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This Steinway & Sons release is the debut album of contralto Sara Couden. The album wasn't her idea, and indeed she was, like most people, unfamiliar with the fact that the great pianist Artur Schnabel was a song composer (and also wrote three symphonies). However, her rich, slightly smoky voice was an ideal choice for this material. Schnabel wrote these songs for his wife, Irene Behr. Charmingly, the two met when Schnabel, at a mountain resort, commented to a friend on the size of some boots in the corridor, only to be accosted by Behr the next morning, saying, "I heard you talking about my big feet." The songs are thus highly idiomatic for the alto voice, but they are more than that. Most of them date from between 1900 and 1910, from early in Schnabel's career, and they show a composer alert to the ideas in contemporary German poetry and seeking fresh ways to express them. The best is saved for last, with Notturno for voice and piano, Op. 16, set to a long poem by Richard Dehmel. Dehmel was the muse of Schoenberg (in Verklärte Nacht) and other members of the Second Viennese School, and Schnabel was obviously aware of this; although he is not in Schoenberg territory, he pushes the tonality quite a bit. Strauss also set this rather dark text. Couden's reading is direct and affecting, with good control over the lengthy song. Any of these pieces could be programmed with Schoenberg or Berg, and it is a shame that they aren't better known. This beautifully recorded album, made at the Samurai Hotel Recording Studio in Queens, may change that situation.
© James Manheim /TiVo
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5 Songs for Voice & Piano (Artur Schnabel)
Artur Schnabel, Composer - Jenny Lin, Artist, MainArtist - Sara Couden, Artist, MainArtist - Hieronymus Lorm, Lyricist
(C) 2022 Steinway and Sons (P) 2022 Steinway and Sons
Artur Schnabel, Composer - Jenny Lin, Artist, MainArtist - Joseph Freiherr von Eichendorff, Lyricist - Sara Couden, Artist, MainArtist
(C) 2022 Steinway and Sons (P) 2022 Steinway and Sons
Artur Schnabel, Composer - Jenny Lin, Artist, MainArtist - Joseph Freiherr von Eichendorff, Lyricist - Sara Couden, Artist, MainArtist
(C) 2022 Steinway and Sons (P) 2022 Steinway and Sons
Artur Schnabel, Composer - Theodor Storm, Lyricist - Jenny Lin, Artist, MainArtist - Sara Couden, Artist, MainArtist
(C) 2022 Steinway and Sons (P) 2022 Steinway and Sons
Friedrich Rückert, Lyricist - Artur Schnabel, Composer - Jenny Lin, Artist, MainArtist - Sara Couden, Artist, MainArtist
(C) 2022 Steinway and Sons (P) 2022 Steinway and Sons
10 Early Songs for Voice & Piano, Op. 11 (Artur Schnabel)
Artur Schnabel, Composer - Jenny Lin, Artist, MainArtist - Werner Wolffheim, Lyricist - Sara Couden, Artist, MainArtist
(C) 2022 Steinway and Sons (P) 2022 Steinway and Sons
Artur Schnabel, Composer - Richard Dehmel, Lyricist - Jenny Lin, Artist, MainArtist - Sara Couden, Artist, MainArtist
(C) 2022 Steinway and Sons (P) 2022 Steinway and Sons
Artur Schnabel, Composer - Jenny Lin, Artist, MainArtist - Werner Wolffheim, Lyricist - Sara Couden, Artist, MainArtist
(C) 2022 Steinway and Sons (P) 2022 Steinway and Sons
Artur Schnabel, Composer - Jenny Lin, Artist, MainArtist - Novalis, Lyricist - Sara Couden, Artist, MainArtist
(C) 2022 Steinway and Sons (P) 2022 Steinway and Sons
Artur Schnabel, Composer - Stefan George, Lyricist - Jenny Lin, Artist, MainArtist - Sara Couden, Artist, MainArtist
(C) 2022 Steinway and Sons (P) 2022 Steinway and Sons
Artur Schnabel, Composer - Richard Dehmel, Lyricist - Jenny Lin, Artist, MainArtist - Sara Couden, Artist, MainArtist
(C) 2022 Steinway and Sons (P) 2022 Steinway and Sons
Artur Schnabel, Composer - Stefan George, Lyricist - Jenny Lin, Artist, MainArtist - Sara Couden, Artist, MainArtist
(C) 2022 Steinway and Sons (P) 2022 Steinway and Sons
Artur Schnabel, Composer - Richard Dehmel, Lyricist - Jenny Lin, Artist, MainArtist - Sara Couden, Artist, MainArtist
(C) 2022 Steinway and Sons (P) 2022 Steinway and Sons
Artur Schnabel, Composer - Jenny Lin, Artist, MainArtist - Sara Couden, Artist, MainArtist - Hanns Sachs, Lyricist
(C) 2022 Steinway and Sons (P) 2022 Steinway and Sons
Artur Schnabel, Composer - Otto Julius Bierbaum, Lyricist - Jenny Lin, Artist, MainArtist - Sara Couden, Artist, MainArtist
(C) 2022 Steinway and Sons (P) 2022 Steinway and Sons
7 Early Songs for Voice & Piano, Op. 14 (Artur Schnabel)
Artur Schnabel, Composer - Jenny Lin, Artist, MainArtist - Joseph Freiherr von Eichendorff, Lyricist - Sara Couden, Artist, MainArtist
(C) 2022 Steinway and Sons (P) 2022 Steinway and Sons
Artur Schnabel, Composer - Theodor Storm, Lyricist - Jenny Lin, Artist, MainArtist - Sara Couden, Artist, MainArtist
(C) 2022 Steinway and Sons (P) 2022 Steinway and Sons
Artur Schnabel, Composer - Jenny Lin, Artist, MainArtist - Joseph Freiherr von Eichendorff, Lyricist - Sara Couden, Artist, MainArtist
(C) 2022 Steinway and Sons (P) 2022 Steinway and Sons
Artur Schnabel, Composer - Jenny Lin, Artist, MainArtist - Joseph Freiherr von Eichendorff, Lyricist - Sara Couden, Artist, MainArtist
(C) 2022 Steinway and Sons (P) 2022 Steinway and Sons
Artur Schnabel, Composer - Theodor Storm, Lyricist - Jenny Lin, Artist, MainArtist - Sara Couden, Artist, MainArtist
(C) 2022 Steinway and Sons (P) 2022 Steinway and Sons
Artur Schnabel, Composer - Stefan George, Lyricist - Jenny Lin, Artist, MainArtist - Sara Couden, Artist, MainArtist
(C) 2022 Steinway and Sons (P) 2022 Steinway and Sons
Artur Schnabel, Composer - Jenny Lin, Artist, MainArtist - Joseph Freiherr von Eichendorff, Lyricist - Sara Couden, Artist, MainArtist
(C) 2022 Steinway and Sons (P) 2022 Steinway and Sons
Notturno for Voice & Piano, Op. 16 (Artur Schnabel)
Artur Schnabel, Composer - Richard Dehmel, Lyricist - Jenny Lin, Artist, MainArtist - Sara Couden, Artist, MainArtist
(C) 2022 Steinway and Sons (P) 2022 Steinway and Sons
Album review
This Steinway & Sons release is the debut album of contralto Sara Couden. The album wasn't her idea, and indeed she was, like most people, unfamiliar with the fact that the great pianist Artur Schnabel was a song composer (and also wrote three symphonies). However, her rich, slightly smoky voice was an ideal choice for this material. Schnabel wrote these songs for his wife, Irene Behr. Charmingly, the two met when Schnabel, at a mountain resort, commented to a friend on the size of some boots in the corridor, only to be accosted by Behr the next morning, saying, "I heard you talking about my big feet." The songs are thus highly idiomatic for the alto voice, but they are more than that. Most of them date from between 1900 and 1910, from early in Schnabel's career, and they show a composer alert to the ideas in contemporary German poetry and seeking fresh ways to express them. The best is saved for last, with Notturno for voice and piano, Op. 16, set to a long poem by Richard Dehmel. Dehmel was the muse of Schoenberg (in Verklärte Nacht) and other members of the Second Viennese School, and Schnabel was obviously aware of this; although he is not in Schoenberg territory, he pushes the tonality quite a bit. Strauss also set this rather dark text. Couden's reading is direct and affecting, with good control over the lengthy song. Any of these pieces could be programmed with Schoenberg or Berg, and it is a shame that they aren't better known. This beautifully recorded album, made at the Samurai Hotel Recording Studio in Queens, may change that situation.
© James Manheim /TiVo
About the album
- 1 disc(s) - 23 track(s)
- Total length: 01:17:15
- 1 Digital booklet
- Main artists: Sara Couden Jenny Lin
- Composer: Artur Schnabel
- Label: Steinway and Sons
- Genre: Classical
(C) 2022 Steinway and Sons (P) 2022 Steinway and Sons
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