This 2022 release of
Schubert
's
Schwanengesang, D. 957
("Swan Song"), which pianist
Lars Vogt
did not live to see, is one of the pianist's swan songs, and it makes a fitting memorial. This may be one of the factors that propelled the album onto classical best-seller lists in the autumn of 2022, but the album has intrinsic merits on which it can rest.
Vogt
delivers an exceptional performance as an accompanist in these pieces, which do not form a true song cycle (they were compiled by a published after
's untimely death), but which point to directions
would have explored had he lived and in some cases look deep into the future. To an unusual degree, they emancipate the accompaniment from the melody line, and
's way of setting a whole scene with the introductions is uncanny. Sample the murky opening of
Der Doppelgaenger
for an idea, or the famed
Staendchen
, which has a unique flavor here. As for the star of the show, tenor
Ian Bostridge
, those more comfortable with a baritone in these songs may be pleased to note a new richness in his lower register as he approaches his sixth decade, compared with the last time he recorded these songs in 2009. Otherwise, this is trademark
Bostridge
, with flexible lines tending toward an operatic approach, clear diction, and controlled emotion. One could argue that
made an ideal foil for his style. Another draw is the presence of
Einsamkeit, D. 620
, a set of connected songs that shows
responding directly to
Beethoven
An die ferne Geliebte, Op. 98
. The real star here though, perhaps, is
, and it is good to have this release to remember him. ~ James Manheim