ESSENTIAL RECORDINGS
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FRANZ SCHUBERT - Die schöne Müllerin - Erik Rousi (bass-baritone) -
Justas Stasevskij (piano) - 6417513105254 - Released: April 2023 - Alba Records ABCD525
Finnish bass-baritone Erik Rousi's highly expressive voice and subtly animated delivery are perfectly suited to the fluid melodic lines of Franz Schubert's take on German poetic text. No one else quite captured the "tormented soul" aspect integral to this prose as well as Schubert did within his lieder cycles. From the adventurous joy and trepidation of Das Wandern to the sorrowful Des Baches Wiegenlied (The brook's lullaby), he perfectly set down the tragic nature of the deeply personal journey undertaken by the protagonist. And Erik Rousi, expertly accompanied by pianist Justas Stasevskij, travel down this road with the utmost respect for the music at hand. They capture the gentle beauty of Des Müllers Blumen (The miller's flowers) just as well as the emotional turmoil within Eifersucht und Stoltz (Jealousy and pride). Rousi's vocal range can express rage and melancholy in the lower notes and soar to beauty of tone up in the higher register, without ever sounding harsh or overextended. As fine a Schubert interpreter as any. Recommended! Jean-Yves Duperron - August 2023 Das Wandern
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