Hundreds if not thousands of recordings of
Robert Schumann's Dichterliebe and Liederkreis song cycles are on the market. The combination of
Heinrich Heine's bittersweet texts and
Schumann's psychologically penetrating settings has exercised a lasting fascination. German tenor
Maximilian Schmitt takes a couple of directions in attempting to set himself apart from the crowd. The first is simply an attempt to give his remarkably energetic young voice room to move. There are subtler readings of these two cycles available, but few that one can imagine filling a large hall so effective as
Schmitt moves up to a high B flat without either straining or losing control. The second and more significant innovation here is the inclusion of three
Heine settings by Clara Schumann, which sound very little like either her husband's music or the limpid songs of
Schubert, which Clara must have known well. Sample the Clara Schumann version of Lorelei, which was already a well-worn poem by the 1840s. Without violating its simple strophic structure, she imparts a vivid dramatic aspect to the poem.
Schmitt's voice is perfectly suited to these expansive songs, and they're a real highlight of the album. Others include the quiet but always contributing accompaniment of pianist
Gerold Huber and the engineering from Oehms Classics, which nicely captures the dimensions of the various performances. If
Schmitt's instrument is one that's still in the process of developing new shades, it is already notable in several respects.