Schumann: Liederkreis Opp 24 & 39

Gerald Finley and Julius Drake return to Schumann, following a magisterially intense Dichterliebe which won them a third Gramophone award. Here they focus on the two contrasting Liederkreis (‘song-circle’) cycles using texts by Heine and Eichendorff. Heine is the poet of Dichterliebe, and Op 24 contains extremes of elation and despair that call all Finley’s considerable dramatic powers into play. Eichendorff’s seductive, crepuscular ‘night-songs’ of Op 39 require the velvety tone for which this singer is equally revered. Separating these two great works are the Sechs Gedichte aus dem Liederbuch eines Malers, Op 36, which find Schumann in more homespun, folksong-influenced vein.

CDA67944  64 minutes 28 seconds
‘This new recording shows a greater richness in Finley's voice plus an evolving intimacy in his approach to recording Lieder … each song's overall conception—of which Julius Drake is a key part—r ...
‘Julius Drake is perfectly attuned to the palette of shifting colours in Finley's dark baritone—here on top form’ (BBC Music Magazine)
‘Op 39's settings of Eichendorff deal in dislocation, nostalgia and threatening landscapes. Gerald Finley and pianist Julius Drake are well attuned to those pervading atmospheres and psychological shi ...