Track Listing

1. Die schöne Müllerin, song cycle, for voice & piano, D. 795 (Op. 25): Book 1, Das Wandern ("Das Wandern is des Mullers Lust")
2. Die schöne Müllerin, song cycle, for voice & piano, D. 795 (Op. 25): Book 1, Wohin? ("Ich hort' ein Bachlein rauschen")
3. Die schöne Müllerin, song cycle, for voice & piano, D. 795 (Op. 25): Book 1, Halt! ("Eine Muhle seh' ich blinken")
4. Die schöne Müllerin, song cycle, for voice & piano, D. 795 (Op. 25): Book 1, Danksagung An Den Bach ("War es also gemeint, mein rausc
5. Die schöne Müllerin, song cycle, for voice & piano, D. 795 (Op. 25): Book 2, Am Feierabend ("Hatt' ich tausend Arme zu ruhren")
6. Die schöne Müllerin, song cycle, for voice & piano, D. 795 (Op. 25): Book 2, Der Neugierige ("Ich frage keine Blume")
7. Die schöne Müllerin, song cycle, for voice & piano, D. 795 (Op. 25): Book 2, Ungeduld ("Ich schnitt' es gern in alle Rinden ein")
8. Die schöne Müllerin, song cycle, for voice & piano, D. 795 (Op. 25): Book 2, Morgengruss ("Guten Morgen, schone Mullerin!")
9. Die schöne Müllerin, song cycle, for voice & piano, D. 795 (Op. 25): Book 2, Des Mullers Blumen ("Am Bach viel kleine Blumen steh'n")
10. Die schöne Müllerin, song cycle, for voice & piano, D. 795 (Op. 25): Book 3, Thranenregen ("Wir sassen so traulich beisammen")
11. Die schöne Müllerin, song cycle, for voice & piano, D. 795 (Op. 25): Book 3, Mein! ("Bachlein, lass dein Rauschen sein")
12. Die schöne Müllerin, song cycle, for voice & piano, D. 795 (Op. 25): Book 3, Pause ("Meine Laute hab' ich gehangt an die Wand")
13. Die schöne Müllerin, song cycle, for voice & piano, D. 795 (Op. 25): Book 4, Mit Dem Grunen Lautenbande ("Schad' um das schone grune
14. Die schöne Müllerin, song cycle, for voice & piano, D. 795 (Op. 25): Book 4 Der Jager ("Was sucht denn der Jager am Muhlbach hier?")
15. Die schöne Müllerin, song cycle, for voice & piano, D. 795 (Op. 25): Book 4, Eifersucht Und Stolz ("Wohin so schnell, so kraus und wi
16. Die schöne Müllerin, song cycle, for voice & piano, D. 795 (Op. 25): Book 4, Die Liebe Farbe ("In Grun will ich mich kleiden")
17. Die schöne Müllerin, song cycle, for voice & piano, D. 795 (Op. 25): Book 4, Die Bose Farbe ("Ich mochte zieh'n in die Welt hinaus")
18. Die schöne Müllerin, song cycle, for voice & piano, D. 795 (Op. 25): Book 5, Trockne Blumen ("Ihr Blumlein alle, die sie mir gab")
19. Die schöne Müllerin, song cycle, for voice & piano, D. 795 (Op. 25): Book 5, Der Muller Und Der Bach ("Wo ein treues Herze in Liebe v
20. Die schöne Müllerin, song cycle, for voice & piano, D. 795 (Op. 25): Book 5, Des Baches Wiegenlied ("Gute Ruh', gute Ruh', tu'die Aug

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #694006 in Music
• Released on: 2000-10-10
• Number of discs: 1
• Format: Import

Customer Reviews

An outstanding perfomance
This is an outstanding reading. Gura's voice is strong and his sound very attractive, and I find the accompaniments very well realized by Jan Schultsz. The interpretation is assertive and Gura permits himself considerable variation in tempo, particularly in the strophic songs. Some may feel that these are relatively unnuanced performances, and the dependence on tempo changes for expression unsubtle, but I think Gura's approach works, especially in the earlier songs where Gura makes Ian Bostridge, on the widely praised Hyperion disc sound almost casual. Gura's evident intent to characterize each verse results in a wonderful rendition of "Tranenregen". He also finds wonderfull variety in "Pause" and the agitation and anger in "Der Jager" and "Effersucht und Stolz" are exceptionally well realized, surpassing here even Fischer-Dieskau's EMI performance. This really could have been a landmark performance, but Gura does not quite plumb the depths of sorrow at the end. This is where Bostridge really comes into his own and I found "Trockne Blume" and "Der Baches Weigenlied" a little disappointing, both compared to Bostridge or the Gura's accomplishment in the earlier songs. I think if a prospective buyer wanted only one Die Schone Mullerin I would suggest Fischer-Dieskau, probably the DGG (no one ever got fired for recommending Fischer-Dieskau, after all), but for those looking for additional recordings, and those interested specifically in a tenor reading this performance should be considered.

An overlooked "Schone Mullerin" that belongs among the great ones
I share the enthusiasm of the previous reviewers without their reservations. Werner Gura possesses the most beautiful tenor to attempt Schone Mullerin since the days of Fritz Wunderlich, a light, flexible, silvery voice that is instantly beguiling. He uses it with great passion and even daring. The cycle is paced faster than any other I know, sometimes breathlessly so in the middle section. Gura may fall short of Wunderlich in vocal charisma, but not by much, and his accompanist, Jan Schultsz, is far better than Wunderlich's on his classic DG recording.

Stylistically, Gura favors the tone of melancholy resignation, so it's the early songs of the miller's deluded joy that are perhaps too knowing, not innocent enough. No such flaw mars Gura's Schwanengessang, recorded seven years after this one in 2000. The voice went on to darken slightly, the pianist is even better, the melancholy mood is more suited to Schubert's last outpourings. For those reasons, I was bowled over by the Schwanengesang, excellent as this Schone Mullerin is. No one who loves Schubert's lieder can afford to miss either one.

Overall, I think this recording vies with the very best tenor versions in the modern era. Among classic recordings, pride of place will always go to Aksel Schotz and Julius Patzak, but Gura is just as ardent and has updated sound, of course. Too bad that there is some digital glare and hardness, but that's a small price to pay.

A beautiful tenor voice.
If you are looking for a really first-rate tenor version of Schubert's "Schöne Müllerin" and are not quite satisfied with the ones you have heard recently, you will want to investigate this recent recording by the young tenor Werner Güra. He has a really lovely voice and very good technique. He gives a fairly straightforward reading of the cycle, not overly nuanced. Where beauty of voice is concerned, Güra is far superior to Ian Bostridge or Christian Elsner, and I think he is a better interpreter than Fritz Wunderlich. The pianist is good but not remarkable, and the sound balance is okay-- better than on Hyperion, for example, where the piano sound is always so distant.