David Daniels - Serenade

On this recital recording, creamy-voiced David Daniels boldly goes where few countertenors have gone before--that is, out of the safety of baroque repertoire into the world of romantic Lieder, and it's a truly remarkable experiment. He begins his programme with Beethoven's mini-cantata Adelaide, and uses it to show off the sheer beauty of his vocal instrument and his capacity for dramatic contrasts. The voice is as rich as plum brandy and yet as clear as a mountain spring, and his impressive breath control means that his long legato lines are almost hypnotic. He also proceeds with a careful, intelligent approach to phrasing, which never leaves you in any doubt that he is in full command of the material. When it all works, it really works--in Nacht und Träume, for example, Daniels seems to convey all the mystery of German romanticism through Schubert's delicious melody. However his voice is not equally suited to all the material he covers--there is a lack of vulnerability in Der Tod und das Mädchen and he misses the icy frivolity necessary for Poulenc's mélodies. That aside, there is some astonishingly beautiful singing here and much to treasure