Schubert Schwanengesang (DXL 1231) Digital Booklet

This is the second commercial recording to emerge from the groundbreaking Australian Research Council Discovery Project, The shock of the old: Rediscovering the sounds of bel canto 1700–1900, led by scholar-performer Neal Peres Da Costa. Following the success of his iconoclastic recording of Schumann's Dichterliebe with baritone Koen van Stade (DXL1193), he joins forces here with soprano Anna Fraser to imagine the sound of Schubert's own Schubertiades, with the help of an astonishing set of recordings of singers trained in the 1830s and 40s. Especially innovative are Fraser's experiments with varying the timbre of her voicewithin phrases, guided by techniques described in Manuel Garcia's vastly influentialvocal methodin combination with other historical sources. The result is startlingat first, but delivered with a warmth and charisma that transcends all boundaries of style and convention.

Anna Fraseris a highly-acclaimed Australian soprano, lauded for her crystal-clear tone, stylistic awareness, and interpretative depth. Anna’s artistry bridges centuries of musical expression, both historically informed and boldly imaginative, and she has been commended for “ravishing clarity and beauty of voice, effortlessly navigating the complex” (Stage Noise). Her stage work encompasses roles in operas by Monteverdi, Rameau, Cavalli, Charpentier and Purcell alongside new operatic creations by Brett Dean and Mary Finsterer.

Neal Peres Da Costa is a passionate advocate for the reestablishment of artistic sovereignty in classical music performance. Neal is known for groundbreaking research publications—including his highly-acclaimed monograph Off the Record: Performing Practices in Romantic Piano Playing (New York: Oxford University Press, 2012) considered a ‘go-to’ text globally; a 9-volume co-edited Urtext/performing edition of Brahms’ Sonatas for solo instrument and piano (Bärenreiter-Verlag, 2015/16); and several groundbreaking recordings including Schumann’s song cycle Dichterliebe with tenor Koen von Stade (Deux-Elles)described as “fascinating, startling and slightly confrontational” (BBC Record Review), and Mozart’s K 488 Piano Concerto with ARCO (licensed by ABC Classics) hailed as “a triumph of academic and artistic expertise” (classikon, 2024).

Catalogue No: DXL1217
Title: Brahms Solo Piano Works
Artists: Anna Fraser (soprano), Neal Peres Da Costa (piano)
Barcode: 0666283123128
Playing Time: 65:38
UK Release: 22nd May 2026
UK Distribution: RSK, Tel: 01488 608900
Packaging: CD Digipak; Box 35

Track List:
JOHANN ANTON ANDRÉ (1775-1842)
Lieder und Gesänge, Book 3, Op. 40
1. Liebe 2:39

FRANZ SCHUBERT (1797-1828)
Schwanengesang, D. 957
2. Liebesbotschaft 3:36
3. Kriegers Ahnung 6:17
4. Frühlingssehnsucht 5:16
5. Ständchen 4:28

JOHANN ANTON ANDRÉ (1775-1842)
Lieder und Gesänge, Book 3, Op. 40
6. Sehnsucht 1:37

FRANZ SCHUBERT (1797-1828)
Schwanengesang, D. 957
7. Aufenthalt 3:16
8: In der Ferne 6:15
9. Abschied 5:20
10. Der Atlas 2:31

JOHANN ANTON ANDRÉ (1775-1842)
Lieder und Gesänge, Book 3, Op. 40
11. Serenade 2:59

FRANZ SCHUBERT (1797-1828)
Schwanengesang, D. 957
12. Ihr Bild 2:46
13. Das Fischermädchen 2:37
14. Die Stadt 3:27
15. Am Meer 4:12
16. Der Doppelgänger 3:56
17. Die Taubenpost 4:27