Andsnes' melodramatic Schubert

Pianist Leif Ove Andsnes teams up with tennor Ian Bostridge once again for a well-chosen pairing of Schubert and poetry

Composer: Schubert
Repertoire: Sonata in B flat, D960; Three Lieder
Artists: Leif Ove Andsnes (piano), Ian Bostridge (tenor)
Rating: 3/5 
Genre: Instrumental/Vocal 
Label: EMI 557 9012

This is the third disc by Andsnes and Bostridge pairing piano music and songs. They complement Schubert’s final sonata with a dramatic ballad (Viola), the haunting song Der Winterabend and an unusual melodrama. It’s a felicitous mix: the songs share melodic threads with the sonata and are done beautifully. Andsnes seems less happy in the Sonata, however, and gives a rather anonymous performance.