Performance ****    Recording ****

“… Overall, Coleman and Mogg deliver, especially in the dramatic numbers. Mogg is comfortable across the enormous range and demonstrates much of the timbral flexibility these songs need. Coleman’s playing is outstanding with thrilling variety in the shimmering piano textures of ‘Erlkönig’; similarly, ‘Herr Oluf’ and ‘Die wandelnde Glocke’ inspire huge variety and imagination at the piano… There’s much to admire here …”

“… this recital is wonderfully varied, and the meaty (not to say grisly) ballads are offset by music which seems to be inspired by Bach, Mozart and more. Mogg and Coleman bring an engaging sense of drama and story-telling to the ballads, and clearly relish those meaty moments. Possessed of a warm flexible baritone, Mogg has a great range of timbre and colours in his voice, which he uses to great effect in these stories, his Erlkonig is a wonderful piece of story-telling. Or rather their Erlkonig, because Coleman is very much a partner-in-crime here, bringing out the colour and movement in Loewe's piano parts to complement Mogg's singing. And Loewe often includes significant piano introductions, such as in Der Hirt auf der Brucke which set the scene, whilst one of the things that gives the ballads such a particular atmosphere is the way Loewe combines quite plain, direct vocal lines with vivid description and comment in the piano, all sympathetically realised here by Coleman. This is wonderfully engaging programme, each of the bigger ballads grabs you in just the right way, with Mogg and Coleman bringing out the story-telling element (and Mogg in particular seems to relish the grisly bits, and the whole recital ends with his masterly 'Da lag Her Oluf and war tot'!), as well as enjoying the sheer variety of Loewe's talent. He is a composer who it is tricky to exactly pin down, but her he has fine advocates.” ****