Kathleen Ferrier - Mahler ~ Kindertotenlieder & Gluck ~ Greene ~ Handel ~ Mendelssohn ~ Purcell / Baillie, Moore, B. Walter

Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com essential recording
Even before her tragic death at 41 (in 1953), Kathleen Ferrier became a legend for her incomparable voice, her simplicity and sincerity of expression, and her indomitable courage. This compilation of recordings originally made in the 1940s includes four arias from Gluck's Orfeo ed Euridice recorded live in Holland, which show why Euridice was one of her signature roles. Two beautifully sung Handel arias, two sacred songs by Maurice Greene, and delightful duets by Purcell and Mendelssohn (sung in English with another beloved English singer, Isobel Baillie) are greatly enhanced by the inimitable pianist Gerald Moore. But the core of this recording is the Mahler cycle. Here, Ferrier's voice takes on a new warmth and intensity; her deeply inward, direct expressiveness gives the bereaved parent's grief and anguish a devastating impact. Her reading of the last song could be a bit more spooky, but the end is heartbreaking in its submissive resignation. The Vienna Philharmonic and Bruno Walter are in their native element. --Edith Eisler

Tracks:

Birthday Ode For Queen Mary: Soun The Trumpet
The Indian Queen: Let Us Wander, Not Unseen
King Arthur: Shepherd, Shepherd, Cease Decoying
Ottone: Spring Is Coming
Ottone: Come To Me, Soothing Sleep
Orfeo ed Euridice: Chiamo il mio ben cosi (Act 1)
Orfeo ed Euridice: Deh! placatevi con me (Act 2)
Orfeo ed Euridice: Che puro ciel! (Act 2)
Orfeo ed Euridice: Che feci mai?...Che faro senza Euridice? (Act 3)
O Praise the Lord
I will lay me down in peace
I would that my love, Op. 63 No. 1 - Felix Mendelssohn
Greeting, Op. 63 No. 2 - Felix Mendelssohn
Kindertotenlieder: Nun will die Sonn' so hell aufgeh'n
Kindertotenlieder: Nun seh' ich wohl, warum so dunkle Flammen
Kindertotenlieder: Wenn dein Mein tritt zur Tein
Kindertotenlieder: Oft denk' ich, sie sind nur ausgegangen!
Kindertotenlieder: In diesem Wetter, in diesem Braus

Amazon.com essential recording

Even before her tragic death at 41 (in 1953), Kathleen Ferrier became a legend for her incomparable voice, her simplicity and sincerity of expression, and her indomitable courage. This compilation of recordings originally made in the 1940s includes four arias from Gluck's Orfeo ed Euridice recorded live in Holland, which show why Euridice was one of her signature roles. Two beautifully sung Handel arias, two sacred songs by Maurice Greene, and delightful duets by Purcell and Mendelssohn (sung in English with another beloved English singer, Isobel Baillie) are greatly enhanced by the inimitable pianist Gerald Moore. But the core of this recording is the Mahler cycle. Here, Ferrier's voice takes on a new warmth and intensity; her deeply inward, direct expressiveness gives the bereaved parent's grief and anguish a devastating impact. Her reading of the last song could be a bit more spooky, but the end is heartbreaking in its submissive resignation. The Vienna Philharmonic and Bruno Walter are in their native element. --Edith Eisler

Customer Reviews:

Buen documento para conocer y disfrutar a Kathleen Ferrier.......2004-03-27

Este disco realiza un repaso bastante acertado a la carrera de la mitica contralto Kathleen Ferrier, una de esas voces que hicieron historia y que pasaron a la historia, y con razon.
Junto a unos duetos de Purcell y Mendelshon, y otras canciones, asi como unas arias de Haendel, en las que Ferrier ya va mostrando su gran talento, lo mejor de este disco esta indudablemente en la seleccion del 'Orfeo ed Euridice' de Gluck, tomada de unas funciones en directo a principios de los 50. La Ferrier sienta catedra en la interpretacion del personaje: lo lleva dentro, y lo canta de una forma admirable. Sin duda esta es una de las mejores encarnaciones de 'Orfeo' jamas escuchadas.
El otro pilar del disco son los 'Kindertotenlieder' de Mahler, otra de las maximas especialidades de Ferrier, de los que realiza una version antologica, por voz, diccion y expresion, magistralmente dirigida por Bruno Walter. Un lujazo, vamos.
El disco se consigue actualmente a precio medio, y las remasterizaciones son de calidades variadas (puesto que las grabaciones son de años diferentes) pero el nivel general de las mismas es bastante bueno.
Indudablemente este es un disco que hay que poseer, ya que quizas se trate de uno de los mejores documentos existentes para apreciar el tremendo talento de la gran Kathleen Ferrier.

The incredible Kathleen Ferrier recordings!.......2003-05-20

Voice fans, rejoice -- EMI has finally remastered these recordings and released them as one CD at budget price!
While Mahler's "Kindertotenlieder" would be the chief reason for purchasing this CD right away, it also contains several morsels, equally fascinating. Purcell and Mendelsohn's duets, Handel's arias, Greene's spirituals, and 3 live arias from Gluck's "Orfeo ed Euridice". In general, particularly Mahler, the sound is nothing short of phenomenal. BUT why could not these engineers do the same for "Orfeo" selections? There's a lot of noise on these. On all the selection Ferrier's exceptionally dark mezzo (or contralto with a huge upper register) shines brilliantly. Of course, Mahler's songs bemoaning the death of children are not an easy listen by any means. But the melodies are amazingly harmonious and Bruno Walter's superb orchestra provides ideal background for them, with Ferrier's voice blending gorgeously with strings. Only Mussorgsky could take a subject such as this and make it so breathtakingly captivating. It's actually frightening in by itself. Gerald Moore (well-known for his collaboration with Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau) accompanies expertly on Purcell and Mendelsohn's selections.
It would be a treat to hear Ferrier in more alto repertoire; I am just not sure how many were commercially available at the time. Right now, Vivica Genaux is the leading artist in this area, but it would be fascinating to compare these two.
For the sheer vocal marvel experience, do not delay in getting this CD.

A Terrible Beauty.......2002-11-14

Nothing will change my opinion that Mahler should be approached with caution. Like Wagner, the scale and power of his work means that it is simply not for everyone, but inspite of that, this recording is an indespensible part of any serious music lover's collection. Music like this simply is not made any more, but rather this is a glimpse into a past where artists and not accountants ran the music industry.

Mahler's wife Alma bitterly opposed his setting of Ruckert's Kindertotenlieder to music and considering the death of their daughter soon after, it's doubtful if she ever forgave him for it. But the finished work has an indescribable beauty that Kathleen Ferrier and Mahler's protégé Bruno Walter give full expression to in away that no other interpreter's have even approached. More than 50 years on this is both a lasting tribute to the artists involved and an indictment of the decline in standards since.

What is to say - It's Ferrier..........2002-03-31

I bought the CD for the Kindertotenlieder and that's what I am going to write about (though the rest of the program is equally impressive). Ferrier's Mahler interpretations are always in the 5+ star area. When Walter is accompanying her the results are even better (unlike the case of Klemperer). The first song - Nun Will Die Sonn'... the darkness of the music is so prominent, it's breathtaking. All the rest Kindertotenlieder come in the same fashion. If interested in a release with better sound but not these Olympian contritutors, Janet Baker and Christa Ludwig have made some very good discs

How can you go wrong?.......2001-10-22

I said it before, in my review of the Ferrier/Walter performance of Das Lied von der Erde, recently rereleased by Decca; Ferrier is the authoritative interpreter of Mahler songs--and I have never heard anything to equal this performance of Kindertotenlieder.

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