Christian Gerhaher, Gerold Huber - Schubert: Abendbilder (2006)

While not all of the 17 Schubert songs collected here under the title Abendbilder (Evening Images) deal specifically with the evening, most are at least tinged with the melancholy that's associated with the end of the day in the romantic imagination, and baritone Christian Gerhaher's passionate sensibility brings that melancholy to the fore. Gerhaher's voice has matured since his fine 2001 recording of Der Winterreise and his interpretive skills have deepened. He is becoming a master of an effortless, creamy legato that's especially evident in the long floating lines of "Du bist die Ruh." The way Gerhaher's voice materializes out of nothing in "Im Abendrot" is magical, and the simplicity and directness of his singing is heartbreakingly poignant. He is at much at home in the more energetic and vociferous songs, such as "Bei dir allein," "Auf der Bruck," and "Der Musensohn," but it's in the more introspective pieces, where he can caress the words, that he is most unaffectedly moving. Gerold Huber provides supple and nuanced accompaniment, and the partnership of voice and piano is one of the album's greatest strengths. The sound is warm, present, and well balanced, with just enough resonance to maximize Gerhaher's ringing tone.