A new compilation of Lieder recordings by the distinguished German bass-baritone, now famed for his authoritative Wagner performances.

‘I’m very happy,’ remarks Michael Volle in a booklet interview accompanying this reissue, which gathers together the three albums of Brahms Lieder he made in the spring of 2007. ‘Normally if you listen to a recording you would like to redo it immediately, because you discover so many mistakes or things you would have done better. But this one, it’s OK. Recordings will not always make money or sell a lot of discs, but for an artist, they can be a wonderful memory of a certain period in your life.’

For Klassik.com, these recordings were deemed a ‘beautiful achievement’: especially in ‘Es träumte mir' and
‘Unbewegte laue Luft' Op.57 Nos. 3 and 8: as exciting as it is atmospheric, reaching a climax of subtly varied timbre in the Vier ernste Gesänge. Volle also scores highly in Die schöne Magelone.’ Volle is joined here by his brother Hartmut for the recitation of Tieck’s complementary prose text, which many recordings omit. Klassik.com also drew particular attention to the sympathetic partnership of Volle with the mezzo-soprano Stephanie Irányi and Volle, ‘perfectly co-ordinated’ in the Four Duets Op.28 and a selection from the Deutsche Volkslieder WoO33, from which Brahms took particular pleasure late in life.

Volle’s ‘warm, sympathetic baritone’ (Gramophone) and personal conviction illuminate all the repertoire here, which is drawn from throughout the composer’s song-writing career. ‘When I sing Brahms,’ reflects Volle, ‘I feel the deep musicality and also humanity and maybe also unfulfilled love he was looking for. Like Schubert he puts his feelings in the music and it takes everything from me when I do it. For me he’s a really great Lieder composer.’