The sound of the voice against the backdrop of full orchestra has always held a special appeal for me. Early on I discovered the orchestral songs of Richard Strauss and Gustav Mahler, adding to these in later years the songs of Erich Korngold and Joseph Marx. My acquaintanceship with Hans Pfitzner had been limited to an overture (`Das Käthchen von Heilbronn'), the opera `Palestrina' and some songs with piano (Dietrich Fischer Dieskau on EMI). This new CD from the enterprising CPO label is a marvellous and richly rewarding discovery. It includes the 5 songs Pfitzner conceived orchestrally along with his own orchestrations of 13 songs originally produced for voice and piano. His skills of orchestration are so accomplished that it is impossible for the listener to distinguish any difference. The most substantial item is the opening 10-minute `Die Heinzelmännchen' (benevolent dwarves, translated here as "brownies"). This is set to a famous children's poem about the little people who delight in appearing when humans slumber and set about doing all their work! Pfitzner's orchestration is dynamic, witty and sparkling. This piece and the four varied Heine songs of Pfitzner's youthful Opus 4 deserve to be heard in concert. The same can be said for the 7-minute ballad `Herr Oluf.' This is a supernatural Erlkönig-like tale of seduction in the orchestral garb of Mahler's `Das klagende Lied' while it is hard not to think of the same composer when listening to `Der Trompeter.' Pfitzner chooses quality poets (Eichendorff and Goethe among others) and, in an orchestral idiom that is primarily late-Romantic while pushing the boundaries harmonically in songs like `An den Mond,' he achieves the most exquisite word-painting. Here you will find the melodic sweep of Strauss, the pungency of Mahler and the tenderness and modulatory twists of Schubert. At times I felt the accompaniments to be so apt that it brought the latter vividly to mind (e.g. listen to `Herbstlied'). Goethe's poem `Wilkommen und Abschied' gets a rousing treatment, with timpani and brass prominent. Baritone Hans Christoph Begemann turns in a superb interpretation of the varied moods the songs call for, while the Nordwestdeutsche Philharmonie under Otto Tausk plays splendidly. That said, the star that emerges here is Pfitzner. The recording is exemplary and the German texts with English translations are included. All in all this is a wonderful disc, full of exhilaration and deep enjoyment. Don't hesitate: this is an absolute winner from CPO.
