Late Schumann is often dismissed, with the composer’s mental illness as a justification.
Ann Murray, herself now in the sunset of a distinguished career, is having none of it on what is described as her final song recording.
She sings the Gedichte der Königin Maria Stuart and the Wilhelm Meister settings of Op 98a (which she shares with the commanding young baritone Benjamin Appl) with an unaffected directness and a palpable sincerity.
There are occasional moments when the tone hardens under stress but, as in the selection of songs by Brahms, this hardly matters.
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Tenors, John Mark Ainsley and Johnny Langridge (her son) also feature in a handful of Schumann duets.
Malcolm Martineau is an always insightful accompanist.
