Prégardien and Staier‚ who have now been musical partners for more than 10 years‚ add to their laurels as interpreters of Lieder with another remarkably satisfying disc‚ this one entirely devoted to Schubert’s settings of Mayrhofer. As was his wont‚ Schubert adapted his style to the poet in hand so that his music matches the high­flown thoughts on loneliness and eternity found in most of Mayrhofer’s work. Richard Capell‚ pioneer annotator of Schubert’s songs‚ spoke of Mayrhofer’s ‘quarrel with destiny’‚ and one appreciates the aphorism when listening to many of these emotionally searing pieces‚ with Schubert always at one with the poet’s thoughts. And here singer and player are equally in sympathy with the mood of every Lied. In the songs at the beginning of this recital one finds a tenor invading baritone‚ even bass territory rather than the other way around‚ as is so often the case. Prégardien seems fully up to imparting the power expressed in such songs as Fahrt zum Hades and Der Schiffer‚ railing against fortune in the most imposing manner. Some of the songs in the middle of the programme‚ devoted to classical subjects‚ are among the hardest in the whole Schubert oeuvre for interpreter and listener to encompass‚ but with these artists as guides‚ they seem reasonably approachable‚ Memnon a particular success. It hardly needs saying that in the more lyrical songs‚ the pair are at their very best‚ the tenor’s plaintive‚ seamless and eloquent singing supported by Staier’s refined insights into the keyboard contributions‚ here played on a wonderfully translucent instrument. The rarely encountered Abschied‚ not mentioned by Capell incidentally‚ is well worth unearthing when done so sympathetically. Best of all are pieces such as Auf der Donau‚ Abendstern‚ Gondelfahrer and Auflösung‚ once seldom done but now regularly performed. These readings are as lovingly sung and convincingly phrased on both sides as any. Add an excellent recording‚ and this a CD all Schubertians will want.