Listening, as I have done, to these distinguished performances on the hottest day of the summer may seem incongruous, but the power of the cycles goes far beyond the circumstances of any one season, at least when performed by such noted interpreters as these four artists. Of all Fischer-Dieskau's readings of the work I have always felt this to be the most underrated. I praised it highly when it first appeared and see no reason now to withdraw a word I said then about Barenboim's piercing insights into the piano's role, not to mention his superb playing as such, or about the baritone's added touches of interpretation beyond those he had achieved by 1979.
Although Fischer-Dieskau, of course, went on to record the work with other pianists in their own right, Brendel and Perahia, those versions were made when he was past his vocal best and we all tried valiantly to overlook that fact. Here, still in his prime, no allowances have to be made for tonal failings as he boxes the compass of emotional response to the text and music. Then he and Barenboim, always the instinctive musician, find points to make, particularly in firm rhythm and onomatopoeic effects that sound new, spontaneous and, most important, inevitable and right. Those who have the Fischer-Dieskau/Moore or Fischer-Dieskau/Demus (DG 6/66—nla) versions (which immediately preceded this one) may find the baritone has here become a shade too emphatic, but the change is marginal.
The other reissue, a Gramophone Award winner in its day, now seems to me slightly less recommendable than I once thought. By the side of their DG confreres, Schreier and particularly Richter sometimes sound off-centre largely because of the excessive tempos—too slow in the first song and ''Einsamkeit'' (which you will find either hypnotic or mannered), too quick in ''Die Krahe'' for instance—and Richter, for all his subtlety of phrase, isn't at all times at one with his singer. In that respect Schreier with Schiff, on the recent Decca version are superior, a superlative partnership with the great tenor refining even further his wonderful reading (and even on the Philips recording his interpretation is quite riveting). On the Decca disc you also avoid the audience coughing which is often all too evident here, more intrusive than I once felt.
As the Philips disc remains, incomprehensibly, at full price (though it has now been squeezed on to one disc), it is no rival to Schreier's Decca reading. The DG is at budget price, and as such is wonderful value. Although, price apart, I would still opt in absolute terms for Schreier and Schiff, anyone wanting a profound and satisfying account can be more than content with Fischer-Dieskau and Barenboim. Those who in any case prefer a baritone in this work, or are allergic to Schreier's tangy tenor (I do know some), will leap at this issue—and congratulations to DG for not only including text and translations for their reissue (EMI, please copy) but also providing material in the booklet of just the kind newcomers will find useful.'