Florian Boesch - Schubert: Der Wanderer (2014)

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Florian Boesch - Schubert: Der Wanderer (2014)

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Florian Boesch and Roger Vignoles were shortlisted for a BBC Music Magazine award for their first Hyperion album (Loewe Songs and Ballads). Boesch’s warm, sensuously attractive baritone voice, first-rate diction and remarkable acting ability were enthusiastically praised. Now the duo turn to a selection of Schubert’s Lieder from the dark heart of the repertoire.

Composer: Franz Schubert
Performer: Florian Boesch, Roger Vignoles

Reviews: This intelligently programmed recital of Schubert Lieder includes such cornerstones of the vocal repertoire as Der Wanderer alongside comparatively unfamiliar Lieder such as Lied “Die Mutter Erde.” All 19 pieces on the recording have texts dealing with travel or exile. This is the approach to programming I appreciate most: Much of the repertoire on this disc has been recorded dozens of times, often in historic performances, but to my knowledge, this is the only available recording foregrounding the thematic connections between the pieces. The result is that the listener is offered a rare opportunity to infer a coherent Schubertian perspective on a significant German literary trope.


Though one might anticipate a disc devoted to themes of uprootedness to be rather gloomy, Schubert’s choice of and treatment of “wandering” texts offers the full emotional range of any standard Lieder recital. Der Wanderer D 489 and Der Wanderer D 649, the first two pieces on the program, demonstrate an immediate contrast. Schmidt von Lübeck’s wanderer finds himself to be a stranger wherever he goes; Schlegel’s wanderer finds joy everywhere despite being alone. The music ranges from the serene benediction of Wandrers Nachtlied II to the icy desolation of Die Götter Griechenlands and the stormy outpourings of Aus “Heliopolis” II.


Florian Boesch’s voice is rich in timbre, somewhat darker than Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau’s. Though his tone quality is consistently that of a baritone rather than that of a bass-baritone or a true bass, his lowest notes are focused and resonant. His high notes are attractively heroic. Like many large-voiced baritones, though, he has a tendency to come off the voice when singing quieter high notes. Likewise, he occasionally approaches the upper note of melodic skips by rearticulating the lower note as a grace note—a mannerism that gives an almost casual cast to some of his singing. These criticisms aside, Boesch’s presentation is generally idiomatic and engaging.


Boesch is at his best when working with a narrative text. Der Kreuzzug is one of the highlights of the disc. Boesch alters his timbre to portray the mild simplicity of the monk and the martial strength of the knights. Moreover, he uses diction as an expressive tool, modulating the volume of his consonants to match the intensity of the text. Other noteworthy tracks include Der Schiffer and Der Pilgrim, both conducive to heroic singing. I find Boesch less compelling on some of the more introspective songs on the program. His performance of Der Wanderer D 489 is a full 40 seconds longer than Siegfried Lorenz’s, a result of what feels like an effort to imbue each syllable with equal portentousness. Likewise, as previously mentioned, the hushed passages in Das Heimweh and Abschied occasionally lose the core of Boesch’s voice. That said, Boesch effectively varies his expression in each verse of the strophic Das Heimweh, creating an ongoing progression of emotion rather than a simple repetition.


Veteran pianist Roger Vignoles provides expressive, assertive accompaniments. His introduction to Aus “Heliopolis” II is particularly evocative of the text’s forbidding coldness. He is equally effective at projecting a sense of intimate warmth, as in the yearning accompaniment to Auf der Donau, with its sighing two-note phrases. Ensemble between the two performers is accurate and mutually complementary throughout the recording. The disc is recorded with a clear, live concert hall sound. Both musically and musicologically, this recital is a rewarding listening experience overall.