Mit vierzig Jahren – Songs by Johannes Brahms

TURNING-FORTY CRISIS À LA BRAHMS

Following the success of “Vinterreise”(LWC1013), featuring a Norwegian version of Schubert’s song cycle, Håvard Stensvold and Tor Espen Aspaas have now released their second album on the LAWO Classics label — “Mit vierzig Jahren”. This time we are offered up the songs of Johannes Brahms with their original German texts. The album title is taken from one of the songs, which gives rise to the turning-forty crisis.  “At age forty you are standing on the mountain top, and, before you know it, your life is over.”

Stensvold (43) and Aspaas (43) have both made it through this juncture, and on this recording they have collected some of Brahms’s finest, from the wonderful narrative songs to the more intimate and tender. A favourite is “Mondnacht”, which has a more famous half brother in Schumann’s version.

Bass-baritone Håvard Stensvold is a trained opera singer. In addition to having sung numerous roles on Scandinavian stages, Stensvold has appeared with most of the major Scandinavian symphony orchestras. His recording releases include the aforementioned “Vinterreise”, which features his own free adaptations of the original texts.

Pianist Tor Espen Aspaas is professor at the Norwegian Academy of Music. He is one of the most distinguished pianists of his generation with a number of critically acclaimed recordings to his name. He is also one of the founders of the Røros Winter Chamber Music Festival.