Wolfgang Rihm: Lieder (2003)

German composer Wolfgang Rihm is best known for his operas such as Die Hamletsmaschine and Der Eroberung von Mexico. Apart from that Rihm is also highly regarded for his interesting and well-crafted series of song cycles, such as the Wölfli-Lieder, which makes use of challenging texts and is scored for voice and an instrumental ensemble. Metier's disc Wolfgang Rihm: Lieder is devoted to four cycles Rihm composed for voice and piano only. This disc features the English soprano and piano duo of Clare Lesser and David Lesser, ... Read More

German composer Wolfgang Rihm is best known for his operas such as Die Hamletsmaschine and Der Eroberung von Mexico. Apart from that Rihm is also highly regarded for his interesting and well-crafted series of song cycles, such as the Wölfli-Lieder, which makes use of challenging texts and is scored for voice and an instrumental ensemble. Metier's disc Wolfgang Rihm: Lieder is devoted to four cycles Rihm composed for voice and piano only. This disc features the English soprano and piano duo of Clare Lesser and David Lesser, who in every way deliver the goods for the benefit of Rihm's music. Clare Lesser is a pure, "white-voiced" soprano who sings practically all of the songs with no vibrato, although when she goes into full voice here and there, you know it. Lesser's deliberate under-singing of Rihm's music both sets it apart from traditional German lieder and adds to it an element of tenderness. Lesser almost sounds like a boy soprano, but the voice has a wounded character that is touching and well... Read Less