Page 177 - Winterreise Coverage Book, 2021 - 22

Pears/Benjamin Britten’s which has more urgency and ache, or Thomas
Quasthoff/Daniel Baremboim’s, whose narrative is nothing short of oracular.

The liner notes forgo conventional musical analysis; in their place is the singer’s own
forward (along with, of course, the song texts). The intelligent writing makes the
analysis ultimately unnecessary, as his refreshing insights on the cycle’s meaning
helps to explain some of his artistic choices. This is definitely a musician who’s
reflected carefully not only on the works themselves but also their larger impact
long after the last note has sounded. It’s a real pity that the sound engineering
hampered more than helped the performers’ musical efforts but that and a few

misses aside, I enjoyed this Winterreise for its thoughtfulness and sincerity.