Christoph Prégardien - Brahms: Complete Songs, Vol. 1 (2021)

At the age of sixty-five, one could fear for the voice of tenor Christoph Prégardien when he undertook the recording of all of Johannes Brahms's Lieder. Listening to this first volume recorded in 2020, these fears are moot thanks to a voice that has remained intact and flawless technique.

The program proposed here by Christoph Prégardien spans the entire life of Brahms, from the Vier Gesänge, Op. 43 of 1857 to the Fünf Lieder, Op. 105 of 1888. The popularity of the Brahms symphonist and chamber musician, not to mention the works for piano, has somewhat obscured the three hundred and eighty Lieder, for one, two or four voices, in its catalog. It is the melodic line that Brahms favors in this so intimate art, in an often symmetrical and regular form, always of great beauty.

These qualities are particularly evident in the interpretation of Christoph Prégardien, supported by Ulrich Eisenlohr's dreamy piano with which he dialogues in perfect harmony. The text is highlighted with great romantic intensity. We can be convinced of this from the start of the recording with the famous Mainacht ("Night of May"), the splendid Über die Heide ("On the Moor") or even the merry Versunken ("Engouti") on a famous poem by Goethe. The twenty-four Lieder of the four cycles presented here would all deserve a mention, for the music as for their inspired interpretation.
Tracklist
1. No. 1, Von ewiger Liebe
2. No. 2, Die Mainacht
3. No. 3, Ich schell mein Horn ins Jammertal
4. No. 4, Das Lied vom Herrn von Falkenstein
5. No. 1, Therese
6. No. 2, Feldeinsamkeit
7. No. 3, Nachtwandler
8. No. 4, Über die Heide
9. No. 5, Versunken
10. No. 6, Todessehnen
11. No. 1, Wie Melodien zieht es mir
12. No. 2, Immer leiser wird mein Schlummer
13. No. 3, Klage
14. No. 4, Auf dem Kirchhofe
15. No. 5, Verrat
16. No. 1, Wie rafft ich mich auf in der Nacht
17. No. 2, Nicht mehr zu dir zu gehen
18. No. 3, Ich schleich umher
19. No. 4, Der Strom, der neben mir verrauschte
20. No. 5, Wehe, so willst du mich wieder
21. No. 6, Du sprichst, daß ich mich täuschte
22. No. 7, Bitteres zu sagen denkst du
23. No. 8, So stehn wir, ich und meine Weide
24. No. 9, Wie bist du, meine Königin