Robert Schumann's first song cycle, the Op. 24 'Liederkreis,' is almost always sung by men-in part no doubt because the romantically tortured protagonist is male. Nathalie Stutzmann now joins the list of women who have essayed the cycle as a sort of "trousers" role, to which her rich and versatile voice-a true, deep contralto-readily lends itself. The impetuousness of youth is conveyed more naturally here than by the many baritones who have recorded the work; and Stutzmann brings great tenderness to the more lyrical songs of the cycle.
The remainder of this volume in Stutzmann's ongoing Schumann series is concentrated on a sometime overlooked subset of German romantic song. The composer designated several of his song sets as 'Romances and Ballads,' rather than the more familiar 'Lieder,' drawing on a more ancient tradition of narrative song, often related to medieval topics. It is a pleasure to hear all of songs in these forms assembled as they are here, for it highlights their difference from the more introspective Lied. Here Stutzmann becomes the bard or storyteller, a role that suits the qualities of her voice even better, and she brings great variety to the tales of tragedy, history, and mystery that Schumann and his poets tell.