During a pandemic that has killed hundreds of thousands, finding
a silver lining may seem a tad self indulgent. For those of us
who are fortunate to be safe and healthy, the disruption is a
nuisance at worst in the grand scheme of things. How fortunate
are we? Surely the destruction of COVID-19 and its impact on
everyday life, politics, culture and people is not close to
being measured. The impact on art is one that will be looked
back on with fascination and thankfully technology has stepped
in to make music available to many of us. The forced migration
of performed music from large venues to virtual and intimate
spaces has led to great art under trying circumstances, a salve
in troubling times This disc from the world’s premiere tenor and
his longtime accompanist is a highlight so far.
Jonas
Kaufmann’s lieder gifts are formidable. His résumé began with a
disc of Richard Strauss lieder (with the same Helmut Deutsch
here) that blew me away. Since then, a Winterreiese and Die
schöne Müllerin have been standouts in Kaufmann’s discography.
Forced to return to a more intimate venue out of necessity,
Kafumann and Deutsch chose “warhorses” as they put it in the
liner notes for a generous program of Lieder from multiple
composers. This description is far too derogatory, however,
given the results. I’d say “chestnuts” is more applicable as
Kaufmann’s renditions of standards such as Die Forelle or
Brahms’ Wiegenlied are anything but standard fare. After all,
Kaufmann’s is one of the most thrilling voices in recent memory.
His solid technique and intellectual prowess around this music
in his native tongue makes each piece, no matter how popular or
obscure, into a mini-event.
Take the second track on
disc, Beethoven’s Adelaide, as an exemplar. Kaufmann’s
controlled, gleaming tenor shapes Beethoven’s well-traveled, yet
graceful phrases into a four movement symphony, each line
dovetailing neatly into the next. He deploys his vocal power
when musically and textually appropriate to the young lover’s
longing. The German tenor finds the profundity in each track on
this disc, lending his talents to obscure gems such as Carl
Bohm’s powerful Still wie die Nacht or the title track, the
sensual Selige Stunde by Alexander Zemlinsky. Kaufmann’s
renditions of these and more well-known songs such as Schubert’s
Der Jüngling an der Quelle leads to several breathtaking
moments, due in no small part to Kaufmann’s restraint and
judgement on when to fully deploy his strong voice.
Rather than venturing into schmaltz, Kaufmann’s inclination to
tread lightly through the passaggio, the vocal range where so
many of these songs live, gives these performances a youthful
quality. The program brilliantly winds from naive love to
longing and resignation, rather than group the tracks by
composer. As the depth of expression of the text matures, so
does Kaufmann’s range of colors. Credit goes to Kaufmann’s
maturity and experience, as well to his longtime collaborator
Deutsch who plays with a sensitive touch. They have managed to
corral the tenor’s heroic voice, using its stentorian qualities
sparingly, and deployed his resources toward not only his
alluring head voice but also an abundance of stamina in his
phrasing. Take, for instance, the previously recorded Strauss
songs Allerseelen and Zueignung. The climax of both pieces were
previously show-stopping in duration as one would expect (and
hope for), but here the duo breezes through them by comparison,
parlaying the entire phrase into a complete thought much more
effectively as rhetorical drama. The same applies to the Hugo
Wolf pieces. The sparsely accompanied Verschwiegene Liebe is
paced quickly, the treacherously exposed phrases ebbing and
flowing into cohesion. The brooding Verborgenheit courses
forward in seamless legato. The resulting effect is something
much more affectingly pitiful than sulky.
All of
Kaufmann’s and Deutsch’s techniques culminate in the final
piece, Mahler’s Ich bin der Welt abhanden gekommen. The perilous
phrasing the composer applied to Friedrich Rückert’s affecting
poem never appears to be a concern to Kaufmann. Without benefit
of the sustained sounds of an orchestra (not to denigrate
Deutsch’s tender playing in the least), Kaufmann soars through
the vast vocal range of the piece, intimately drawing the
listener closer. Like the others on the program, the Mahler
doesn’t sink under the weight of a star tenor; it succeeds due
to his artistry and insight. The sound quality is very good,
recorded closely in intimate quarters in Munich. The music
benefits from such an arrangement, close to most’s composers’
original settings. At around 70 minutes, it is more than a
blissful hour of indulgent listening during uncertain times; it
feels indispensable.