Episode 418. Christmas Art Songs with Bär und Schreier
SOCIAL SHARE
SUBSCRIPTION PLATFORM
This episode celebrates the artistic accomplishments of two of the finest twentieth century singers to come from the environs of Dresden, Peter Schreier and Olaf Bär. Both were former child choristers in the Dresdner Kreuzchor (albeit from two different generations). Both went on as adults to rise to the top of the musical firmament, particularly in their performance of German art song. Each of these two singers were celebrated in the music of Bach, and in their performance of what their fellow Germans call Kunstlieder and both made memorable and substantial recordings of Christmas art songs, Schreier’s in 1979, accompanied by the late Norman Shetler, and Bär’s in 1996, with the superb Helmut Deutsch. The focus in this episode is on their performance on these respective recordings of the Christmas songs of Max Reger, Engelbert Humperdinck, and Hugo Wolf. We also hear a recording of Schreier during his days as a boy alto in the Dresdner Kreuzchor) singing a selection from the Weihnachtslieder of Peter Cornelius.
RECORDINGS HEARD IN THIS EPISODE
Unless otherwise indicated, all the Olaf Bär selections are from his 1996 recording Weihnachten im deutschen Lied in which he is partnered by Helmut Deutsch. Except for his recording as a boy alto, all Peter Schreier Lieder selections are from his 1979 release Lieder zur Weihnacht in which he is partnered by Norman Shetler.
Peter Cornelius: Die Könige (Weihnachtslieder, Op. 8/3). Peter Schreier, Karl-Dietfried Adam [ca. 1950]
Johann Sebastian Bach: Großer Herr und starker König (Weihnachtsoratorium, BWV 248). Olaf Bär, Uwe Zaiser, Paul Goodwin, SWR Rundfunkorchester Kaiserslautern [2004]
Johann Sebastian Bach: Frohe Hirten, eilet, ach eilet! (Weihnachtsoratorium, BWV 248). Peter Schreier, Martin Flämig, Dresdner Philharmonie [1974]
Hugo Wolf, Eduard Mörike: Auf ein altes Bild (Mörike-Lieder, No. 23). Olaf Bär, Geoffrey Parsons [1986]
Hugo Wolf, Eduard Mörike: Auf ein altes Bild (Mörike-Lieder, No. 23). Peter Schreier, Norman Shetler
Carl Loewe, Friedrich Rückert: Des fremden Kindes heiliger Christ, Op. 33/3. Wolfgang Anheisser, Julius Severin [1969]
Edvard Grieg, Holger Drachmann: Weihnachtsschnee, Op. 49/5. Willi Domgraf-Fassbaender, Michael Raucheisen [1944]
Max Reger, anonymous poet: Uns ist geboren ein Kindelein, Op. 137/3. Peter Schreier, Norman Shetler
Max Reger, anonymous poet: Christkindleins Wiegenlied, Op. 137/10. Peter Schreier, Norman Shetler
Max Reger, Martin Boelitz: Mariä Wiegenlied, Op. 76/52. Peter Schreier, Norman Shetler [1979]
Max Reger, Ernst Ludwig Schellenberg: Maria am Rosenstrauch, Op. 142/3. Olaf Bär, Helmut Deutsch
Max Reger, Erasmus Alberus: Morgengesang. Olaf Bär, Helmut Deutsch
Max Reger, Ludwig Hamann: Ehre sei Gott in der Höhe! Olaf Bär, Helmut Deutsch
Max Reger, Ernst Ludwig Schellenberg: Der König aus dem Morgenland, Op. 76/60. Peter Schreier, Norman Shetler
Engelbert Humperdinck, Hedwig Humperdinck: Der Stern von Bethlehem. Olaf Bär, Helmut Deutsch
Engelbert Humperdinck, anonymous text: Altdeutsches Weihnachtslied. Olaf Bär, Helmut Deutsch
Engelbert Humperdinck, text from Des Knaben Wunderhorn (collected Clemens Brentano, Achim von Arnim): Christkindleins Wiegenlied. Olaf Bär, Helmut Deutsch
Engelbert Humperdinck, Otto Jakobi: Das Licht der Welt. Olaf Bär, Helmut Deutsch
Engelbert Humperdinck, Adelheid Witte: Weihnachten. Olaf Bär, Helmut Deutsch
Hugo Wolf, Juan López de Úbeda (translated Paul Heyse): Ach, des Knaben Augen (Spanisches Liederbuch, Volume I:5). Peter Schreier, Norman Shetler
Hugo Wolf, anonymous text (translated Paul Heyse): Führ mich, Kind, nach Bethlehem (Spanisches Liederbuch, Volume I:5). Peter Schreier, Norman Shetler
Hugo Wolf, Ocaña, translated Paul Heyse: Nun wandre, Maria (Spanisches Liederbuch, Volume I:3). Peter Schreier, Norman Shetler
Hugo Wolf, Eduard Mörike: Schlafendes Jesuskind (Mörike-Lieder, No. 25). Olaf Bär, Geoffrey Parsons [1986]
Hugo Wolf, Johann Wolfgang von Goethe: Epiphanias (Goethe-Lieder, No. 19). Peter Schreier, Norman Shetler
Hugo Wolf, Eduard Mörike: Zum neuen Jahre (Mörike-Lieder, No. 27). Peter Schreier, Norman Shetler
