Willkommen und Abschied: Lieder for the Stages of Life

"It comprises 19 songs, all stylishly and beautifully sung by the tenor Werner Güra. The six Goethe settings include such familiar contrasts as Heidenröslein and Ganymed, while Willkommen und Abschied itself, more of a rarity, is heroically sung. The strength of Güra's tone without any loss of quality has always been his strong point."
(Sunday Telegraph)

"His fresh lyric tenor combines well with Berner's bright yet warm-toned fortepiano - he twinkles at Goethe's ironic description of a water nymph as "eine feuchtes Weib", literally a "damp woman" - while Berner brings drama to the piano parts of Auf der Bruck, Willkommen und Abschied and the haunting, yearning Herbst."
(Sunday Times)

"Berner, playing an 1872 Rönisch fortepiano, shows keen attention to every detail. Güra, outstanding in his unfussy, intense delivery, is a formidable, rousing guide."
(The Observer)

Born in Munich, Werner Güra has a reputation especially as an interpreter of lieder. His recordings for harmonia mundi, including the great cycles of Schubert, Schumann and Wolf and vocal ensembles by Brahms and Schumann, have all been widely acclaimed.