Goethe and the Guitar
Rogers Covey-Crump : discography


Danubia Discs CM002

Playing time: 68'41

Recorded 21-22 May 2002 at St Martin's Church, East Woodhay, nr Newbury, Berks, GB

Goethe and the Guitar

Songs and ballads c.1800.


Cafe Mozart on period instruments


Contents:

 1.  Ich ging im Walde so für mich hin (Anon. folk tune) 
tenor and guitar		[1:33] 
 2.  Der Fischer (Joh. Chr. Jusdorf) 
soprano/tenor, flute and guitar		[3:21] 
 3.  Der König in Thule (Joh. Gottl. Quandt) 
tenor II, pianoforte and guitar		[2:17] 
 4.  Der Rattenfänger (Friedrich Methfessel) 
tenor and guitar		[2:26] 
 5.  Abschiedslied der Johanna (Schiller) (Johann Rudolf Zumsteeg) 
soprano and guitar		[2:25] 
 6.  Der Erlkönig (Bernhard Klein) 
soprano, tenors I&II, baritone, pianoforte, flute and guitar		[2:58] 
 7.  Schäfers Klagelied (G. Streitwolf) 
tenor, flute and guitar		[2:59] 
 8.  Ich wollt' ich wär' ein Fisch (Carl Friedrich Zelter) 
soprano, tenor, flute, pianoforte and guitar		[1:58] 
 9.  Ich denke dein (August Harder) 
soprano and guitar		[2:41] 
 10.  Der Musensohn (Ludwig Berger) 
tenor and guitar		[3:50] 
 11.  Sehnsucht nach Italien (Ludwig Abeille) 
soprano and pianoforte		[4:59] 
 12.  Das Mädchen aus der Fremde (Schiller) (Fr. Methfessel) 
soprano and guitar		[2:25] 
 13.  Der junge Jäger (Zelter) 
tenor and baritone		[1:39] 
 14.  Monolog der Maria Stuart (Schiller) (Zumsteeg) 
soprano, flute and guitar		[6:14] 
 15.  La Mort de Werther (Goethe adaptation) (L-E Jadin) 
tenor and guitar		[3:05] 
 16.  Der Erlkönig (Methfessel) 
soprano, tenors I&II, guitar		[3:06] 
 17.  Schäfers Klage (Harder) 
soprano and guitar		[2:25] 
 18.  Das Mädchen aus der Fremde (Schiller) (G. Chr. Grosheim) 
tenor, flute and guitar		[2:00] 
 19.  Sehnsucht (F. Stein) 
soprano and guitar		[2:16] 
 20.  Wanderers Nachtlied (E. Draude) 
tenor and pianoforte		[1:36] 
 21.  Trinklied (T.M. Eberwein) 
tenor II, pianoforte, guitar and chorus (STB)		[1:50] 
 22.  Ich denke dein (A. Fr. Becarovsky) 
tenor and guitar		[3:40] 
 23.  Wie der Tag mir schleichet (attr. Goethe) (Streitwolf) 
soprano, flute and guitar		[4:06] 
 24.  Nachtgesang (Stein) 
tenor and guitar		[2:41] 


Performers:

Noemi Kiss (soprano)
Rogers Covey-Crump (tenor)
Michael Sanderson (tenor)
Jenny Thomas (one-keyed flute)
Katharine May (square piano)
Ian Gammie (guitar)
Proprietor Cafe Mozart Derek McCulloch (additional voice 6, 13, 21)


Description:

Twenty four German songs and ballads c.1800.
These songs are with original guitar accompaniments from the early 19th century and are settings of lyrics by Johann Wolfgang Goethe and Friedrich Schiller.


Reviews:

Early Music Review, (ed. Clifford Bartlett) December 2002

Here is a fascinating issue and let no one be put off by the seemingly flippant name of the group: Café Mozart (Proprietor Derek McCulloch). What we are offered here, in clear, well-balanced performances, and introduced by a good booklet with full texts (but lacking timings), are two dozen songs by little-known composers. Apart from the variety that four Schiller texts provide, the lyrics are all by Goethe (one or two of them of uncertain authority, or arranged). There are very attractive songs here, including settings of texts that Schubert and Wolf set incomparably - after minor composers such as Jusdorf and Methfessel, Harder and the delightfully named Streitwolf had tried their hands. One or two of the composers represented here Zelter and Zumsteeg enjoy, of course some distinction.

The performances are full of charm and spirit. Rogers Covey-Crump and the Hungarian soprano Nomi Kiss are the most frequently employed of the singers; Ian Gammie with his guitar is heard in all but three of the tracks. Katharine May on a fine square piano of 1796 and Jenny Thomas on a sweet-toned flute are heard to advantage in several numbers; Michael Sanderson (second tenor) and Derek McCulloch make telling contributions, the latter an almost Quint-like Elf-King in Bernhard Klein's setting (one of two here of this chilling ballad). This CD is strongly recommended.

Peter Branscombe

Early Music News, November 2002

Goethe and the Guitar by Café Mozart is an exploration of songs and ballads from c.1800, with guest artists Noemi Kiss and Rogers Covey-Crump. It would be easy to look at the list of obscure composers and pass this CD by, but that would be a big mistake. The music is diverse, combining words by Goethe with music for voices, guitar, flute and piano. It's easy to forget that the Christmas carol Silent Night was originally written for tenor and guitar in 1818: this CD gives a fascinating glimpse of the world from which it came.