This is the second volume in a complete edition of
Brahms
songs from the
Linn Records
label, with the songs grouped by opus number but not chronological. The
first volume
featured baritone
Thomas Oliemans
, and this time, the songs are divided between mezzo-soprano
Sarah Connolly
and baritone
Hanno Müller-Brachmann
. The unifying feature of the set is the presence of accompanist
Malcolm Martineau
, but he is his usual subtle self and doesn't try to turn the music into an accompanimental tour de force. This time, the main attraction is the pairing of singers who have been around for a while (
Connolly
is in her seventh decade, and
Müller-Brachmann
is just a bit younger). There is a bit of smoke in
's voice, but she can do a lot with a very small gesture in this repertory, and there is a delightful feel here of old pros who know enough to stand aside and let the music speak for itself. That is especially appropriate in these sets of songs, which may be called "Lieder" or "Gesänge," or, in the case of the big
Op. 57 set
,
Lieder und Gesänge
.
seems to refer to the folkish influences on many of the songs, which are sometimes just a bit over a minute long. Both singers are master interpreters of text; hear
in the relatively intricate
Auf dem Kirchhofe
from the
Fünf Lieder, Op. 105
. One looks forward to the singers
Martineau
tabs next for this intriguing series. ~ James Manheim