Couplets

"Hanns Eisler remains one of the almost forgotten figures of 20th century music ... Recordings are not so easy to find, so this new issue by Capriccio is a welcome addition to the discography of this foremost Schoenberg pupil. Of course, the problem with Eisler's music is not the music itself, but with his political and racial background ... The performances are ... magnificently performed by the ensembles 'die reihe' and the Klangforum Wien with outstanding interpretations by HK Gruber and dramatic narration from Wolfram Berger with admirable keyboard playing from Marino Formenti (Klangforum Wien) and Adolf Henning (Ensemble 'die reihe') ... This is another valuable addition to the Eisler discography following three earlier releases by this company of Eisler's music".

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"We now arrive at the fourth and sadly the last volume of Holger Falk and Steffen Schleiermacher'svery fine survey of Eisler's songs for MDG ... and this volume concentrates on his early songs ... Holger Falk and Steffen Schleiermacher seem to have grown into this series, with each volume being better than the last, which is difficult when you appreciate how good the first volume was. Holger Falk shows the full range of colour in his voice as he interprets these songs, he has been impressive throughout the previous three discs, showing great subtlety as well as intensity in his reading and he is truly excellent here. The musicality of Steffen Schleiermacher has been clear from the outset of this series, and once again this is true, he is not just an accompanist, but an integral part, a true partner. Their performance is excellent throughout".

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"The music of Hanns Eisler, whilst not neglected, has in my opinion never really gained the prominence it deserves ... His music was coloured by many traditions and his songs are no different. There are those that show the influence of the late romantics, whilst others show his fondness the modern idiom of jazz and cabaret music ... I like Holger Falk's voice, especially as he changes effortlessly through the different styles represented here. He seems an ideal exponent of this music ... Steffen Schleiermacher proves an excellent pianist and accompanist ... This is an excellent disc, one which leaves me longing for the subsequent releases".

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"This double-CD set offers a valuable and absorbing selection of Hanns Eisler's songs and shorter orchestral works from across his creative life ... Deriving from concert performances in Vienna, all the works enjoy excellent performances and recording. Contrasting with the mellifluous delivery of the songs by singers such as Matthias Goerne and Holger Falk, HK Gruber's style is raspy and theatrical but also deeply responsive and musical, as is his conducting of the two ensembles ... A highly recommendable release".

"I enjoyed the first volume enormously, and this disc proves a more than worthy successor".

"It's fascinating to hear where it all started, with the initially selftaught Eisler exploring various creative options ... before falling under the influence of the Second Viennese School and his teacher Schoenberg in his Op 2 and then deliberately breaking from literary conventions ... What's remarkable is the conviction and honesty that underpin even these earliest songs - and there are some gems ... As before, there's little to fault in Falk's committed, imaginative singing or Schleiermacher's vivid accompaniment. Over these four albums the pair have recorded more than 150 songs in what's an important project".

"Editor's choice: All the songs receive terrific performances. Holger Falk has a clear, cleanly focused baritone that can run the gamut from a honeyed piano to something more like an impassioned shout ... There's also an ideal balance between sophistication and rawness, a certain neutrality of interpretation that will bear repeated listening but doesn't betray the gritty roots of the music ... A fascinating and hugely enjoyable disc".