Schubert: Schwanengesang,D.957 / Brahms: 4 Last Songs,Op.121

Baritone Thomas Quasthoff here tackles two of the cornerstones of the lieder repertory, and the result is one of the most moving, exciting lieder discs in years. Much of its appeal lies in his attractive vocalism, a rich, firm voice comfortable with both the lyric and dramatic demands of these songs. Throughout, Quasthoff threads the fine line between maintaining the songs' musical thread and interpreting the texts without the distortions of overemphasis. Above all, he communicates directly; the songs seem to go from heart to heart. In Schubert's late Schwanengesang--never intended as a seamless cycle--Quasthoff makes these 14 gems adhere as a whole, something that eludes many others. And he's helped by Justus Zeyen's accompaniment, beautifully balanced by the engineers and full of telling pictorial touches. Fine as the Schubert performances are, they're trumped by the Brahms, in one of the most compelling recorded performances they've ever had. The texts, culled from the Bible, drew from Brahms some of his most moving music, here delivered by Quasthoff with empathy and an inevitability that feels spontaneous. It's obvious that the singer feels them deeply, and because he does, and welds that feeling to the highest vocal and musical values, you do, too. --Dan Davis