Schumann in English, Vol. 1

by Roderick Williams, Ailish Tynan, Kathryn Rudge, Christopher Glynn

Overview

This album of Schumann song cycles in English, containing the big three (the Liederkreis ["Song Cycle"], Op. 39, Dichterliebe ["Poet's Love"], Op. 48, and Frauenliebe und -leben ["Loves and Lives of Women"], Op. 42), inaugurates a new series devoted to Schumann after the completion of a similar group devoted to Schubert. In the 19th century, foreign-language works were routinely translated into the languages of the countries where they were performed, and this project would have seemed less novel. Now, it is rarely done, and existing translations often have the defect of being stilted. That is not a problem with this album, which features excellent new translations by Jeremy Sams. The poetry of the Schumann cycles is, in general, a bit more intricate than that used by Schumann, who favored the foursquare simplicity of Goethe and his ilk. Sams' task seems more difficult here, and he responds with less straight translation and more a paraphrase and general sentiment. A few famous images are missing, but once again, Sams has succeeded in his task of producing colloquial English that matches the tone of the originals, and the singers seem relaxed in his texts. The ubiquitous Roderick Williams is given the Dichterliebe, and most will find his performances satisfying ones regardless of language. A pleasant find here is the soprano Ailish Tynan in the Liederkreis, whose bright, clear tone seems ideally suited to the material, perhaps more so than the voice of Kathryn Rudge in what is here called A Woman's Life, A Woman's Love. The accompanist throughout is the talented Christopher Glynn. The ultimate goal of startling the listeners with a sudden immediacy of the text is achieved, and one looks forward to future installments. ~ James Manheim

Product Details

Release Date:	03/08/2024
Label:	SIGNUM CLASSICS
UPC:	0635212078228

Tracks

1. Song cycle, to poems by Eichendorff (Liederkreis Op. 39)~I. Far from home
2. Song cycle, to poems by Eichendorff (Liederkreis Op. 39)~II. Intermezzo
3. Song cycle, to poems by Eichendorff (Liederkreis Op. 39)~III. A forest dialogue
4. Song cycle, to poems by Eichendorff (Liederkreis Op. 39)~IV. Silence
5. Song cycle, to poems by Eichendorff (Liederkreis Op. 39)~V. Moonlit night
6. Song cycle, to poems by Eichendorff (Liederkreis Op. 39)~VI. A beautiful foreign land
7. Song cycle, to poems by Eichendorff (Liederkreis Op. 39)~VII. In a castle
8. Song cycle, to poems by Eichendorff (Liederkreis Op. 39)~VIII. In a foreign country
9. Song cycle, to poems by Eichendorff (Liederkreis Op. 39)~IX. Sadness
10. Song cycle, to poems by Eichendorff (Liederkreis Op. 39)~X. Twilight
11. Song cycle, to poems by Eichendorff (Liederkreis Op. 39)~XI. In a wood
12. Song cycle, to poems by Eichendorff (Liederkreis Op. 39)~XII. Spring night
13. A Poet's Love (Dichterliebe Op. 48)~I. In May, the sweetest time of year
14. A Poet's Love (Dichterliebe Op. 48)~II. Perhaps my tears could water
15. A Poet's Love (Dichterliebe Op. 48)~III. The birds and the bees
16. A Poet's Love (Dichterliebe Op. 48)~IV. I gaze into your eyes of blue
17. A Poet's Love (Dichterliebe Op. 48)~V. Creation is kissed by the starlight
18. A Poet's Love (Dichterliebe Op. 48)~VI. The vast and vaulted cathedral
19. A Poet's Love (Dichterliebe Op. 48)~VII. I don't complain
20. A Poet's Love (Dichterliebe Op. 48)~VIII. If only the flowers in the garden
21. A Poet's Love (Dichterliebe Op. 48)~IX. The room is whirling and swirling
22. A Poet's Love (Dichterliebe Op. 48)~X. Sometimes I hear the music
23. A Poet's Love (Dichterliebe Op. 48)~XI. A boy's in love with someone
24. A Poet's Love (Dichterliebe Op. 48)~XII. A beautiful summer morning
25. A Poet's Love (Dichterliebe Op. 48)~XIII. I dreamed I was weeping
26. A Poet's Love (Dichterliebe Op. 48)~XIV. At night-time it happens
27. A Poet's Love (Dichterliebe Op. 48)~XV. In my imagination
28. A Poet's Love (Dichterliebe Op. 48)~XVI. A thousand empty love songs
29. A woman's life, a woman's love (Frauenliebe und -leben Op. 42)~I. Ever since I saw him
30. A woman's life, a woman's love (Frauenliebe und -leben Op. 42)~II. How on earth can I describe him?
31. A woman's life, a woman's love (Frauenliebe und -leben Op. 42)~III. Perhaps I dreamed that it happened
32. A woman's life, a woman's love (Frauenliebe und -leben Op. 42)~IV. Oh ring upon my finger
33. A woman's life, a woman's love (Frauenliebe und -leben Op. 42)~V. Somebody help me
34. A woman's life, a woman's love (Frauenliebe und -leben Op. 42)~VI. Dearest love
35. A woman's life, a woman's love (Frauenliebe und -leben Op. 42)~VII. Nobody told me
36. A woman's life, a woman's love (Frauenliebe und -leben Op. 42)~VIII. Now you have hurt me

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Ailish Tynan   Primary Artist,Soprano (Vocal)
Roderick Williams   Primary Artist,Baritone (Vocal)
Kathryn Rudge   Primary Artist,Mezzo-Soprano (Vocal)
Christopher Glynn   Primary Artist,Piano

Technical Credits

Sussie Ahlburg   Photography
Jeremy Sams   Text Translation
Heinrich Heine   Text
Joseph (Karl Benedikt) Freiherr von Eichendorff   Poetry
Adelbert von Chamisso   Text
Benjamin Ealovega   Photography
Simon Kiln   Producer,Engineer
Nick White   Photography
Robert Schumann   Composer