A velvet-smooth performance of Schubert's ode to loss

Matthias Goerne's smooth baritone accompanied by Ingo Metzmacher on piano create a stirring ambiance on Schubert's Heliopolis

Composer: Schubert
Repertoire: Heliopolis 
Artists: Matthias Goerne (bar), Ingo Metzmacher (pf)
Rating: 4/5
Genre: Vocal
Label: Harmonia Mundi HMC 902035

For the fourth volume in his series of Schubert songs, Goerne has chosen to centre his recital around the theme of ancient Greece and, by association, works that deal with the metaphor of lost landscapes. Not all the Lieder are among Schubert’s best, and the weaker suffer in comparison with the better-known. That said, Goerne uses his velvety baritone to create exactly the right atmosphere of loss and longing. Metzmacher – a conductor who has recently returned to the role of accompanist – is excellent.