The relationship between exclusive EMI Classics artists Ian Bostridge and Leif Ove Andsnes and their exploration of the repertoire of Franz Schubert continues with their first recording of Schubert’s deeply moving song cycle, Winterreise.
The cycle, which is considered one of the greatest ever written, is based on the twenty-four poems of the German lyricist Wilhelm Müller and charts the winter journey of a betrayed lover into misery. This repertoire presented many new challenges to both artists. Ian Bostridge writes in his booklet notes on the cycle “It remains a very open-ended piece, full of interpretative choices to be made, new avenues to be explored, experiments to be tried.” Their two previous joint recordings combined Schubert’s Piano Sonata No.20 with four of his Lieder, Pilgerweise, Der Unglückliche, Auf der Strom and die Sterne and then the Piano Sonata No.17 with the Lieder Der liebliche Stern, Tiefes Leid, Auf der Bruck, Der Wanderer, Fülle der Liebe, Wiedersehen, Vom Mitleiden Mariä, Im Walde and Der Schmetterling.
Peter Alward, President of EMI Classics said “Already cemented in a series of memorable concerts and on two CDs, the artistic collaboration between Ian Bostridge and Leif Ove Andsnes is now crowned with a recording of Schubert’s Winterreise worthy of comparison with the greatest interpretations of the past. We are proud to regard these two magisterial artists as members of the EMI family.”
Ian Bostridge and Leif Ove Andsnes will be performing Winterreise in Europe at the end of this summer, including a late-night performance at the Edinburgh Festival, and on tour in the USA this October. The US tour will open at Carnegie Hall in New York and finish in San Francisco.
