Upon its debut in the United States, this Deutsche Grammophon collection of the songs of American composer
Samuel Barber was titled Secrets of the Old: The Complete Songs of Samuel Barber. This selection of 47 songs coordinated, annotated, and accompanied by pianist
John Browning is not "complete," as certain songs written by
Barber have never been, and likely never will be, published or performed.
But all of the then "new"
Barber songs included in Secrets of the Old are either at or barely below the composer's usual high standard of work; it is hard to imagine what
Barber saw in their makeup that led him to exclude them from his canon, although a couple of the numbers are songs to which
Barber himself had no access in his lifetime.
Of the singers,
Thomas Hampson is in fine form throughout, particularly in the Op. 27 songs, Bessie Bobtail, and even in the early songs such as Night Wanderers. Comparatively
Cheryl Studer is the weak link in this project. Overall, her loud, heavy, and somewhat wayward voice is at least tolerable and sometimes her delivery of line and lyric is good; she treats
Barber's songs with respect, if not reverence. But one sorely wishes DG had found someone else to sing Sure on This Shining Night; you could go down to the local university music school and find half a dozen sopranos who could do a better job than
Studer does here. Pianist and
Barber's one-time friend
John Browning melds the whole thing together with his expertly formulated accompaniments, capturing both the letter and spirit of
Samuel Barber's music. Without
Browning, interest flags -- the
Hampson and
Emerson String Quartet collaboration on Dover Beach, Op. 3, is not a highlight of this collection. But if you are looking for a set of
Barber's songs that is as comprehensive as possible, Secrets of the Old: The Complete Songs of Samuel Barber is the way to go.