As an unperfect actor, nine Shakespeare sonnets

Description

Birgit Minichmayr captures the imagination and takes center stage in "As An Unperfect Actor - Nine Sonnets by William Shakespeare." This is not a surprise for German speakers, who know the Austrian actress well thanks to her countless appearances on television and her extensive filmography. The deep experience she can bring to Shakespeare may not be surprising either: as a member of the ensemble of the Burgtheater in Vienna, she has repeatedly lived the dramatic and fleeting life of the Bard's characters, including the demonic rage of Lady Macbeth, the sadness of Ophelia, and even the uncomfortable truths of the fool in King Lear. What might be more surprising, however, is the exhilarating musicality she displays on this first full album as a singer. Who could have predicted the crystalline clarity, the meaning, and the intention of her words - the desolation in her voice in "the very birds are mute...the leaves look pale" from Sonnet 97, for example. And yet, there is more, much more, including Minichmayr's natural instinct that allows her to shape beautiful musical phrases. The instrumentalists are a Munich group named Quadro Nuevo, with a remarkable contribution from Philipp Schiepek on guitar.