Bostridge's devoted admirers will once more wonder at his famed engagement with the text in hand and his innate ability both to sing each piece in an entirely natural manner and at the same time to search out its inner meaning, everything achieved without a vocal or technical mishap within hearing. His gift for finding the right manner for each song is exemplified in the contrast between the easy simplicity he brings to such apparently artless pieces as Fischerweise, Frühlingsglaube and the less familiar Im Haine (this a wondrous performance of a song that's the very epitome of Schubert the melodist) and the depth of feeling found in Erster Verlust (a properly intense reading), Nacht und Traüme, Wandrers Nachtlied I and II, Du bist die Ruh (so elevated in tone and style) and Litanei.
Bostridge also characterises spine-chillingly the intense, immediate drama of Erlkönig and Der Zwerg, though here some may prefer the weight of a baritone. In the latter piece Drake is particularly successful at bringing out the originality of the piano part, and in a much simpler song, An Sylvia, he gives to the accompaniment a specific lift and lilt that usually goes unheard.
In these songs, as in everything else, the ear responds eagerly to the tenor's fresh, silvery tone and his ever-eager response to words. The recording and notes are faultless.