Ingeborg Danz . Koor Collegium Vocale . Leo Van Doeselaar . Philippe Herreweghe

One hundred and thirty in number, part-songs represent a considerable portion of the oeuvre of Franz Schubert (1797-1828). Even so, they are still overshadowed by his solo songs and are only seldom heard in concert halls. However, in the nineteenth century, choral music had grown into a much-loved genre. Following the establishment of the Berliner Singakademie by Fasch in 1791 and the Liedertafel by Zelter in 1809, choral societies had quickly sprung up all over the German-speaking world. In Vienna, Schubert was the main producer of songs that could be sung both by small ensembles and by large choirs. Stylistically, these songs are very diverse. The early works were written mainly for 'feuchtfröhliche' private occasions and were meant to promote 'Geselligkeit'. In contrast, the later part-songs are set to first-rate poetic texts and equal the emotional range of the solo lieder. Especially in the masterful 'nocturnal songs', Schubert captures the subtlest emotional nuances in the lyrics by using a rich palette of colours and modes of expression. Here, Schubert elevated what was originally a 'Biedermeier' genre for private settings to the status of art music suitable for the concert hall, and thereby paved the way for several later composers, among them Brahms.