Schiotz’s singing was always the very epitome of silvery elegance. A Danish tenor in the mould of Britain’s Heddle Nash and Austria’s Julius Patzak, he was a skilled interpreter of their kind of repertory. His attributes in Handel, Haydn and Mozart are amply confirmed in this, the first disc of Danacord’s comprehensive ten-disc survey of all his recorded output, assembled with his widow Gerd as guiding light. Sadly his career was cut short by a brain tumour in 1946, but for the ten years of his prime, he was rightly feted for his beautiful singing and masterly sense of style.
Long before period-instrument performances were current, Schiotz and Woldike were seeking an authentic style of performing Handel and Bach as exemplified here in the poised, unaffected account of the opening solos from Messiah, and arias from the St Matthew Passion and Christmas Oratorio. “Frohe Hirten” from the latter and the lovely aria by Buxtehude on the reverse of the original 78 were prized items in my early collection and they sound even better now that they have been released from the scratch on the originals, the transfers expertly done by EMI’s Andrew Walter. Also in the oratorio field the aria from Die Schopfung demonstrates perfectly the singer’s delicately etched line and pure tone. There are few more fine-grained versions of Tamino’s ‘Portrait’ aria, Ottavio’s arias nor of Pedrillo’s Serenade, but “Un aur’amorosa” suffers from an uncomfortably fast speed.
Schiotz is also among the most elegiac of Lenskys in that character’s lament (slightly cut), the most sweet-toned of Fausts, the top C taken in the head as is the case with other tenors of his ilk. It seems hardly to matter that these pieces are sung in Danish. The Dowland, like the Handel, is given authentically, though a guitar rather than a lute is used for the accompaniments.
As a bonus there are rehearsal performances of Acis’s “Love sounds the alarm”, minus da capo, and “Sacred raptures” from Solomon, the former impeccable, the latter showing an unaccustomed fallibility in the runs. The booklet is full of interesting photos and articles.'