Über allen Gipfeln ist Ruh', S306 First version (Liszt) - from CDA68179 - Hyperion Records

Reviews

‘A willingness to take risks, however, has always been integral to [Clayton's] singing, and the dividends are often enormous … there are also wonderful moments of lyrical reflection, though, and the way he sings ‘Du bist wie eine Blume’ with a poised mezza voce is breathtaking. Drake, meanwhile, invests every phrase with weight and meaning, and is, as ever, outstanding. Another fine disc in an exceptional series’ (Gramophone)

‘The quieter moments of these songs show Allan Clayton's voice at its best: smooth, tender and altogether alluring: the performance of 'Über allen Gipfeln ist Ruh' is worthy both of the music and of Goethe's famous poem … the performers are alive to the drama in many of these songs’ (BBC Music Magazine)

PERFORMANCE

RECORDING

‘Everything Clayton has is at the expressive service of Liszt and his poets, and the whole recital is a fine addition to Hyperion's complete edition of Liszt songs’ (BBC Record Review)

‘Pianist Julius Drake’s survey of the complete songs reaches its fifth volume with this recital by English lyric tenor and vocal actor Allan Clayton, mainly featuring the late songs from Liszt’s Weimar years (1848-61). The disc opens with two contrasting settings of Goethe’s ‘Freudvoll und leidvoll’ and other highlights include ‘Die Lorelei’, a reflective ‘Du bist wie eine Blume’, the brilliance of ‘Comment disaient-ils’, and the challenging ‘O lieb, so lang du lieben kannst’. The haunting ‘Ich möchte hingehn’ resembles the opening motif of Wagner’s Tristan und Isolde and it is claimed that Liszt wrote it ten years before Wagner started work on Tristan in 1857. Allan Clayton is in fine voice and Drake is outstanding in this latest edition of Hyperion’s exemplary series’ (New Classics)

‘To sum up my reactions to this latest issue in the Liszt cycle: it is a fascinating disc with some of the best of his songs in, very often, extremely beautiful readings and with a willingness to penetrate the dramatic possibilities that is praiseworthy. There is a freshness of approach that is stimulating, Julius Drake accompanies in a manner that Liszt himself would have admired—and there isn’t a dull phrase in the whole recital. And we shouldn’t forget Susan Youens’s excellent liner notes. As usual they add a lot to the enjoyment of the individual songs. This series certainly goes from strength to strength’ (MusicWeb International)» More

‘Clayton is on communicative form, essaying the many moods with a beguiling sense of spontaneity and with every word telling. His ability to sing ethereally and lightly is a distinct asset as is the capacity to darken the tone and bring a sense of wild urgency to passages. The programming is clever, too, in presenting different versions of the same verse’ (Classical Source)

It is a cliché to say that Über allen Gipfeln ist Ruh’ (Goethe’s ‘Wandrers Nachtlied II’) is one of the most perfect poems in the German language—but it is true. The tiny poem soon closes off both breath (‘Kaum einen Hauch’) and utterance (‘Die Vögelein schweigen’), transforming repose at nightfall into the peace of death. What seems to be one particular evening extends magically to the end of life. In Liszt’s exquisite setting, composed in 1846, we first hear hymn-like chords that descend by thirds. Liszt could not have known that descending thirds would become the ‘death-motif’ of Brahms’s late works, but there is something prescient about their appearance here. The outer voices of the piano expand in opposite directions, like peace expanding to encompass all. Over and over, Liszt’s singer repeats ‘Wait, soon you too will be at peace’ until the ppp and pppp ‘death-chords’ return at the end.

C’est un lieu commun de considérer Über allen Gipfeln ist Ruh’ (le «Wandrers Nachtlied II» de Goethe) comme l’un des plus parfaits poèmes en langue allemande—mais c’est vrai. Le minuscule poème coupe le souffle («Kaum einen Hauch») comme la parole («Die Vögelein schweigen»), transformant le repos à la tombée de la nuit en paix de la mort. Ce qui semble être une soirée particulière se prolonge comme par magie jusqu’à la fin de la vie. Dans la charmante musique de Liszt, composée en 1846, on entend tout d’abord des accords dans le style d’un hymne qui descendent par tierces; Liszt ne pouvait pas savoir que les tierces descendantes allaient devenir le «motif de la mort» de Brahms à la fin de sa vie, mais il y a quelque chose de visionnaire à propos de son apparition ici. Les voix externes du piano se développent dans des directions opposées, comme la paix s’étendant pour tout englober. Le chanteur de Liszt répète à l’infini «Attends, bientôt tu reposeras aussi» jusqu’au retour des «accords de la mort» ppp et pppp à la fin.

Man mag ein Klischee wiederholen, wenn man Goethes Über allen Gipfeln ist Ruh’ („Wanderers Nachtlied II“) zu einem der vollkommensten Gedichte deutsche Sprache erklärt—doch trifft es schlicht zu. Das kurze Gedicht bringt bald Atem („Kaum einen Hauch“) und Laut („Die Vögelein schweigen im Walde“) zum Stillstand und verwandeln so die friedvolle Dämmerung in Grabesstille; aus einem Abenderlebnis erwächst unversehens Todesnähe. Liszts außerordentlich geglückte Vertonung (1846) beginnt mit choralartigen, in Terzen absteigenden Akkorden; Liszt konnte nicht wissen, dass solche fallenden Terzketten einmal Brahms’ „Todesmotiv“ werden sollten, hier aber möchte man beinahe von einer Vorahnung sprechen. Die Außenstimmen des Klaviers weiten sich gegenläufig, so wie der Friede alles umfängt. Unablässig wiederholt Liszts Sänger „Warte nur, balde Ruhest du auch“, bis am Schluss die „Todesakkorde“ im drei- und vierfachen Piano wiederkehren.

Recording details: November 2017
All Saints' Church, East Finchley, London, United Kingdom
Produced by Simon Kiln
Engineered by Ben Connellan
Release date: November 2018
Total duration: 4 minutes 3 seconds

Cover artwork: Photograph of Allan Clayton. Sim Canetty-Clarke

Über allen Gipfeln ist Ruh', S306 First version

Allan Clayton (tenor), Julius Drake (piano)

Reviews

Introduction