"I should not like to be understood by everybody." {Robert Schumann} This saying alone sums up the romantic era.

As a young man, Robert Schumann (1810-1856) wrote poetry as well as composing piano pieces. Like the other romantics of his time, Schumann was master of the song form. He reached his creative peak in his songs, and in 1840 the Dichterliebe and Liederkreis song cycles were born, the same year he was finally united with Clara Wieck. The voice and piano form an indivisible bond. With this connection Schumann showed the way to the modern song. These two song cycles are certainly on par with any of Franz Schubert's lieder.

Baritone Stephen Lancaster, who has been described as "a fine storyteller" (American Record Guide), and "varied in tone and alive to feeling" (Fanfare Magazine), certainly slips well into the role of poet/musician required to project these songs proper essence. As called upon, his voice is at times lyrical and tender, or passionately determined. And when compared to the famous Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau recordings, his faultless German diction belies the fact that he was born in Canada and now resides in the United States. The use of a Pianoforte for the accompaniment, expressively played here by Laure Colladant, adds an extra level of intimacy highly pertinent to these songs.

A highly polished standard repertoire recording from Blue Griffin, a label better known for travelling off the beaten path.