This is one of the more interesting recording projects marking the bicentenary of Schubert’s birth. Schubert composed around 110 works for male voice chorus and Singphoniker have set out to record every one. These songs were composed for performance at small gatherings of friends and there’s a lovely story of how, when Schubert turned up without a new piece, he was locked in a room with a book of poetry and not let out until he had written something to be sung. It’s an important aspect of Schubert’s output, not only because it shows him in a wonderfully relaxed and often light-hearted vein, but also because it was in this genre (known as Gesellschaftsmusik) that he first made a name for himself as a serious composer; part-songs originally written for private performance were so good that they soon found their way into the concert-hall.
The music may be light and informal, but it is also technically demanding. Songs such as the captivating Nachthelle clearly call for a chorus of soloists rather than an ad hoc group of singers. Much research has underwritten this recording, the fruits of which are evident from a very generous booklet. Singphoniker also claim to have researched thoroughly the style of singing of Schubert’s time and maintain that what we hear on this disc is exactly the sound he would have expected. Be that as it may, it certainly comes across with total conviction and complete authority while the fortepiano accompaniments give the music a captivating luminosity.
A fascinating and rewarding disc (the first of five) which not only contains a substantial amount of music never before recorded, but also several songs which have probably never even been performed since Schubert’s death.'