Lotte Lehmann Lieder Recordings (1941)

It was Schubert's "Winterreise" that somehow became my first real introduction to the phenomenon of german Lieder song. Maybe I heard Lieder before that,but this time I was actually aware of it and followed the lyrics with understanding. Not that it was love at first sight - I suffered quite a bit through famous 1955. recording by Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau wondering what's wrong with me since I wasn't exactly blown away with it and found it all terribly depressing,monotonous and gloomy. At this stage I am embarrassed to say that particular beauty of german Lieder still eludes me and I an cope with only a few songs before I like to switch to something more varied - or perhaps it is Schubert,who knows? I learned to cope with previously mentioned recording by Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau and even (surprise) bought new,highly praised recording "Winterreise" of Mark Padmore whom I knew and liked before.

So this is the third recording of "Winterreise" in my collection and at this moment I just realized it is quite persistent little devil,since I actually never really liked the piece in the first place.

One or two songs are enough for me,all that doom and suicidal gloom are too much to take at length of full 24 songs. Yes,I am barbarian. But curiosity got the best of me and I had to hear how does it sound outside of usual male territory - seems that every guy worth his salt sang and recorded "Winterreise" but ladies stayed away curiously enough. All of them,except great and brave Lotte Lehmann who was 53 years old when this recordings were made. Talking about singers who were a bit too old for certain music,critics usually put it nicely as "past their prime" but there is nothing old about Lehmann who simply sound like dignified older lady who know these pieces inside out. She possessed her own unique and instantly recognizable sound and I know her from recordings she made in 1927. when she was 39,always recognizable self.

So how does Lehmann sounds on "Winterreise"? Yeah,she wobbles a bit here and there but we can take it as expression of emotions,acting if you want. After all,the character in poems is suffering while walking through the snow and his tears get frozen,boots sinking in the snow,crows shitting on him and its all disaster anyway. But the sheer surprise of hearing this in woman's voice is nice in itself and I actually prefer this to guys singing. Her "Frühlingstraum" is very,very pretty but than again,its my favorite song from the whole cycle.

This "Naxos" collection has all the Lieder Lehmann recorded in 1941 so "Winterreise" is coupled with some other work by Robert Schumann and guess what,I actually like Schumann much more. Clearly I have love/hate relationship with Lieder but occasionally in the right hands and in the right frame of mind I actually enjoy it.