Strauss (R): The Complete Songs, Vol. 3 - Andrew Kennedy

Hyperion’s Strauss Lieder series is fast becoming a worthy successor to the seminal Schubert and Schumann Lieder sets on the label. This third volume features the brilliant young British tenor Andrew Kennedy, whose performances in concert, in operas and on disc have received the highest praise. Hearing Strauss’s songs sung by a tenor is a wonderful and rare experience, and brings a different colour to even the most well-known songs on this disc. This recording fills in some of the gaps left by the first two volumes. Together with them it completes the eights songs of Opus 10, the six songs of Opus 19 and the five songs of Schlichte Weisen Op 21. It also presents two groups, Opus 17 and 32, complete as originally published, and it ends with three songs from Opus 48. Altogether the selection covers the eighteen years from 1882 to 1900, during which Strauss composed all his major tone poems. Roger Vignoles performs with his usual matchless musicianship and provides the extensive booklet notes.

CDA67602  61 minutes 12 seconds
‘Wise men have told us that Strauss loved sopranos and looked down on tenors—but here comes a recital by the lower male voice seriously to challenge that belief. Hyperion is an old hand at programming ...
‘Here at last is a tenor for Richard Strauss … Andrew Kennedy is an eager, bright-eyed lover: the bloom and the tenderness of the middle range of his voice, in particular, know just how to bring ...
‘Andrew Kennedy … gives consistent pleasure with his sweet, sappy tone, free-ringing high notes and keen characterisation. Roger Vignoles's playing is as colourful and eloquent as his booklet not ...