Mark Padmore & Paul Lewis - Schubert: Schwanengesang (2011)

The darkly lit cover photo may convey some of the desolation of Franz Schubert's Schwanengesang, but to appreciate the full range of emotions of this posthumous song cycle -- which shift from the hopeful passion of Liebesbotschaft and the giddiness of Frühlingssehnsucht to the heartbreak of Ihr Bild and the horror of Der Doppelgänger -- listen to this exceptional Harmonia Mundi release by tenor Mark Padmore and his accompanist, pianist Paul Lewis. While the grim aspects of certain lieder give this work its pervasive sense of gloominess, which is suggestive of Schubert's depression and resignation in the last years of his life, much more beauty and tenderness come across, even in the midst of sorrow and pain. Padmore is a wonderfully expressive singer, and his ability to shift suddenly from joy to sorrow and back again within a few measures is wonderful to behold. Lewis is perfectly attuned to the changing moods, and he adds shadings to Padmore's subtle inflections, which complement but never overwhelm Schubert's sentiments. Sound quality is also an important contibution to the success of this recording because the expressive intimacy of the performance truly comes across, and Padmore and Lewis are presented with the warm presence one might have experienced at one of the composer's famed Schubertiades. Auf dem Strom (with Richard Watkins on horn) and Die Sterne round out the program in a lighter mood, so the album ends in gentle contrast to the overcast moods of Schwanengesang. -- Blair Sanderson