Mahler: Songs from Des Knaben Wunderhorn & Rückert-Lieder / Schubert: Lieder

Jessye Norman was such a commanding presence on the operatic stage that it’s easy to forget how gloriously she could sing on a more intimate scale—in the magical, poetic world of German lieder. Early in her career, while still in her twenties and early thirties, she joined forces with the distinguished American lieder pianist Irwin Gage to record several albums of art songs. This lovely Schubert and Mahler recital might be the finest of all. Mahler’s Rückert-Lieder and Songs from Des Knaben Wunderhorn draw inspiration from the dark, fantastic world of German folklore and fairytale, and Schubert’s poignant miniatures make a near-ideal complement. With Norman’s voice in all its youthful freshness, her innate sense of theater turns each song into a miniature opera in its own right.