Christian Gerhaher & Gerold Huber - Ferne Geliebte (2012)

Ferne Geliebte, Christian Gerhaher's 2012 Sony release, is a collection of lieder by the masters of the Classical Viennese style, Franz Joseph Haydn and Ludwig van Beethoven, and the chief representatives of the Second Viennese School, Arnold Schoenberg and Alban Berg. While it is indeed interesting to note the contrasts between Classical and modernist styles, which even casual listeners will discern, it is perhaps more rewarding to consider how Gerhaher and his longtime accompanist Gerold Huber move almost effortlessly from the excitable ardor of Beethoven's An die ferne Geliebte to the brooding sehnsucht of Schoenberg's Das Buch der hangenden Garten, or from the wholesome melancholy of Haydn's Trost unglucklicher Liebe to the existentential angst of Berg's Altenberg Lieder. While it would be easy to play up the emotions of longing and desolation, Gerhaher is controlled and balanced, letting most of the expression come through the melodic lines and tonal shading, rather than through forced declamation. Huber's accompaniment is similarly understated and calibrated to the needs of the songs, so there is a unity of purpose between the artists that makes this album convincing and satisfying. Sony's reproduction is clear and full, and the performers have a credible presence. -- Blair Sanderson