Hanna-Elisabeth Müller, Reine de Coeur Review

Hanna-Elisabeth Müller is a multi-award-winning soprano that is among the most celebrated young sopranos of our times. Studying and collaborating with Rudolf Piernay, she has also fine-tuned her skills in masterclasses with Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau, Julia Varady, Elly Ameling, and Thomas Hampson. In March 2017, Müller made her debut at the MET in New York as Marzelline in Jürgen Flimm’s Fidelio. She debuted at the Opera Zurich as Ilia in Mozart’s Idomeneo. In 2014, Müller achieved her international breakthrough at the Salzburg Opera Festival with her sensational debut as Zdenka alongside Renée Fleming and Thomas Hampson under the baton of Christian Thielemann and, shortly afterward, was distinguished by the German magazine Opernwelt as Young Artist of the Year. She later resumed the role at Semperoper Dresden and at the Munich Opera Festival. In Amsterdam, Müller made her house and role debut as Sophie in a new production of Strauss’ Der Rosenkavalier in 2015. She was a member of the Bavarian State Opera, where she appeared as Pamina, Zerlina, Susanna, Servilia, Gretel, Zdenka, the Infanta Donna Clara in Zemlinsky’s The Dwarf, Sophie in Massenet’s Werther and Marzelline, amongst others. The versatile singer is a regular guest on the concert stage. She performed Brahms’ Ein deutsches Requiem with the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra under Yannick Nézét-Seguin and Berg’s Sieben frühe Lieder with the Bilbao Orkestra under Erik Nielsen. Muller is now releasing her album Reine de Coeur.

[section label=”Positives”] Positives:: A wonderful collection of song cycles sung and performed with class and elegance.

[section label=”Bottom Line”] Bottom Line:  : Reine de Coeur is Müller’s PENTATONE debut. The soprano star brings the German and French art song traditions together, focusing on song cycles by Robert Schumann, Alexander von Zemlinsky, and Francis Poulenc. She is accompanied by her permanent piano partner, pianist Juliane Ruf. The album presents a theme of songs that address love and loss, and the heights and depths of the human soul. While Schumann’s Sechs Gesänge Op. 107 and Sechs Gedichte und Requiem Op. 90 offer the quintessence of the Romantic German Lied, Zemlinsky’s turn-of-the-century Walzer-Gesänge introduces the listener to a later and less well-known chapter in the genre’s history. Poulenc’s La courte paille and Fiançailles pour rire provide an atmospheric, at times humoristic complement to the Weltschmerz of the German songs. Müller’s voice is absolutely beautiful. Though she is a soprano, her tone is warm, controlled and spot-on in pitch. “6 Gesänge, Op. 107: No. 1, Herzeleid” is the start of the journey, and Müller’s gentle approach to the melody is lovely. Ruf is supportive, and the two flow and breathe together in a magical manner. Poulenc’s “La courte paille, FP 178: No. 4, Ba, Be, Bi, Bo, Bu” is a fun moment, and Müller attacks the melody with confidence and gusto. Schumann’s “6 Gedichte und Requiem, Op. 90: No. 6, Der schwere Abend” contains excellent diction, vibrato control, and an aura of passion and focus. Müller is a soprano star that brings much passion and technique into one package of beauty and assuredness. That’s the short of it!

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