But given the quasi-operatic manner of many Liszt songs this is the right artistic choice, even if it means he doesn’t always sound born to sing all this repertoire in the way Matthew Polenzani does on volume 1, probably still the most essential disc of the series. One such occurs at the climax of that passionate outpouring O lieb, so lang du lieben kannst (Liszt’s best known melody in its piano transcription as Liebesträume No 3). In fact there are just a few moments on the disc when at the top of the voice, Clayton is more concerned to convey the drama of the setting rather than preserve impeccable vocal manners. The ensuing Comment, disaient-ils is a fast-paced drama with a melismatic cadential flourish that has Clayton showing some strain. Lieder collectors will know this song perhaps and have other favourite recordings of it, but they will still find that Clayton’s account adds something to their understanding. Oh! quand je dors is one of the loveliest of all, tenderly sung by Clayton, whose sung French sounds as persuasive as his German (at least to a non-native). His Four Settings of Victor Hugo are all included here in their first versions of 1842-44. In fact although German was Liszt’s first language (he never learned Hungarian), he came to prefer French. Liszt, who knew everyone because everyone wanted to know him, liked to hang out with Victor Hugo in his early years in Paris. Alan Clayton just sounds so involved, button-holing the listener like a lieder-singing Ancient Mariner. The former is one of the best-known, and the latter one of the best, of all Liszt’s songs, but not many earlier recordings eclipse these. He also has the narrative skill of the operatic singer in the longest songs, Die Lorelei and Ich möchte hingehn. His basic sound is alluring of course, and there is a caressing line in the lyrical settings such as Über allen Gipfeln ist Ruh' (Goethe’s Wandrers Nachtlied), where the tenor and pianist distil the essence of its philosophical inwardness, and at the close Clayton makes exquisite use of dreamy head voice. (The second version of the first setting – do keep up - can be found on volume 2 of the series, sung by Angelika Kirchschlager.)Ĭlayton’s familiar excellent qualities are in evidence throughout. The first is reflective and takes over 3 minutes, while the second is turbulent and swift, despatched in 76 seconds and easily the shortest item on the disc. There could hardly be such different responses to the very same text. Thus with Freudvoll und leidvoll (from Goethe’s Egmont) we have the first setting, (in its first version) as well as the second setting. Certainly this programme is a compelling one, with several of Liszt’s finest songs, even if not all are in the most familiar version.īut there are also different settings of the same poem as well as different versions of the same setting. Perhaps this has the advantage that the best or best-known songs can be given to more than one singer, avoiding the sensitivities that Graham Johnson must have had to manage with Hyperion’s Complete Schubert Songs. This series clearly aims to be comprehensive in this respect, as was the huge solo piano series. But Liszt wrote songs intermittently all his life, and as with the piano music, revised them more than once, giving rise to first and later versions co-existing still. Here though we keep encountering music which, while not unknown to singers, is heard much less often than it merits. For all the many fascinating discoveries in Leslie Howard’s great complete Liszt piano music, the greatest works were well known and played before, and Hyperion’s other song series have mainly focussed on composers already at the heart of the recitalist’s repertoire. Hyperion’s series of Liszt’s complete songs is one of its most valuable. 2016/17, Potton Hall, Dunwich All Saints’ Church, East Finchley, UK Support us financially by purchasing this from
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