Schubert: Winterreise Xavier Sabata & Francisco Poyato

• Franz Schubert (1797 - 1828): Winterreise, D. 911:
• 1Winterreise, D. 911: Gute Nacht05:08
• 2Winterreise, D. 911: Die Wetterfahne01:46
• 3Winterreise, D. 911: Gefror'ne Tränen02:33
• 4Winterreise, D. 911: Erstarrung02:49
• 5Winterreise, D. 911: Der Lindenbaum04:27
• 6Winterreise, D. 911: Wasserflut04:29
• 7Winterreise, D. 911: Auf dem Flusse03:26
• 8Winterreise, D. 911: Rückblick02:12
• 9Winterreise, D. 911: Irrlicht02:46
• 10Winterreise, D. 911: Rast03:01
• 11Winterreise, D. 911: Frühlingstraum04:02
• 12Winterreise, D. 911: Einsamkeit02:40
• 13Winterreise, D. 911: Die Post02:23
• 14Winterreise, D. 911: Der greise Kopf03:04
• 15Winterreise, D. 911: Die Krähe01:48
• 16Winterreise, D. 911: Letzte Hoffnung01:53
• 17Winterreise, D. 911: Im Dorfe02:47
• 18Winterreise, D. 911: Der stürmische Morgen00:55
• 19Winterreise, D. 911: Täuschung01:19
• 20Winterreise, D. 911: Der Wegweiser03:56
• 21Winterreise, D. 911: Das Wirtshaus03:49
• 22Winterreise, D. 911: Mut01:25
• 23Winterreise, D. 911: Die Nebensonnen02:17
• 24Winterreise, D. 911: Der Leiermann03:36
• Total Runtime01:08:31

Info for Schubert: Winterreise

Xavier Sabata has long since established himself as an exponent of the great roles for countertenor and he is a welcome guest on the stages of opera houses worldwide. His discography to date illustrates his voice-motivated focus on music from 1600 to 1800 while also presenting the portrait of an artist who engages with intellectual concepts across the world and throughout the ages. His debut album on Berlin Classics marks his departure from Baroque terrain and makes him a wanderer, in more senses than one, facing the emotional and vocal challenges of Schubert’s “Winterreise”.

In an age in which Mussorgsky’s Pictures at an Exhibition are played on the accordion, Vivaldi’s Four Seasons taken apart and rearranged, and a chamber septet can perform the Goldberg Variations of Johann Sebastian Bach himself, the old idea of fidelity to the Urtext loses its significance. It seems that these days, nothing is sacred: not even the greatest work of the Lieder repertoire, Franz Schubert’s Winterreise. Catalan countertenor Xavier Sabata sings the work, written one year before the composer’s death, with the support of pianist Francisco Poyato and in doing so is one of the first of his fach to have tackled the cycle. He himself sees no reason why his voice register should be an issue. “Schubert had friends who were not professional singers and still sang his Lieder. I am so grateful that women have taken it upon themselves to sing this work. Why should a counter-tenor not sing it too, if he succeeds in bringing out the deep inner conflicts, feelings and meanings of the piece?”

“I am no lover of assignment to particular registers,” says Xavier Sabata. “Many people are happier when they can pigeonhole a thing. That may even provide a degree of reassurance. But music and art must never have labels stuck to them! Every time something is performed, a new work of art is created.” Franz Schubert’s Winterreise, which has been interpreted by all the leading male and female singers, is widely regarded as the peak of Lieder singing. Every song in the two-part cycle of 24 settings of poems by Wilhelm Müller throws a brilliant light on successive scenes, moments and thoughts in the journey of the Wanderer.

His approach to the work is prompted by the same challenge that confronts every singer who tackles Winterreise. “When I sing the Winter Journey I wish to understand this being that seeks to communicate itself. I am not out to deliver perfect vocal technique. Nor do I judge the characters that I portray. I do not pity them either. I do not think of the Wanderer as impoverished. The Wanderer is essentially a student of life. Of course he must come to terms with a particular environment, but he is not concerned about how he does it. He has real courage, too, because it takes a lot to stand up for yourself in such a situation. I appreciate him just as he is.”

Xavier Sabata, counter-tenor
Francisco Poyato, piano

Xavier Sabata
Catalan countertenor Xavier Sabata trained as an actor at Barcelona’s Institut del Teatre before studying singing at the Escola Superior de Musica Catalunya and at the Musikhochschule, Karlsruhe, where his teachers were Hartmut Höll and Mitsuko Shirai.

Opera productions have led him to the most distinguished opera houses worldwide including Teatro Real Madrid, Teatre del Liceu in Barcelona, Théâtre des Champs-Elysées in Paris, Staatsoper Unter den Linden, Theater an der Wien, Teatro La Fenice in Venice, the Grand Théâtre de Genève and next season he makes his Wiener Staatsoper debut as Ottone in Monteverdi’s Poppea under Pablo Heras-Casado. In 2019 Xavier was nominated as best male artist in the International Opera Awards.

Sabata's repertoire spans from Cavalli and Monterverdi over the heroes of baroque opera seria to contemporary works. Recent roles have included Bertarido in Handel Rodelinda with Claus Guth under Stefano Montanari at Opéra de Lyon, as well as at Teatro Municipal de Santiago, Chile; Ottone in a revival of Monteverdi L’incoronazione di Poppea under Diego Fasolis at Staatsoper Unter den Linden; Endimione in La Calisto directed by David Alden with Ivor Bolton at Teatro Real, Madrid; the world premiere of L’enigma di Lea at Gran Teatre del Liceu, Barcelona; title role in Handel Rinaldo on a European tour with Christophe Rousset and the Kammerorchester Basel including the Théâtre des Champs-Elysées, as well as in a new production at the Perelada Festival and Ottone in Handel Agrippina on a European tour with Il Pomo D’Oro and Maxim Emelyanychev.

He has appeared with such ensembles as Les Arts Florissants, Europa Galante, Collegium 1704, the Venice Baroque Orchestra, Il Pomo D’Oro, Orquesta Barroca Sevilla and La Folia Barockorchester and collaborates regularly with conductors such as Fabio Biondi, René Jacobs, Jordi Savall, Alan Curtis, Gabriel Garrido, Fabio Bonizzoni, Diego Fasolis, Andrea Marcon, Xavier Dìaz Latorre, Ivor Bolton, George Petrou, Riccardo Minasi, Harry Bicket and Christopher Moulds. Concert performances have taken him to the Concertgebouw Amsterdam, the Barbican Centre and Wigmore Hall in London, the Lincoln Center in New York, the Kennedy Center in Washington D.C., the Tchaikovsky Hall in Moscow, the Auditorio Nacional in Madrid and the Palau de la Musica in Barcelona as well as the Handel Festival in Halle, the Salzburg Festival, the Festival d’Aix-en- Provence, the Innsbruck Festival of Early Music, the Dresdner Musikfestspielethe, Handel Festival in Karlsruhe and to the Festival de musique Baroque d'Ambronay. He was awarded the Premio Ópera Actual in 2013, and the Premi Tendències d’el Mundo in 2014.

His extensive discography under major labels such as Virgin Classics/EMI, Decca, Harmonia Mundi Iberica and Aparté includes recordings of Handel's Operas, “Faramando”, “Arminio”, “Ottone”, the internationally-awarded recording of “Alessandro” receiving eleven awards as well as “Tamerlano” in which Xavier Sabata sings the leading role. His solo recorded programme Bad Guys received unqualified praise in the press: ‘This ranks among the most intelligent and striking recital discs of recent years’ (The Guardian, London) as well has his albums “I dilettanti” and his newest solo album, “Catharsis”, focusing on operatic rarities from the early 18th century. He also participated in the Gala Night of Countertenors team, alongside Max Emanuel Cencic, Yuriy Mynenko and Franco Fagioli, released by DECCA.

In addition to his performances on the opera stage Xavier has a passion for Lied recently performing Schubert's “Winterreise” in Barcelona and Girona, a cycle which he will has recently recorded and which will be released later this season.

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