Michael Volle, Urs Liska: WINTERREISE

Franz Schubert: Winterreise D. 911

Following in Schubert's Footsteps

Extensive research accompanied the preparation of this production - source studies and biographical examination of the history of its creation. The result is a recording that arrives at many details different from the usual editions, earnestly addressing the unresolved question of tonalities in a number of songs and putting forward a version of tonal relationships for discussion.
Michael Volle is an internationally successful opera singer and dedicated interpreter of lieder, skillfully exploring the depths of the "Winterreise" with his dramatic abilities. With the pianist Urs Liska, a master of song interpretation, he finds a partner who skillfully employs the tonal possibilities of his instrument. Together, they span the journey from Wilhelm Müller's departure to the encounter with the sorrowful hurdy-gurdy man.

Michael Volle received his vocal training from Josef Metternich and Rudolf Piernay. He is a prize winner of international singing competitions. In 1990, he began his first permanent engagement at the National Theater Mannheim. He then went on to contracts with the opera houses of Bonn, Düsseldorf/Duisburg, and Cologne.
Since 1999, he has been a member of the ensemble at the Zurich Opera House, where he has appeared in productions such as "Simplicius", "Die Fledermaus", "Pique Dame", "Fierrabras", and most recently in "Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg". He has appeared as a guest artist at theaters and festivals including Salzburg, Opera Bastille Paris, La Scala Milan, Theatre de la Monnaie Brussels, Royal Opera House Covent Garden London, Deutsche Oper and Staatsoper Berlin, Hamburgische Staatsoper, Semperoper Dresden, and the Vienna State Opera. In 2007, he made his debut at the Bayreuth Festival as Sixtus Beckmesser in the new production of "Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg". Starting from the 2007/08 season, he will be engaged at the Bavarian State Opera in Munich. In addition to his opera work, he regularly performs on concert stages with works by Bach, Handel, Haydn, Mozart, Mendelssohn, Brahms, Mahler, Schoenberg, and modern composers, as well as in numerous lieder recitals featuring works by Schubert, Schumann, Brahms, Wolf, Strauss, and others. Numerous recordings with various broadcasting stations and CD recordings document Volle's artistic work.

Press:

"This interpretation makes it clear that a concrete, sometimes stark interpretation of the score, not shying away from austerity, brings out the emotional content of the 'Winterreise' to its best advantage - a enrichment of the repertoire." - klassik.com 02/07

"(...) the vocal material alone is extremely attractive: a rich, dark color characterizes the low register, while the high register possesses resplendent brilliance." - NZZ 02/07

"Volle's baritone possesses both lyrical finesse and dramatic power." - Reutlinger Anzeiger 07/07