A somewhat eclectic yet satisfying journey: Swiss baritone Äneas Humm explores ideas of freedom in songs by Beethoven, Schubert, Amy Beach, and Joseph Marx

Libertas: Beethoven, Schubert, Beach, Marx; Äneas Humm, Doriana Tchakarova; Rondeau Production
Reviewed 19 April 2025

The young Swiss baritone explores ideas of personal freedom in an intriguing recital that moves from Beethoven and Schubert to Amy Beach (in German) and Joseph Marx

On their new disc, Libertas on the Rondeau Production label, baritone Äneas Humm and pianist Doriana Tchakarova use the idea of the search for inner freedom to go on a musical journey encountering composers who, in different ways, strove to attain individual independence. The result is a somewhat eclectic yet satisfying journey beginning with Beethoven, then moving to Schubert, then four of Amy Beach’s German language songs and finally a selection from Joseph Marx.

We begin, of course with Beethoven, and whilst Mephistopheles’ ‘Song of the Flea’ from Goethe’s Faust resonates from all sorts of other musical contexts, we must remember that the song is met in the play with the words ‘Long live freedom’. Here Humm’s finely characterful, focused baritone is complemented by Tchakarova’s delightfully perky almost sarcastic piano.

The next three songs see Beethoven exploring more inward looking emotions. Sehnsucht dates from around the same time as An die Ferne geliebte, here Humm and Tchakarova make Beethoven’s attractive, strophic setting into something rather touching with Tchakarova giving a suggestion of variation form to the piano part. Der Liebende is earlier, dating from 1809 and here we have something engaging yet stylish yet remarkably perky. Finally in this group with have An die Hoffnung from 1805 with its rather touching melody that gives Humm plenty of opportunity to caress the vocal line and seduce us with his tone.

All four of these are firmly in the song vein and contain nothing as daring as Schubert might have attempted or which Beethoven did in his other music. This is music firmly aimed at the talented amateur performer, yet within the confines we can hear the composer exercising his inner imagination in many ways, particularly in such finely engaging and thoughtful performances as these.

Their Schubert group begins with his Mayrhofer setting, Der entsühnte Orest with its intriguing picture of Orestes gaining freedom in death. Here Humm’s firm tone and Tchakarova’s expansive piano bring out the sober, mythic quality of Schubert’s writing. An mein Herz begins with Tchakarova’s urgent piano yet Humm suggests impulsiveness held under control, only opening up towards the end. Sehnsucht, setting a different poem to Beethoven, this time by Schiller and the song is one of Schubert’s grander pieces, and here given in an engagingly stylish performance full of fine detail. With Gruppe aus dem Tartarus we return to the grandly mythic Schubert in a setting that for all its compactness is almost operatic in its daring. Here, you feel that Humm tries to push his voice a little too far at the climaxes, though he and Tchakarova capture the grandeur. Finally, this group finishes with Im Walde, an vigorous romp through outdoor Schubert, that becomes more intent and serious as the drama develops.

When it came to composition, Amy Beach was essentially an autodidact, her main training being in piano. This means that her music is highly influenced by the German romantic tradition without much of a nod to later, more advanced composers such as Liszt or Wagner. Married to a man considerably older than herself, her marital status prevented her from giving public performances and composition became key. Her husband seems to have been a big influence, and after his death (and that of her controlling mother), Beach rarely wrote large-scale orchestral forms.

These four songs all date from this early period before her husband died. All four set German texts. Ich sagte nicht from her Opus 51 (1903) combines tenderness with a strongly romantic yet chromaticism with the two performers giving the song their full expressive attention. Wir Drei (also from Opus 51) is perhaps more intense, yet no less carefully crafted with some interesting harmonic diversions and the gradually suggestion of a waltz.  Nachts from her Opus 35 (1896) is quiet and intimate, the two performers creating a tender, hushed atmosphere. Also from Opus 35, Nahe des Geliebten is a setting of Goethe (the only well-known poet in the group) which is wonderfully lyrically engaging, yet remarkably expansive with Beach making the strophic form into a sort of slow build.

Whilst known for other works including his piano concerto, Austrian composer Joseph Marx wrote around 150 songs, including a remarkable number from his early years when composing. Waldseligkeit, setting Richard Dehmel introduces to Marx’s remarkably rich and refulgent style. Utterly singable, the song is notable for the richly textured piano part and the sense of Expressionist drama. Gedenkst du noch der Nacht is more intimate with a conversational approach to the vocal line, combined still with refulgent piano. Vale carissima is more strophic, the rather conventional vocal line surrounded by more luxuriant piano which pushes the soundworld closer to some of Marx’s more adventurous contemporaries. Warte noch ein kleines Weilchen is short, yet lyrically engaging and rather traditional, almost backward looking. Morgengruss is only two verses long yet remarkably expansive and our two performers give the song their utmost focus, making every note count. Regen does indeed evoke rain in the piano, yet Marx allows the harmony to wander more than we might expect and the song gives the sense of an interior monologue with some rather powerful moments. The text by Richard von Schaukal is a translation of Verlaine. To finish, another translation this time of Sao Han (1788-1857), Ein junger Dichter denkt an die Geliebte, a rather sober, serious song yet with some truly magical piano textures.

The CD booklet is somewhat frustrating for English speakers, there are excellent translations of the booklet article and biographies, fine pictures, but the song texts are only in German. The illustrations in the booklet feature art by Regula Humm who happens to be the baritone’s grandmother!

I am not sure that this recital really needs its theme, and sometimes Daniel Ernst’s article seems to veer into special pleading. But as a recital, moving from the known to the unknown, this is a highly creditable and engaging disc. The two performers give weight to all the composers on the disc, and their belief in Beach and Marx’s very different late romantic worlds really brings the songs to life, and in our polystylistic age we no longer worry that neither composer was particularly advanced!

Libertas
Ludwig van Beethoven (1770-1827) – Flohlied
Ludwig van Beethoven – Sehnsucht
Ludwig van Beethoven – Der Liebende
Ludwig van Beethoven – An die Hoffnung
Franz Schubert (1797-1828) – Der entsühnte Orest
Franz Schubert – An mein Herz
Franz Schubert – Sehnsucht
Franz Schubert – Gruppe aus dem Tartarus
Franz Schubert – Im Walde
Amy Beach (1867-1944) – Ich sagte nicht
Amy Beach – Wir Drei
Amy Beach – Nachts
Amy Beach – Nahe des Geliebten
Joseph Marx (1882-1964) – Waldseligkeit
Joseph Marx – Gedenkst du noch der Nacht
Joseph Marx – Vale carissima
Joseph Marx – Warte noch ein kleines Weilchen
Joseph Marx – Morgengruss
Joseph Marx – Regen
Joseph Marx – Ein junger Dichter denkt an die Geliebte
Äneas Humm (baritone)
Doriana Tchakarova (piano)
Recorded 28-31 October 2024, Immanuelllskirche Wuppertal
RONDEAU PRODUCTION ROP6275 1CD [69:00]