I have written before about soprano Christiane Karg. However, I felt that a reminder is due:
Christiane Karg sings Strauss, Fauré, Debussy, Poulenc
A long time has passed since I last wrote about this fine German singer. While this recording is not new, it offers an excellent cross section of her art. The selections are:
Alban Berg:
Sieben frühe Lieder
Debussy:
Green (No. 5 from Ariettes Oubliées)
Spleen (No. 6 from Ariettes Oubliées)
Fauré:
Nell, Op. 18 No. 1
Les roses d’Ispahan Op. 39 No. 4
La rose Op. 51 No. 4
Poulenc:
Fleurs
Strauss, R:
Die erwachte Rose, TrV 90, AV 66
Rote Rosen, AV76
Mädchenblumen (4 songs), Op. 22
Die Nacht, Op. 10 No. 3
Traum durch die Dämmerung, Op. 29 No. 1
Weißer Jasmin, Op 31 No 3
Wolf, H:
Verschwiegene Liebe (No. 3 from Eichendorff-Lieder)
Die Nacht (No. 19 from Eichendorff-Lieder)
Unfall (No. 15 from Eichendorff-Lieder)
Nachtzauber (No. 8 from Eichendorff-Lieder)
All performed by Christiane Karg (soprano) with Malcolm Martineau (piano)
Ms. Karg is a regular guest at the world’s leading opera houses, singing roles from Musetta (La bohème) to Poppea (L’incoronazione di Poppea), she is also renowned throughout the world for her enchanting performances of Lieder on the concert platform.
This colllection features two themes to link the program together: botanical songs in the first half, and nocturnal in the second. Exploring celebrated jewels of the art song repertoire alongside lesser-known, but equally charming, discoveries, the program moves from rarely heard floral songs from Strauss’s teens, through dreamy settings by Fauré, Debussy and Poulenc, mysterious and nocturnal Lieder of Wolf to Berg’s ‘Sieben frühe Lieder’.
Here is Christiane Karg in Richard Strauss’ “Standchen”:
