02.09.2016

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Schubert: Goether Lieder
Mauro Peter (tenor)
Helmut Deutsch (piano)
Sony 88875083882

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A flexible voice that resonates and also responds to a variety of Schubertian nuances

A recording of selected Goethe lieder among Schubert’s works is always a great experience for the listener and a challenge for the performer. Mauro Peter is up to the challenge and except occasionally, does not fail to respond to the rich imagination of Schubert. His tenor voice is the ideal cantata lieder voice, resonant and light, flexible and yielding. His taste for words is less than, say, Fischer-Dieskau or Bostridge, but that seems to be an intentional choice and the focus on the melody. Take Heidenroslein for instance and you will notice how Peter plays with the sweetness of the melody each time it is repeated in a purely musical manner. Erlkonig is one such lied where on one hand we hear Peter’s emphasis on a musicality that is theatrical but the acting and reversal of roles do not surpass the music. Indeed, the continued melodic line and its interpretation suffices Peter to convey the three-part story of the music, without an exaggerated schizophrenic representation. This is also a lied where the technical skill of his accompanist, Helmut Deutsch is clearly visible and one has no doubt that Deutsch is a natural musician that listens to every nuance of Peter with utmost attention.  With all due respect, this is neither a thrilling nor a very moving CD. It is just less than perfect, one must accept, only because it does not have that spark which is needed for a hair rising display, but then again, you seldom want your Schubert/Goethe that way. This is a rewarding CD by a pair that is worthwhile to listen attentively.

Feyzi Erçin