It's nice to see that in the business climate of 2004, when record companies and download services were deathmatching over every last consumer penny, there was still room for charity. This Winterreise, by tenor
René Kollo and pianist Oliver Pohl, was produced to benefit Berlin's Deutsche Kinderhilfe Direkt (German Children's Aid Direct), a non-profit organization that helps sick and disadvantaged children. Both artists donated their time and efforts, and the Berlin Brandenburg Radio Corporation donated the recording space.
Kollo and Pohl deserve credit for their generosity, and also for deciding on a more difficult and exacting program than presumably was asked of them; afterall, an operatic veteran like
Kollo could have tossed off a few arias or favorite songs and called it a day. On the other hand, choosing Franz Schubert's heavy song cycle about rejection and loneliness for a children's charity album can seem odd; it's not exactly uplifting or kid-friendly. But this isn't a theme album, simply one to benefit a good cause, and there is no intended connection between the album's contents and its purpose. The performance itself is middle-of-the road.
Kollo's freshest vocal years were well behind him by the time of recording, and energetic moments sometimes expose an edgy wobble that is both unattractive and unclear in pitch. But most of the time
Kollo finds a simple lyricism and an understated delivery that suits Schubert well, and which highlights the most youthful aspects of his voice. He takes more rhythmic and tempo liberties than most lieder singers would nowadays, but it is always done with a clear sense of interpretive purpose. Oliver Pohl's pianism is clean, colorful, and meticulous, and he adapts to
Kollo's occasional midstream tempo changes without breaking a sweat. A few of the tempos, especially the opening "Gute Nacht," are so fast that one wonders if they weren't running short on donated studio time.
Kollo's introductory interpretive notes make it clear that, quite to the contrary, those tempos are an essential element of his reading of the cycle. But even with those words of warning it's hard to swallow. The extreme speed seems unnatural, like an imposed "interpretation" rather than a revelation of what Schubert most likely intended. Nevertheless, it's nice to hear a fresh perspective, and an artist bothering to make those kinds of choices, even if some of them aren't winners.