Review: Schubert – Winterreise – Andrè Schuen, Daniel Heide

In his previous cycles (Die Schöne Müllerin in 2021 and Schwanengesang in 2022), Andrè Schuen has been praised for his convincing lyricism and sensitivity. Neither of these excellent qualities are lost here in Winterreise.

Schubert – Winterreise

Andrè Schuen, Daniel Heide

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Being one of the longer songs with four sections, the element of sensitivity contributes to the variety in Gute Nacht (track 1). The baritone’s particularly defiant third section establishes an effective contrast within the major section, which both the singer and pianist handle with the perfect amount of gentleness and nuance.

Erstarrung (track 4) is one of the most suspenseful songs of the cycle: the narrator communicates feelings of urgency, anticipation, and despair and for these emotions to come through vividly, the efforts of both the singer and pianist are needed. Schuen certainly does his due diligence—listen to how he pushes his lines ever so slightly at the beginning, not to the point that they sound rushed but in a way that evokes visceral panic. What could elevate the performance, however, is Heide’s accompaniment which could use more verve. If we listen to the 1962 recording by FIscher-Dieskau and Gerald Moore, the piano line might sound a bit uneven, but it’s the small accents and the gradual acceleration that create a raw—and interesting—urgency that works in the context of the character.

The piano’s delicate filigrees in Der Lindenbaum (track 5) are a bit too murky, but Schuen shows his trademark ability to create long, expressive lines. This song has its hurdles, as the singer must navigate and contour relatively static phrases, but he manages through vibrant crescendos and effective shifts in vocal timbre. As a result, there are moments which are profound and intense but others that are meditative and introverted.

Schubert structured the cycle in a roughly parabolic fashion that places the most anticipatory song (Die Poste, track 13) right at the halfway point. There is much to like about this interpretation, including the growing intensity which Schuen infuses into the keyword “hertz” (heart) and Heide’s staccatos that mimic the steadfast plodding of the mailman’s horse. That said, though, things sound a little complacent at times. Perhaps it’s lacking the impatient buoyancy that Matthias Goerne infuses in his performance with Alfred Brendel or the optimistic airiness of Mark Padmore has in his recording with Paul Lewis.

The duo get back on track with some fine work in Der Krähe (track 15): the tempo is slightly measured but Heide’s delicate triplets create a lyrical yet eerie backdrop against which Schuen sings with everything from heavy melancholy to growing unease, and finally, impassioned fury.

Schubert – Winterreise – A Beginners Guide

Where Der Krähe might one of the most emotionally wrenching songs in Winterreise, Das Wirthaus (track 21) is certainly the most depressing in its emphasis on the narrator’s loneliness. Seeking respite but finding none from an already occupied inn, he has no choice but to trudge forward in solitude. The music itself creates a fascinating irony with its peaceful, hymnlike demeanor that contrasts sharply with the narrator’s profound loneliness. The duo effectively bridges this dichotomy: Heide creates beautifully voiced, resonant chords that bring out the element of comfort. Meanwhile, Schuen shows us some of his best lyricism, but it is not mistaken for mere tenderness: the huskiness of his voice reflects the weariness of the tired traveler, and in the choices moments, he offers a poignancy that’s impossible to ignore.

In the opening of the Der Leiermann (track 24), Heide deliberately omits one of the notes in the interval—not the best time to make a change in a centrally important motif. The baritone makes up for that misstep, however, with his subtle yet tangible solemnity; its heaviness communicates a sobering yet not necessarily peaceful finality, a fitting commentary upon the traveler’s journey.

While this Winterreise has some hits and misses, it’s still worth earmarking among the plethora of recordings out there. Schuen does solid work in touching upon a complex mix of emotions, one whose full gamut can only be revealed across repeated listens.