In this, the first of a series of three recordings of Schubert’s great
song cycles for Chandos, Roderick Williams and Iain Burnside bring
their formidable talents to bear on one of the pinnacles of classical
lieder.
In November 2015, Williams decided to immerse himself in an intensive
three-year period of studying and performing the three song cycles by Schubert, following an invitation from the Wigmore Hall to perform them –
with Iain – in their 2017 / 18 season.
The process has involved not just performances in concert around the
globe, but open rehearsals, master-classes, workshops, and radio
broadcasts. Roderick Williams has documented all of these experiences in
great detail in his fascinating Schubert Cycle Project blog.
He writes: ‘Somewhere along the way I came to a decision; that my
eventual performances at the Wigmore would not be the ultimate goal of
my study; rather, the study itself, the act of preparation would be my
focus. It is possible that other singers might find the process
interesting, even if only to share some of the grind that is most often
done alone; it is also possible that others might be intrigued,
especially audiences, perhaps even (fellow) students.’
