COMPOSERS: Loewe
LABELS: CPO
ALBUM TITLE: Loewe - Lieder & Ballads Vol 19
WORKS: Lieder and Ballads
PERFORMER: Ingeborg Danz, Cord Garben
CATALOGUE NO: 999 906-2
Carl Loewe’s distinctive contribution
to the German Lied repertoire is
valuable above all for his attention
to the ballad – regularly substantial
narratives often derived from
folk tales. This genre in which he
excelled is represented here by such
items as ‘Der Weichdorn’, a legend
by Rückert connecting Mary, the
Christ-child and the thorn-bush.
There are also smaller songs in the
more central Lied tradition. An
intriguing aspect of his work is
the interest he took in the poetic
products of foreign cultures – here
Arab scenes are frequently evoked,
and there’s a whole cycle derived
from Serbian folk sources.
These elements usually prompt
Loewe to pleasant musical excursions
beyond his native borders, with
pianistic harmonies and figurations
tracing the distinctive contours of
other traditions. One limitation
of the present performances is that
these elements are, if anything,
played down rather than highlighted.
Elsewhere Cord Garben proves a
neat and sympathetic accompanist
to a highly musical singer whose
limitations are mostly in the textual
or dramatic field. Her attention to
words is variable, and when two
characters are involved in a dialogue
she rarely comes up with more
than one voice. Intimate, immediate
sound. George Hall