Simon Keenlyside has the instrument, the technique, and the intelligence required of great lieder singers. His burnished baritone is large, but he can deploy it with tenderness, as well as power, and he has the flexibility to bring a broad array of colors to the songs' varied moods. This is especially impressive in
Schumann's Dichterliebe, where the songs have an emotional arc with an implied narrative, and
Keenlyside captures the mercurial shifts with passion and integrity. Even in a song as brief as "Ich grolle nicht," the subtlety of the lover's evolving feelings come across honestly and with precision. His readings are well thought through, with careful attention to the texts and composer's treatment of them, but they also seem viscerally and spontaneously expressive. It's in the overall impression of the
Schumann that his gifts shine strongest, but
Keenlyside brings the same emotional intelligence, deep feeling, and range of colors to the diverse selection of songs by
Brahms that span the composer's career. Some of the standouts include "Verzagen," "Lerchengesang," "An eine Aolsharfe," and "Nachtwandler."
Malcolm Martineau provides exceptionally sensitive, supple, and nuanced accompaniments and gives the songs a wonderfully urgent propulsiveness. Sony's sound is clean and warm, and the balance is good.