Search - Thomas Hampson Sings Schumann on DVD

Thomas Hampson Sings the Original Version of Schumann's 'Di

J Scott Morrison | Middlebury VT, USA | 10/21/2009

(5 out of 5 stars)

"When in Berlin Thomas Hampson thought he would look in the Staatsbibliothek at the manuscript for Schumann's Dichterliebe, a song-cycle he'd been singing for years, he discovered that there is no manuscript of the cycle as we've come to know it. Indeed, what he found was the composer's original version (called, in the manuscript, 'Zwanzig Lieder und Gesänge aus dem "Lyrischen Intermezzo" im "Buch der Lieder" [Heinrich Heine]') which, it turns out, is very different from the published, familiar version. First, there are twenty songs in the original, not sixteen, and there are some significant differences in some of the sixteen that have come down to us. Thus, when Hampson came to sing a recital in Munich in 2007 he decided to sing the original version. This is its first recording.

The four additional songs are 'Dein Angesicht' ('Your face') and 'Lehn deine Wang' ' ('Lean your face') which are placed between songs 4 & 5 ('Wenn ich in deine Augen seh' & 'Ich will meine Seele tauchen'), and 'Es leuchtet meine Liebe' ('My love shines') and 'Mein Wagen rollet langsam' ('My wagon rolls slowly') placed between songs 12 & 13 ('Am leuchtenden Sommermorgen' and 'Ich hab' im Traum geweinet'). It is not known why they were not included in the published version. They are certainly of a piece both poetically and musically with the rest of the cycle. They have been recorded separately by such singers a Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau, but not as part of the Dichterliebe cycle.

The rest of the DVD, which is taken from two performances at Munich's Prinzregententheater on December 18 & 20, 2007, includes Schumann's 'Zwölf Gedichte' ('Twelve Poems'), texts by Justinus Kerner. Hampson, who is surely one of our very best lieder singers, is in marvelous voice and, of course, his diction and expression are all one could ask. His sensitive accompanist is the distinguished pianist Wolfram Rieger.

Both video and audio are superb. The camera mostly remains on the singer, with very little zooming around as is sometimes the case when directors want to make the picture 'more interesting.' Audio is clear and lifelike with singer and piano in optimum balance. No texts are provided.

For admirers of Thomas Hampson this is a no-brainer. And for those who are interested to hear the original version of 'Dichterliebe' the same holds true.

A strong recommendation.

Scott Morrison"