It’s been 25 years since Christoph Prégardien and Andreas Staier presented Dichterliebe as part of an album dedicated to Heine settings by Schumann, Schubert and Mendelssohn (DHM, 12/94). Now into his sixties, the German tenor returns to the cycle in a fascinating if rather more unexpected coupling, joining the growing ranks of Männerstimme tackling Wagner’s Fünf Gedichte für eine Frauenstimme (aka Wesendonck Lieder).

Reviewing that first Dichterliebe, Alan Blyth noted its tragic colouring in the way it exposed ‘the wounded pain of the protagonist’. And that very much tallies with the new release: this is again a performance that offers something earthier, more tangible than mere Romantic navel-gazing. There’s reflection, tenderness and Innigkeit aplenty, but also a hint of bitterness, a determination and a strength of character (has ‘Ich hab’ im Traum geweinet’ ever sounded closer to the world of Schubert’s ‘Doppelgänger’?).

Prégardien’s voice is inevitably less fresh and juicy than before, often betraying a little unsteadiness and tightness. He eschews the optional top A in ‘Ich grolle nicht’, but there’s still plenty of sweetness, not to mention impressive power in the lower range. Michael Gees’s piano-playing, too, is superb, finding character and nuance at every turn.

The Op 90 set is similarly enjoyable but here the signs of age in Prégardien’s voice bother me a little more, especially in a moving but strained account of the ‘Requiem’. There are signs of strain, too, in the Wagner, and I’m yet to be persuaded of the suitability of the tenor voice for Wagner’s floating lines. Nevertheless, there’s much to like in hearing such artistry applied to these songs in their intimate, pared-down form, making it a moving, worthwhile coupling for a compelling Dichterliebe.

The engineering is excellent but there’s some carelessness in Challenge Classics’ booklet (and texts in German only). Another fine release from this superb singer.