This song cycle can, at times, sound mawkish. That comes, in my opinion, from the fact that some performers tend to sing it (for the sake of cohesion?) with similar pathos and gravity throughout, which I think is an error, its essence being more miscellaneous. Von Otter's rendition, however, is full of that versatile, subtle intelligence this masterwork demands, and, where others use poignancy and weight as cementing, she uses dynamics and poise 💎💎💎
This song cycle can, at times, sound mawkish. That comes, in my opinion, from the fact that some performers tend to sing it (for the sake of cohesion?) with similar pathos and gravity throughout, which I think is an error, its essence being more miscellaneous. Von Otter's rendition, however, is full of that versatile, subtle intelligence this masterwork demands, and, where others use poignancy and weight as cementing, she uses dynamics and poise 💎💎💎