Freudvoll und leidvoll

"It is a fascinating disc with some of the best of his songs in, very often, extremely beautiful readings and with a willingness to penetrate the dramatic possibilities that is praiseworthy. There is a freshness of approach that is stimulating, Julius Drake accompanies in a manner that Liszt himself would have admired - and there isn't a dull phrase in the whole recital ... This series certainly goes from strength to strength".

Læs anmeldelse

"Recording of the week: Clayton brings the same compelling mixture of ardour and vulnerability that made his Glyndebourne Hamlet such a sensation to a selection of German and French songs: the latter, in particular, suggest that the voice is on the cusp of a transition into more dramatic territory ... Spotlit by a pleasingly dry acoustic which allows every thoughtful detail to register, Drake is characteristically eloquent and imaginative throughout - listen, for instance, to the two completely different moods which he invokes with a simple repeated phrase in the space of just two bars in the opening of 'Morgens steh' ich auf und frage'".

Læs anmeldelse

"Recording of the week: The Petrarch Sonnets find Kaufmann in absolute peak vocal form, cresting the top Cs with ease ... The macabre, unsettling Die drei Zigeuner is another real highlight, with Kaufmann characterising the three gypsies quite brilliantly, and Deutsch working uncanny magic in the long, quasi-improvisatory introduction ... This is quite the finest recording Kaufmann's made for Sony, and a testament to one of the greatest Lieder partnerships of our time".

Læs anmeldelse

"I was highly delighted with these assured performances from the outstanding soprano Ruth Ziesak and her impeccable accompanist Gerold Huber. Recorded in Cologne, the sound quality achieved by the Berlin Classics engineers is excellent".

Læs anmeldelse

"In all four Julia Kleiter's beautiful singing and keen articulation of the texts ennobles the songs ... Collectors of this Liszt series can safely add this latest issue to their collections, which more and more stands out as one of the most valuable surveys of the song repertoire".

Læs anmeldelse

"A willingness to take risks ... has always been integral to [Clayton's] singing, and the dividends are often enormous ... There are also wonderful moments of lyrical reflection, though, and the way he sings 'Du bist wie eine Blume' with a poised mezza voce is breathtaking. Drake, meanwhile, invests every phrase with weight and meaning, and is, as ever, outstanding. Another fine disc in an exceptional series".

"Songs of the legendarily charismatic Franz Liszt would seem - at least in theory - a great fit for magnetic Heldentenor Jonas Kaufmann. However, a number of elements conspire to keep this album from being all that it could have been ... Any number of full-throated moments ... jump out at the ear with an effect that's more aggressive than heroic. Kaufmann does scale back his voice succesfully but more fragile songs become pallid".

"Editor's choice: The performances here blaze with conviction. Kleiter's tone is wonderfully even and exceptionally beautiful over a wide vocal range, and her commitment is never for a second in doubt ... Drake is similarly at his best here ... A marvellous disc and a great recital in its own right, this is arguably the finest instalment of the series to date. Do listen to it".

"Vurdering: Editor's choice" - "The ever-rewarding song partnership of Gerald Finley and Julius Drake are persuasive advocates across the whole spectrum of Lisztian styles".