Die Singphoniker - Schubert: Complete Part Songs for Male Voices, Vol. 3 (1997)

Although some of the other volumes in the Singphoniker's collection of Schubert's complete part-songs for male voices have greater masterpieces -- Vol. 1's Nachthelle (D. 892) and Vol. 5's Gesang der Geister über den Wasser (D. 714) -- Vol. 3 has the highest number of good songs and the lowest number of composition exercises, which may make it the most easily appealing volume. Starting with the glorious Wein und Liebe (D. 901) and ending with the exquisite Grab und Mond (D. 893), there are hardly any songs in this collection that are not first-rate Schubert. Even the lesser-known songs like the sweet serenade "Leise, leise lasst uns singen" (D. 635) and the tenderly yearning Wehmut (D. 825) sound magnificent in Singphoniker's sweetly expressive performances. Indeed, while there are few recordings of these works to compete with Singphoniker's, comparison with the recordings by Jane Glover or John Eliot Gardiner always find in favor of Singphoniker. This is a wonderful and beautiful collection.