This is the fourth issue in the Hyperion project to record all the Schumann Lieder. It is somewhat misleadingly entitled Songs of Robert Schumann - 4, misleading, because the disk actually contains five songs by Robert's wife Clara. Indeed, the largest single body of work offered on this disc is the settings of twelve texts by Rueckert, (Zwölf Gedichte Aus 'Liebesfruehling'), which was conceived and written by the Schumanns as a joint project, even to the extent that it enjoys two opus numbers, one for each of their oeuvres.

It is a pleasure to hear some of Schumann's less well-known songs. Besides Zwölf Gedichte, the contents of the disc are drawn primarily from opus numbers 45, 51 and 125, thus spanning a considerable duration. The three unaccompanied part songs are a wonderful addition, in particular Fruehlingsfahrt, which is sung with great delicacy by the London Schubert Chorale.

The material is shared fairly equally between the two singers. Vocally, neither one is inspirational, but of the two, Stella Doufexis is much to be preferred. She has a clarity of voice sadly lacking in Oliver Widmer's singing. Although both fail to deliver at the top of the voice, this lack of tone seems to persist throughout the full extent of Widmer's range. Doufexis also seems to come much closer to the text; of special note are her performances of the songs by Clara Schumann. The German pronunciation is extremely good - but one would expect no less from two native German speakers. Graham Johnson's playing is very sensitive in this recording. He is a true accompanist, demonstrating great attention to detail in his own part whilst always allowing time for the vocal line to breathe. Most importantly, he brings real consequence to Schumann's all-important postludes, affirming the narrative role of the accompaniment.

The notes that accompany this issue are of a very high quality. Richard Stokes' translations deliver the literal meaning of the text, but they still manage to convey an accurate sense of the original poetic style. The main body of the text, written by Graham Johnson, provides a good background account of all the poets featured, including information about those less well known. Each song receives a well-judged technical commentary with close attention to the relationship between the text and the music. In fact, the resultant 99 pages are more akin to an academic discourse than a CD booklet. This disc would be a worthwhile purchase if only for the chance to get to grips with some of Schumann's lesser-known output.

Richard Ireland