classical Explorer" described the CD as "a wonderful showcase for the talents of the young baritone Samuel Hasselhorn, while Joseph Middleton at the piano adds his experienced, ever-enlightening touch to create a miraculous combination of talent." Clarke praised the variety of songs in the program and "their profundity and ability to speak to us directly across time." Clarke wrote that "The programming of this disc is just about perfect, as is the sense of the transcendental Hasselhorn and Middleton bring to everything they touch." This is high praise indeed and well deserved for a beautiful Schubert song recital.
I heard this CD through streaming on Amazon Music. I was a latecomer to streaming, and it requires listening in a different way than listening to a CD. In streaming, it seems better to just let the music flow. This sometimes affects concentration. The value of streaming is in allowing the listener to hear a much larger variety of recordings than would be possible in the CD format, particularly in widely-recorded works such as Schubert songs. A disadvantage might be the need to dig to find song texts and translations and information about the music that good liner notes often provide.
Still the songs and the performers are what makes the music much more than the formatting. This CD enhanced my feelings for Schubert's songs and rewards listening by lovers of his songs.
