Winterreise, Op. 89, D 911
(Winter Journey)
A Cycle of Songs by Wilhelm Müller for Voice with Piano Accompaniment

Roderick Williams and Iain Burnside complete their survey of Schubert’s song cycles with this recording of Winterreise. Composed in the late 1820s, towards the end of Schubert’s tragically short life, Winterreise (Winter Journey) is a setting of twenty-four poems by Wilhelm Müller and describes a traveller leaving the town which was the home of the object of his unrequited love, to embark on a long journey, through a chill, wintry landscape, which ends in near-suicidal despair.

This recording represents the culmination of a project that started back in 2015, when Williams accepted the challenge to prepare and perform all three song cycles in one season at the Wigmore Hall in London. Turning this challenge into a shared learning experience, Williams lead workshops and study days as well as numerous performances in a variety of venues. His blog covers the entire project and is a fascinating document well-worth reading: http://rwschubertcycleproject.blogspot.com/

As in the case of the previous instalments (Schwanengesang and Die schöne Müllerin), also recorded at Potton Hall, Suffolk, Roderick Williams is accompanied by Iain Burnside, who plays a Steinway Model D.

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Recording: Potton Hall, Dunwich, Suffolk; 15 – 17 July 2020. Piano: Steinway Model D (serial no. 592 087) concert grand piano courtesy of Potton Hall.