courtesy of Naxos of America
The wait for the tenth volume in the Naxos project to record and release all of the songs composed by Robert Schumann was not as long as that for the ninth. This seems to be another case in which Amazon.com is only providing this new album through MP3 download, given the problems that may arise through physical delivery. Readers may recall that the title of the ninth album was Romances, Ballads and Melodramas. In a similar vein the new album is entitled Romances, Ballads and Duets. The vocalists are soprano Caroline Melzer, mezzo Anke Vondung, and tenor Simon Bode; and all possible pairings arise over the course of the album. Each vocalist also has his/her share of solo opportunities. The pianist on all of the tracks is Ulrich Eisenlohr.
The new album is also distinguished for providing one of Schumann’s earliest songs, “Lied für xxx,” which was never given an opus number. (The Anhang listing is M1:2.) There is also a generous share of songs composed during the “Year of Song,” 1840; but there are also a fair number of later works from 1849 and 1851. As I have worked my way through the individual volumes of this project, I have been impressed by how prolific Schumann was and the breadth of his interest in German poetry. As in the preceding volumes, all of the selections are given clear and expressive accounts by both the vocalists and their accompanist. Nevertheless, each new release in the series leaves me wondering just how many further volumes remain!
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