Anne Sofie von Otter - Folksongs (Dvorak, Kodaly, Britten, Grainger, Larsson, Hahn)

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Music reviews of Anne Sofie von Otter - Folksongs (Dvorak, Kodaly, Britten, Grainger, Larsson, Hahn)

Music Review: Perfect blend of art song and folksong
Rating: 5 Stars

What we have here is a highly sophisticated collection of songs with their roots somewhere in the nationalist musical movement, which started flourishing in the early nineteenth century. As the enlightening notes suggest, they are the products of a fusion between the folk tradition and the classical. Selected with obvious care by Anne Sofie von Otter and Bengt Forsberg, these songs speak very directly to the listener and often disguise their artistry behind accessibility.

The opening cycle of "Gypsy Songs" by Dvorak (op. 55) are immediately beguiling and the famous standard mentioned above is sure to stun most people who, like me, have only heard it in it's syrupy orchestral incarnation. Von Otter weaves her magic web through these songs with such effect that the four Grainger songs that follow are almost a shock: earthy and seemingly simplistic they transport the listener to a completely different world. "The pretty main milkin' her cow" is achingly beautiful and, like so many really good things in life, over far too soon. Four short Swedish songs follow, leading onto five "Venetian" songs by Reynaldo Hahn. To me, these are the greatest revelation on the disc: highly romantic with sensual rippling accompaniment, three of them tell sensuous tales of seduction aboard gondolas. Von Otter makes the most of the ample opportunities to seduce with subtle nuances and shading of words. The effect is masterful.

The seven Kodaly songs that follow cannot be further from the romantic Venice envisaged by Hahn, the lyrics often bitingly cynical, with driving rhythms and brilliantly realized accompaniment. Here Von Otter assumes a very different voice and the effect is often strident. The final song, "Beneath the Csitar Hills", however, is tender and intimate, despite some strange sentiments being expressed.

The recital ends with eight arrangements of French folksongs by Benjamin Britten and a fitting finale it is. Simple melodic lines are woven into a rich fabric of music, which reaches into the soul. "Il est quelqu'un sur terre" (track 33) is perhaps one of the poignant songs on the whole recital. Von Otter bleeds colour out of her voice to express the desperation of the singer as the wheel, central metaphor to the song, churns away in the accompaniment. The disc is worth buying for this track alone.

Anne Sofie von Otter and Bengt Forsberg have long established themselves as one of the most brilliant partnerships in recording history and this recital can do nothing but confirm their status as such. It is an achievement not to be missed.

Description of Anne Sofie von Otter - Folksongs (Dvorak, Kodaly, Britten, Grainger, Larsson, Hahn)

Classical CDs

• Music > Styles
• Folk
• Pop