Schubert: Die schöne Müllerin, Op. 25, D. 795 (Live)

Featuring

Ian Bostridge
Saskia Giorgini
Franz Schubert

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Composer's Artistic Vision

The poems for Die schöne Müllerin originated as a party game among friends, and Schubert embraced the simple strophic form for many of the songs, giving it a playful, folksy character.

Performer Biography

Ian Bostridge, the tenor on this album, describes Die schöne Müllerin as his first extended introduction to the Lied, deepening his 'incurable Lieder pathology.'

Recording & Production

This album of Schubert's Die schöne Müllerin, featuring tenor Ian Bostridge and pianist Saskia Giorgini, was recorded live at the Wigmore Hall, London, in April 2019.

Critical Reception

Schubert's music has sometimes been criticized for its 'endless repetitions,' which Robert Schumann, a great admirer, characterized as 'heavenly length.'

Compositional Technique

Schubert often uses repetitions and reiterations as an expressive device in his music, from the folk-like songs of Die schöne Müllerin to his later piano sonatas, quartets, and symphonies.

Composition History

Schubert's song cycle Die schöne Müllerin was conceived while the composer was ill with a syphilitic infection, confined to hospital, and undergoing mercury medication.

Interpretation

Saskia Giorgini, the pianist on this album, emphasizes that in strophic songs like those in Die schöne Müllerin, performers must create change through emphasis, articulation, and phrasing to respond to different verses.