Schubert: Winterreise Benjamin Appl, James Baillieu

Appl handles the cycle’s sharp turns with affecting control, a storyteller’s thrall and, above all, trust in the text. He relishes the mercurial serenity of “Der Lindenbaum” and the major-key ending of the furious “Rückblick.” Throughout — culminating in a frighteningly straightforward “Der Leiermann” — you can hear the actorly qualities that gave another Schubert cycle Appl sang at the armory, “Die Schöne Müllerin.” - NY Times (Alpha)