Jarnotís baritone sound is supple and flexible, with a fine upper register that matches the middle and lower ranges. Because of this, the higher notes that occur in ìGing heut morgen ¸bers Feldî (the second of the Lieder eines fahrenden Gesellen) emerge comfortably and without any hint of head tones. He uses this register well in the subsequent song, ìIch habí ein gl¸hend Messer,î to convey the passion that is essential to its meaning. As to the first and last songs, Jarnotís performance is effective. In ìDie zwei blauen Augenî he treats the songs with an appropriate lightness that suggests the wistfulness conveyed in the text. The sustained phrases in this song resemble the way Jarnot treats the long vocal lines in the first piece in the cycle, ìWenn mein Schatz Hochzeit macht.î
In this performance, the accompaniment supports the voice well, with the kind of nuanced playing that Helmut Deutsch reliably offers. He makes the music in this scoring sound appropriate and full, as is evident in the final song in the cycle Lieder eines fahrenden Gesellen. Elsewhere, the clarity of various figures contributes to the careful evident throughout his interpretations of this piece. In this recording Deutschís performance suggests chamber music in the best sense.The full sound that he commands from the piano supports Jarnotís voice well, and points to the effective use of the instrument in accompanying this cycle, which also exists with an orchestral accompaniment.
The set of F¸nf R¸ckert-Lieder are delivered well, and the light baritone sound of Jarnot allows him to express the lines fluidly. The softer tones sometimes merge with the piano, to create some fine effects. When the music requires a more extroverted approach, Jarnot responds accordingly to make a song like ìLiebst du um Schˆnheitî distinctively subtle. The performance of that particular song suggests some of the Lieder of Richard Strauss that were composed at the turn of the century. Yet one of the telling songs for any vocalist who approaches Mahler is the quintessential ìIch bin der Welt abhanden gekommen.î This song suffers, at times, from being oversung when vocalists impose too much emotion onto the music and fail to allow the vocal line and accompaniment to intersect. When performers treat this song, in particular, as chamber music for voice and piano, it is possible to hear the piano respond to the voice and, at times, take the line forward instrumentally to the singerís next utterance of the text. Such is the case with Jarnot and Deutsch, who perform ìIch bin der Weltî well together in a thoughtful performance that is followed by an equally impressive interpretation of ìUm Mitternacht.î ìUm Mitternachtî is effective here because of the restraint with which Jarnot and Deutsch treat the first part of the song, so that it can build naturally to its anthem-like conclusion. Controlled, rather than contrived, the performers create the emotional pitch to make the song meaningful. It is, after all, a moment out of time, a reflection that becomes clearer upon consideration, as denoted in the text. In some ways the accompaniment suggests an orchestral milieu through the cascading chords with which it concludes and almost covers the voice.
The surprise on this recording is the inclusion of one further song, ìDer Abschied,î the final piece in the cycle Das Lied von der Erde. In recent years baritones and basses have taken up the part that is often sung by the contralto, as found in recordings of the entire piece by such singers as Thomas Hampson and Bo Skovhus. Less common is the excerpting of ìDer Abschiedî from the cycle, but it can be done successfully, as Stephanie Blythe has already done, albeit in a reduced orchestration.
Those considerations aside, the inclusion of this piece with the other vocal music by Mahler is a fine addition to the recording. Jarnot offers a solid treatment of this song, which is actually a combination of two poems from Hans Bethgeís Chinesische Flˆte. Comparisons with some of the fine contraltos are unnecessary this performance, which differs from the orchestral versions that have involved such fine musicians as Dame Janet Baker, Christa Ludwig, Waltraud Meier, Michelle de Young, and others. Jarnot approaches this piece convincingly, always keeping the musical line focused and clear, and Deutsch conveys the musical meaning well through its range of tones, dynamics, articulations, and, above all, technique. While ìDer Abschiedî is optimally heard in the context of the entire cycle Das Lied von der Erde, this performance is highly effective. This music is removed from the style Mahler used Lieder eines fahrenden Gesellen, with ìDer Abschiedî showing, at times, some expressive tendencies that would emerge more distinctively in the vocal music of Alban Berg. This performance of ìDer Abschiedî is an excellent contribution to recent Mahler recordings, and its shows Jarnot to be a reliable interpreter of the composerís music.
This recording by Oehms is fine, but the sound overall, perhaps, a little more forward in the recording of Mahlerís Lieder eines fahrenden Gesellen than in the other selections. With the rest of the music, the piano and voice seem to blend more naturally. At times one could ask for more resonance to enhance the performances, but that is a minor quibble. Likewise, it would be useful for Oehms to publish the texts and translations of vocal music, and if space were needed, dispense with the thumbnail sketch of the composer, which does not offer much that cannot be found elsewhere. Nevertheless, the liner notes include some good information about the performers, especially Jarnot, who has recorded some other music for Oehms. As a relatively young performer, Jarnot offers some convincing interpretations that will, no doubt, be followed with other fine ones. This recording has much to offer, and those who know Mahlerís music should appreciate this fine addition to the discography of his Lieder.
James L. Zychowicz
Madison, Wisconsin
image=http://www.operatoday.com/content/jarnot_mahler.jpg
image_dscription=Gustav Mahler: Lieder eines fahrenden Gesellen; F¸nf R¸ckert-Lieder; Der Abschied
product=yes
product_title=Gustav Mahler: Lieder eines fahrenden Gesellen; F¸nf R¸ckert-Lieder; Der Abschied
product_by= Konrad Jarnot, baritone; Helmut Deutsch, piano
product_id=Oehms Classics OC 324 [CD]