Schumann: Album of Songs for the Young; Lieder and Songs I, Op. 27 (2007)

Schumann's Album Of Song For The Young

As a composer of lieder, Robert Schumann is best-known for his song-cycles including Dichterliebe, Liederkreiss, and Frauenliebe und Lieben (Woman's Life and Love). Most of Schumann's famous songs were composed in his "miraculous year" of 1840, when he was deeply in love with his bride-to-be Clara. But this CD offers the opportunity to hear the later and lesser-known Schumann songs included in his "Album of Songs for the Young" composed in 1848. If this collection, as a whole, lacks the intensity of Schumann's earlier lieder, it is still worth knowing. Baritone Thomas Bauer and Soprano Sibylla Rubens are the soloists in most of the songs with Mezzo-soprano Stefanie Irani joining Rubens on several duets. Bauer has been featured on the earlier releases in the Naxos Schumann cycle and in several Naxos releases of Schubert lieder. Uta Hielscher provides excellent piano accompaniment.

Schumann's Album of Songs for the Young is modeled on his Album for the Young collection for piano solo. Many of the pieces in the piano collection are still studied by young piano students while the song collection, alas, has fallen into relative obscurity. As does the piano work, this collection of 29 songs begins with simple material suitable for young children or young singers and gradually works up to more complex, demanding pieces. The Album of Songs for the Young is infrequently performed in full because many of the earlier songs are too simple and bland for recitals. It was composed for instructional purposes and for the rare art nowadays of home singing and private entertainment. But the collection is a delight to hear and it is beautifully performed by the three singers and pianist. Schumann tried to set "only the best poets", and the texts are by Goethe, Schiller, Ruckert, Morike, Hoffman von Fallersleben (a contemporary of Schumann and the poet of the largest number of works in the collection), and the compilation known as "Das Knaben Wunderhorn" which Mahler also set. The collection includes many songs about Spring and about nature, character studies of people (including two songs about gypsies), songs of adventure and wandering, and songs of childhood experiences. Unfortunately, the texts and translations of the songs are not included with the CD, but they are available online.

Some of the latter works in the collection are among Schumann's finest songs, including the setting of Goethe's "Mignon" (Kennst du das Land)which was also set memorably by Schubert and Wolf. Rubens sings this song with a bell-like voice and with simplicity, as she does with two other late songs in the collection: "Schneeglkochen" (Snowdrops) to a text by Ruckert, and Morike's "Er ist's" (It is he) also set by Hugo Wolf in his Morike songbook. Bauer as well sings some of the final works in the collection, including Goethe's "Song of Lynceus the Watchman." In the earlier songs, I found several of the duets between Rubens and Iranyi especially enjoyable.

In addition to the Album of Songs for the Young this CD also includes an earlier short collection, the Lieder and Gesange I opus 27. The five songs in this group include Schumann's setting of a famous poem by Robert Burns, "My Love is like a Red Red Rose" together with a setting of a poem by Ruckert, "The Jasmine Bush", probably the collection's best-known song. The opus 27 set is a lovely, intimate collection of songs of love and nature. The songs are an excellent product of Schumann's "miraculous year" of lieder composition in 1840. Thomas Bauer gives passionate readings of these romantic songs of Schumann.

The CD includes informative liner notes by Dr. Gerhard Dietel. Lovers of Schumann and of art song will enjoy these lesser-known works by a great romantic composer of lieder.

Robin Friedman