Andreas Schmidt, Cord Garben - Brahms, Wolf, Mahler: Lieder (1991)

I became sceptical when I noted that such a young singer had chosen to record at once these two late sets by Brahms and Wolf. They ought to be the province of baritones and basses (preferably the latter) of mature years, who have garnered the vocal and emotional experience to make the most of two of the profoundest compositions in all the field of Lieder. My scepticism was all too readily confirmed in listening to Schmidt tackle each. His singing as such is well-nigh faultless (apart from an inevitable weakness below the bass stave). His line is smooth and long-breathed throughout, the phrasing is well considered, the control of dynamics nicely judged, the verbal emphasis faultless, the speeds—happily—never too lumbering. So there is much pleasure to be had simply from such vocal probity, but I seldom sense that Schmidt encompasses the agony and ecstasy of these songs or that he peered behind the notes at the state of mind which caused the composers to write their respective masterpieces. Missing in the Brahms is the sheer desolation and depression of being that should be expressed in the first three songs, and is encompassed in Hans Hotter's classic 1957 recording on EMI.
Hotter is also a model in his 1950s version of the Drei Gedichte von Michelangelo (7/54—nla), which is in urgent need of reissue. The strange, terrifying world inhabited by ''Alles endet, was entstehet'', the sorrow and love of ''Fuhlt meine Seele'' call for a graver, more solemn utterance than Schmidt at this stage of his career can conjure forth. At present Fischer-Dieskau is Schmidt's only rival in his 1960 all-Wolf recital (EMI), a maturer reading as lovingly sung.
The Ruckert settings of Mahler are more suited to Schmidt's undoubted gifts. Although even here ''Ich bin der Welt'' needs a somewhat more otherworldly timbre than he can yet manage, this and the other songs benefit greatly from the beautiful tone and deft, finely moulded phrasing the baritone provides, most of all in ''Ich atmet' einen Linden Duft'' and ''Liebst du um Schonheit''. Here and throughout Cord Garben provides positive, perceptive playing, particularly probing in the Brahms, where the contrapuntal, almost orchestral writing emerges with exemplary clarity. Full marks too for the recording which balances him with the voice in a warm, sympathetic way. In spite of my strictures, I derived much pleasure from just listening to the innate musicianship of Schmidt and his partner. However, it is a pity that the disc runs to only 51 minutes.