If there were such a thing as a standard reading of Winterreise, this would be it. In a time when too many singers sound as if they wish they were Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau, that is welcome, but there is too little sense of a progression from the mere misery of rejection to the acceptance of utter solitude.

His expressing of the man's feelings are naturally done by the use of his vocal artistry and his seeming ability to find the right colouring...Throughout the performance Holzmair illuminates with distinctive inflections...So much is to be savoured; one could not help doing so even if one tried. Haefliger too, with his fulgent tone, is a convincing contributor.

this is a very satisfying, deeply considered and involving account of Schubert’s great cycle. It held my attention from first note to last and deserves to be ranked with the finest recordings.