Page 118 - Winterreise Coverage Book, 2021 - 22

‘Winterreise always gives just tiny hints and it opens your imagination. You
can ask thousands of questions – and each question leads to another
question’ – Benjamin Appl

Both musicians are totally aware of that strange conundrum at the heart of classical
music (and which remains central to what Gramophone does month after month): the

constant revisiting of the same repertoire. ‘It’s a question we both ask ourselves,’
Appl freely admitted when we met at Baillieu’s north London house just before

Christmas: ‘“Why do we record this cycle again if there are a thousand recordings
already? Why exactly in the same order, in the same way, that other people have
recorded it?” There are so many existing recordings that everyone listens to, making

comparisons between them. But we, as musicians, actually have to free ourselves in
our performances, and find our own way. Sometimes maybe it sounds like someone

else and sometimes it doesn’t, but we have to be open, and it’s something we have
to ask of our audiences too: to be open-minded and receptive. We are not the kind of

people who trot out the same thing every time – we look for something new. It’s very
tricky where we are right now, as performers. What is our role in all this? What can

we contribute to the recording or performing world? And I find that a tricky question
to answer.’ Baillieu suggests, ‘I think it’s true that when you embark on a recording
you try to look at something in a completely different way from anybody else. But

there’s the risk that you can try too hard.’ Appl adds, ‘And it can be a bit desperate.’
Baillieu reveals: ‘When we finished the recording, our producer Jonathan Allen said a

very nice thing. He said, “Guys, that is your Winterreise of this week.” And I thought
that put it very well, because it could morph, it could change. I mean, in two years’
time, we might hate everything we’ve done, but that’s also OK.’