Grieg and Sibelius Songs

Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com
Whether in Sibelius' Wagnerian-in-scope song "The Maiden in the Tower" (actually a solo from his brief opera of the same name) or his ominous "Fall Evening," Finnish soprano Karita Mattila, with her grand, soaring, secure voice brings a personal, storytelling, evocative stamp to the songs she sings. The Grieg songs are less emotionally complicated, and the effortlessness and expressiveness with which Mattila sings the two Solveig songs from Peer Gynt create an intimacy in wonderful contrast; her voice, scaled down, positively glistens. "Luonnotar," a 10-minute tone poem for soprano and orchestra, is the disc's centerpiece. This strange story of a "maiden of the skies" who descends into the sea and offers her knees as a place for a duck to build its nest has an ancient but hazy aura to it, and Mattila takes us through it with great intensity, building to a impressive climax which she rides easily. Conductor Sakari Oramo and the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra catch the Northern lights in both voice and instruments. A fine disc of songs from a leading operatic soprano. --Robert Levine

Tracks:

I. Voglein Schwermut - Rolf Leanderson
II. Auf Einem Verfallenen Kirchhof - Rolf Leanderson
III. Der Tod Und Der Einsame Trinker - Rolf Leanderson
IV. Winternacht - Rolf Leanderson
V. Der Saemann - Rolf Leanderson
VI. Unverlierbare Gewahr - Rolf Leanderson
I. Mein Herz Ist Leer - Rolf Leanderson
II. Es Ist Nacht - Rolf Leanderson
III. Unsere Liebe - Rolf Leanderson
IV. Wir Sitzen Im Dunkeln - Rolf Leanderson
V. Schicksal Der Liebe - Rolf Leanderson
I. Heimat - Rolf Leanderson
II. Kleines Lied - Rolf Leanderson
III. Diene Rosen An Der Brust - Rolf Leanderson
IV. Uber Die Tausend Berge - Rolf Leanderson
V. Anmutiger Vertrag - Rolf Leanderson
Ragnhild - Eva Knardahl
Ragna - Eva Knardahl
Langs Ei A - Eva Knardahl
En Svane - Eva Knardahl
Min Tanke Er Et Maegtigt Fjeld - Eva Knardahl
Den Bergtekne - Eva Knardahl
I. En Visa Om Nar Jag Var Lustig Med Welam Welamsson Pa Upsala Hus Och... - Walton Gronroos
II. En Visa Om Mig Och Narren Herkules - Walton Gronroos
III. En Visa Till Karin Nar Hon Hade Dansat - Walton Gronroos
IV. En Visa Till Karin Ur Fangelset - Walton Gronroos
V. Kung Eriks Sista Visa - Walton Gronroos
Demanten Pa Marssnon, Opus 36, No.6 - Walton Gronroos
Jagargossen, Opus 13 No.7 - Walton Gronroos
Vilse, Opus 17 No.4 - Walton Gronroos
Soluppgang, Opus 37 No.3 - Walton Gronroos
Romeo, Opus 61 No.4 - Walton Gronroos

The Top 100 Masterpieces of Classical Music, Vol. 6-10

Average customer rating:

Great collections, with poor quality sound
The Greatest Collection Of Romantic Era Music
Somewhat lacking

The Top 100 Masterpieces of Classical Music, Vol. 6-10

Manufacturer: Delta
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Ballets | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

Dances | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

Polkas | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

Waltzes | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

Suites | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

Compilations | Classical | Styles | Music

Romantic (c.1820-1910) | Historical Periods | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

French | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

German | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Italian | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Russian | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Operettas | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

General | International | Styles | Music

Classical | Box Sets | Stores | Music

Masters of Classical Music (Box Set)
Classical Moods
Classical Masterpieces of the Millennium [20 CD Set]
Best of the Millennium: Top 40 Classical Hits
25 Classical Favorites

ASIN: B000001W12
Release Date: 1995-11-01

Tracks:

The Top 10 Of Classical Music 1842 - 1853: 1843: Wedding March, From 'A Midsummer Night's Dream' - TOP 100 MASTERPIECES
The Top 10 Of Classical Music 1842 - 1853: 1847: Liebestraum No. 3 In A Flat - TOP 100 MASTERPIECES
The Top 10 Of Classical Music 1842 - 1853: 1842: Nabucco - Overture - TOP 100 MASTERPIECES
The Top 10 Of Classical Music 1842 - 1853: 1848: The Merry Peasant - TOP 100 MASTERPIECES
The Top 10 Of Classical Music 1842 - 1853: 1847: Hungarian Rhapsody No. 2 - TOP 100 MASTERPIECES
The Top 10 Of Classical Music 1842 - 1853: 1850: Lohengrin - Preldue To Act 3 - TOP 100 MASTERPIECES
The Top 10 Of Classical Music 1842 - 1853: 1853: La Traviata - Prelude to Act 1 - TOP 100 MASTERPIECES
The Top 10 Of Classical Music 1842 - 1853: 1845: Tannhauser - Arrival Of The Guests At Wartburg - TOP 100 MASTERPIECES
The Top 10 Of Classical Music 1842 - 1853: 1845: Violin Concerto In E Minor, 2nd Movement - TOP 100 MASTERPIECES
The Top 10 Of Classical Music 1842 - 1853: 1846: Poet And Peasant - Overture - TOP 100 MASTERPIECES

Tracks:

The Top 10 Of Classical Music 1854 - 1866: 1858: Orpheus In The Underworld - Overture - Various Artists
The Top 10 Of Classical Music 1854 - 1866: 1858: Melody In F - Various Artists
The Top 10 Of Classical Music 1854 - 1866: 1854: Les Preludes - Various Artists
The Top 10 Of Classical Music 1854 - 1866: 1865: Waltz In A Flat - Various Artists
The Top 10 Of Classical Music 1854 - 1866: 1862: The Force Of Destiny - Overture - Various Artists
The Top 10 Of Classical Music 1854 - 1866: 1864: I Love You - Various Artists
The Top 10 Of Classical Music 1854 - 1866: 1866: The Bartered Bride - Overture - Various Artists
The Top 10 Of Classical Music 1854 - 1866: 1864: Barcarolle, From 'The Tales Of Hoffman' - Various Artists
The Top 10 Of Classical Music 1854 - 1866: 1858: Tritsch Tratsch Polka - Various Artists
The Top 10 Of Classical Music 1854 - 1866: 1866: Light Calvary - Overture - Various Artists

Tracks:

The Top 10 Of Classical Music 1867 - 1876: 1875: Piano Concerto No. 1 In B Flat Minor, 1st Movement (excerpt) - TOP 100 MASTERPIECES
The Top 10 Of Classical Music 1867 - 1876: 1868: Cradle Song - TOP 100 MASTERPIECES
The Top 10 Of Classical Music 1867 - 1876: 1875: The Moldau - TOP 100 MASTERPIECES
The Top 10 Of Classical Music 1867 - 1876: 1870: Ride Of The Valkyries - From 'The Valkyrie' - TOP 100 MASTERPIECES
The Top 10 Of Classical Music 1867 - 1876: 1876: Morning, From 'Peer Gynt' - TOP 100 MASTERPIECES
The Top 10 Of Classical Music 1867 - 1876: 1875: Les Toreadors, From 'Carmen' - TOP 100 MASTERPIECES
The Top 10 Of Classical Music 1867 - 1876: 1870: Notturno, From 'Coppelia' - TOP 100 MASTERPIECES
The Top 10 Of Classical Music 1867 - 1876: 1876: Marche Slave, Op. 31 - TOP 100 MASTERPIECES
The Top 10 Of Classical Music 1867 - 1876: 1872: L'Arlesienne - Intermezzo - TOP 100 MASTERPIECES
The Top 10 Of Classical Music 1867 - 1876: 1867: The Blue Danbue - Waltz - TOP 100 MASTERPIECES

Tracks:

The Top 10 Of Classical Music 1877 -1893: 1878: Polonaise, From 'Eugene Onegin' - TOP 100 MASTERPIECES
The Top 10 Of Classical Music 1877 -1893: 1893: Symphony No. 9, 'From The New World' - 2nd Movement - TOP 100 MASTERPIECES
The Top 10 Of Classical Music 1877 -1893: 1892: Waltz Of The Flowers, from 'The Nutcracker' - TOP 100 MASTERPIECES
The Top 10 Of Classical Music 1877 -1893: 1887: Alborado, From 'Capriccio Espagnol' - TOP 100 MASTERPIECES
The Top 10 Of Classical Music 1877 -1893: 1886: The Last Spring - TOP 100 MASTERPIECES
The Top 10 Of Classical Music 1877 -1893: 1886: Slavonic Dance No. 2 - TOP 100 MASTERPIECES
The Top 10 Of Classical Music 1877 -1893: 1889: The Sleeping Beauty - Introduction - TOP 100 MASTERPIECES
The Top 10 Of Classical Music 1877 -1893: 1877: Siegfried's Death And Funeral March, From 'Twighlight Of The Gods' - TOP 100 MASTERPIECES
The Top 10 Of Classical Music 1877 -1893: 1880: Songs My Mother Taught Me - TOP 100 MASTERPIECES
The Top 10 Of Classical Music 1877 -1893: 1889: Emperor Waltz - TOP 100 MASTERPIECES

Tracks:

The Top 10 Of Classical Music 1894 - 1928: 1896: Also sprach Zarathustra - Fanfare - Various Artists
The Top 10 Of Classical Music 1894 - 1928: 1902: Symphony No. 5 - Adagietto - Various Artists
The Top 10 Of Classical Music 1894 - 1928: 1899: Finlandia - Various Artists
The Top 10 Of Classical Music 1894 - 1928: 1900: Dance Of The Bumble Bee - Various Artists
The Top 10 Of Classical Music 1894 - 1928: 1894: Meditation, From 'Thais' - Various Artists
The Top 10 Of Classical Music 1894 - 1928: 1901: Pomp And Circumstance - March No. 1 - Various Artists
The Top 10 Of Classical Music 1894 - 1928: 1894: Humoresque - Various Artists
The Top 10 Of Classical Music 1894 - 1928: 1903: Valse Triste - Various Artists
The Top 10 Of Classical Music 1894 - 1928: 1899: Vienna Blood - Waltz - Various Artists
The Top 10 Of Classical Music 1894 - 1928: 1928: Bolero - Various Artists

Customer Reviews:

Great collections, with poor quality sound.......2003-01-09

I expected to listen to great professional classical orchestra ...for this classical music collection, but the quality of the music is not too good.

There are a lot of great music collections, but they will sound better when they record it right.

It is good when you just want to have more classical music, but for a CD, the sound quality is like a [poorley made] CD.

I give 3 stars for this product.

The Greatest Collection Of Romantic Era Music.......2002-09-05

The Top 100 Classical Music series is a must have for novices of classical music, or someone already into the classics but wishes to amassa an "essentials" collection. This particular cd's span the Romantic Era, and although the 19th century saw much more music than what is covered on these recordings, this is nevertheless a brilliant and essential body of works. The Wedding March of Mendelsshon's Midsummer Night's Dream (played in weddings all over the world I'm assuming), Franz Lizst Hungarian Rhapsody No. 2 (The Looney Tunes Theme Music by the way) and other jewels of the era, such as the Blue Danube Waltz by Johann Strauss, the operetta overtures of Franz Von Suppe, Verdi's preludes to such operas as Nabucco and La Traviata, Wagner's intense, dramatic music for his Ring of the Nibelung operas, regarded as the epitome and the zenith of Romantic Era opera, and the music of other composers such as Tchaikovsky, Bizet, Sibelius, Rimsky Korsakov and many others. I highly recommend this cd to anyone wanting to sample and taste what Romantic Era music was all about. Five stars all the way.

Somewhat lacking.......2001-03-28

(referring to the entire collection)

Tracks:

Aebleblomst Op.10
No.1 Skal Blomsterne Da Visne
No.2 Hogen
No.3 Saenk Kun Dit Hoved, Du Blomst
No.4 Den Forste Laerke
Studie Efter Naturen
Varen Op.33 No.2
Med En Vandlilje Op.25 No.4
En Svane Op.25 No.4
Solveigs Sang Op.23 No.19 (Peer Gynt)
Solveigs Vuggevise Op.23 No.26 (Peer Gynt)
Jeg Elsker Dig Op.5 No.3
No.1 Gruss
No.2 Dereinst, Gedanke Mein
No.3 Lauf Der Welt
No.4 Der Verscwiegen Nachtigall
No.5 Zur Rosenzeit
No.6 Ein Traum
Melodi
Pan
Avskedet
Bon till Natten
Vingar I Natten
Flickan Kon Ifran Sin Alsklings Mote Op.37 No.5
Illalle Op.17 No.6
Demanten Pa Marssnon Op.36 No.6
Varen Flyktar Hastigt Op.13 No.4
Sav, Sav, Susa Op.36 No.4
Svarta Rosor Op.36 No.1
Som Stjarnan Uppa Himmelen Sa Klar

Söderström sings Liszt, Schubert, Tchaikovsky, etc.

Average customer rating:

Söderström sings Liszt, Schubert, Tchaikovsky, etc.

Manufacturer: BBC Legends
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Modern & 20th Century | Historical Periods | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Thomas Hampson - Romantic Songs by Berlioz, Wagner and Liszt / Geoffrey Parsons

ASIN: B0000CABI6
Release Date: 2003-10-21

Average customer rating:

Soothing, steady, melodic with a theme.
Brilliant
Suttle beauty of music and voice with fabulous artistry

Grieg and Sibelius Songs

Manufacturer: Warner Classics
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Suites | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Scandinavian Languages | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music
Similar Items:

Lorraine Hunt Lieberson: Handel Arias
Sibelius: Symphony No. 2; En Saga; Luonnotar
Peter Lieberson: Neruda Songs
Karita Mattila - Arias & Scenes / Yutaka Sado, LPO

ASIN: B000050K9B
Release Date: 2004-05-25

Tracks:

Hostkvall
Soluppgang
Se'n Har Jag Ej Fragat Mera
Arioso
Varen Flyktar Hastigt
Solveigs Sang
Solveigs Vuggesang
Fra Monte Pincio
En Svane
Varen
Luonnotar
Det Forste Mode
Sancta Maria, Mild Och Naderik (Jungfrun I Tornet)
Den Judiska Flickans Sang (Belsazar)

Amazon.com

Whether in Sibelius' Wagnerian-in-scope song "The Maiden in the Tower" (actually a solo from his brief opera of the same name) or his ominous "Fall Evening," Finnish soprano Karita Mattila, with her grand, soaring, secure voice brings a personal, storytelling, evocative stamp to the songs she sings. The Grieg songs are less emotionally complicated, and the effortlessness and expressiveness with which Mattila sings the two Solveig songs from Peer Gynt create an intimacy in wonderful contrast; her voice, scaled down, positively glistens. "Luonnotar," a 10-minute tone poem for soprano and orchestra, is the disc's centerpiece. This strange story of a "maiden of the skies" who descends into the sea and offers her knees as a place for a duck to build its nest has an ancient but hazy aura to it, and Mattila takes us through it with great intensity, building to a impressive climax which she rides easily. Conductor Sakari Oramo and the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra catch the Northern lights in both voice and instruments. A fine disc of songs from a leading operatic soprano. --Robert Levine

Customer Reviews:

Soothing, steady, melodic with a theme........2005-03-02

Otherworldly is the way I would describe this latest offering from Warner Classics featuring soprano Karita Mattila, backed by the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra. It takes a little getting used to, but overall this CD is increasingly hypnotic the more you listen to it - meaning, give it a try, you won't be disappointed. This offering of fourteen songs, provides the listener with a sampling of the works of Jean Sibelius and Edvard Grieg, with some truly hypnotic and brooding background music that flows in and out: deep, rich, full, haunting, leaving ample room for Ms. Mattila to display her ample vocal skills, her clear diction and her understanding of the long, slow recitative style of the Finnish-Karelian vocal tradition. In this style, long before written literature existed for the Finns, the oral tradition, known as the Karelian tradition, dominated storytelling. It is well served here. Each of the songs tells a brief story or poem as a lament, and reinforces a thematic quality of the whole, making this an easy CD to put on and listen to, with one exception which I will discuss below. I use the word "haunting" here decisively, because for the most part the musical passages are highly evocative and full, conjuring images of a mist covered mountainside, rising from the banks of a lake, perhaps at dawn, when the sun begins to come over the horizon and the traces of mist cling stubbornly before dissipating. That is the mood created here. As with every CD I review, I ask where and how would I listen to it? What mood does it create and does it sustain that mood once created? Here, as just noted, the mood is consistent, with one annoying exception contained in cut 13, Sibelius' "sancta maria, mild och naderik". Its sound borders on shrill, and the mood and effort that went into creating this otherwise wonderful CD is lost, if momentarily. Even with that one diversion, I can recommend this CD for all the rest. It is a fine effort with some truly moving orchestration throughout and top notch singing with only an occasional rough spot from Ms. Mattila.

Brilliant.......2005-01-02

This is a real surprise. I love this cd. It is really haunting and beautiful. Buy it. Sibelius, Grieg, and Karita Mattila are just wonderful.

Suttle beauty of music and voice with fabulous artistry.......2004-12-17

It is a pure golden find in musical recording when you are being able to enjoy such a perfect performamce at home. I did listen it again and again with such a joy. The majical voice of Karita Mattila soars gently above most beautiful music. Even I do not
know Finnish language it did not mater. Everything was superb
with quiet and not showy beauty, I could close my eyes and get drawn deeply into the songs.
We are so fortunate to be able to listend this heavenly recording . I will do it again and again....

Barbara Bonney - Diamonds in the Snow (Nordic Songs) / Pappano

Average customer rating:

A necklace of diamonds for never-ending delight
A true work of art
A very apt and appropriate title for these gems
Bonney is divine
A rare and beautiful duet

Barbara Bonney - Diamonds in the Snow (Nordic Songs) / Pappano

Manufacturer: Decca
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Modern & 20th Century | Historical Periods | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

The Decca Records Store | Specialty Stores | Music
Similar Items:

Barbara Bonney - Fairest Isle
Anne Sofie von Otter - Grieg Songs
The Radiant Voice of Barbara Bonney
Im Chambre séparée: The Operetta Album
Exultate, Jubilate

ASIN: B000026EKT
Release Date: 2000-01-11

Tracks:

Varen (Op.33 No.2)
Jeg elsker Dig (Op.5 No.3)
Peer Gynt, Op.23: Solveigs sang
Med en vandlilje (Op.25 No.4)
Prinsessen
En svane (Op.25 No.2)
Fra Monte Pincio (Op.39 No.1)
Sechs Lieder, Op.48: Gruss
Sechs Lieder, Op.48: Dereinst, Gedanke mein
Sechs Lieder, Op.48: Lauf der Welt
Sechs Lieder, Op.48: Die verschwiegene Nachtigall
Sechs Lieder, Op.48: Zur Rosenzeit
Sechs Lieder, Op.48: Ein Traum
Diamanten pa Marssnon (Op.36 No.6)
Vilse (Op.17 No.4)
Sav, sav, susa (Op.36 No.4)
Var det en drom? (Op.37 No.4)
Flickan kom ifran sin alsklings mote (Op.37 No.5)
Flickan kom ifran sin alsklings mote (Op.4b No.1)
Adagio (Op.20 No.5)
Sverige (Op.22 No.2)
Fylgia (Op.16 No.4)
I skogen
Sa tag mit hjerte
Skogen sover (Op.28 No.6)
Tonerna

Amazon.com

Not many of today's leading singers can manage the transition from opera stage to lieder recital with the grace and undiminished charisma of Barbara Bonney. The American lyric soprano is a marvelous interpreter of Mozart and Strauss and has also recorded compelling accounts of Schumann. Yet even within the realm of the art song, Bonney shows remarkable versatility. Diamonds in the Snow is a deliciously performed, thoroughly engaging compilation of Scandinavian songs by Grieg, Sibelius, Stenhammar, and others. These songs are for the most part simply structured and direct. Yet Bonney's emotional connection and her outstandingly focused tone and shading invariably paint a convincing and intimate atmosphere. She sings the familiar melody of "Solveig's Song" from Grieg's Peer Gynt with a uniquely moving blend of purity and poignancy. The beauty of another Grieg song, "Dereinst, Gedanke mein"--which features a hauntingly repeated "Tristan chord"--is so intense that you don't want to let go of the mood it evokes, while Bonney displays a girlish charm in "Lauf der Welt" and Sibelius's "Vilse." Acclaimed opera conductor Antonio Pappano is a deeply sensitive partner at the keyboard; he gives the rippling accompaniment, for example, to the Sibelius's "Sav, sav, susa" its full measure of suspense and doom. Listening to the whole disc is as pleasurable as sipping white wine before a winter fire. --Thomas May

Customer Reviews:

A necklace of diamonds for never-ending delight.......2006-03-25

Barbara Bonney's voice has never sounded more delightfully radiant than in this beautiful collection of Nordic songs. I found her detailed word-painting and subtle touches with the resonance between lyrics, melody and harmony to be like the fine work of a great miniaturist.

Her German is very good indeed; Scandinavian language seems to pose few problems for her; perhaps her Finnish is a little accented, but that's a tricky language in which to sing for a non-native singer.

The Sibelius songs are particularly beautifully interpreted. A delicate richness given by Ms Bonney matches the rich fairy-tale colorisation of the snow in which these "diamonds" are birthed.

In short... beautiful. Truly beautiful.

I can also recommend the complete Sibelius songs sung by Elizabeth Söderström - another artist who sings with the heart as well as the voice.

A true work of art.......2002-09-29

Well, what else can be said... I will only say that this CD was my best friend at every possible place: at home, on the buss, vacations abroad... It has never ceased to amaze me, and as an opera student I heard it- admiringly- over and over again, trying as much as I could to learn from this ever so intelligent singer. For as you know, good voices are all around the place but being able to use them wisely while making a real difference - now that is not as common.
2 songs which entered my Lieder-hall-of-fame are the 2 versions of "Flickan komm...". I was never so deeply touched as I was, listening to those two, ever so different from eachother, yet both so moving. the Grieg cycle (op.48) is a favourite of mine as well.
I HIGHLY recommend it! Enjoy .

A very apt and appropriate title for these gems.......2002-07-18

Barbara Bonney's voice and interpretive skills truly showcase these songs of Grieg, Sibelius, and the others. Her tone is clear, radiant and she exhibits warmth and stylistic versatility. The interpretation is really the main thing here. She communicates the subtleties of the poetry in these songs.

Grieg is, of course, the best known, on an international scale, for his songs, and some of these are indeed familiar.

Sibelius wrote over a 100 songs, but his reputation for symphonic works has overshadowed these songs...they are well worth our acquaintance.

The other composers are unfamiliar to those outside the Nordic countries and again we are rewarded by becoming acquainted with them.

This is a beautiful, exquisitely delivered compilation which is sure to please those who love the art song.

Bonney is divine.......2001-03-25

I was introduced to Barbara Bonney at a Boston Symphony performance of Barber's "Knoxville" and was knocked out. I've heard her several times since and decided to purchase "Diamonds in the Snow" on a lark. This amazing collection has since replaced my "marooned on a desert island" choice from Dawn Upshaw's "Songs of the Auvergne" (although I would beg to please take both). Bonney's smooth, supple voice and lyrical interpretation of Grieg and Sibelius soothes me in the darkest hours.

A rare and beautiful duet.......2001-01-20

This disc joins my Cecilia Bartoli/James Levine recital cd in a tie for most perfect blending of singer and acompanist. This is just a poetic blending of talents and the music on this cd isn't just pretty or interesting-- it is-- in the words of another reviewer on this site-- "music to dream by." These songs inhabit their own spaces-- intimate and pure. Barbara Bonney's tone is beautiful and Pappano seems to understand her mind and intentions in a deep way. At first, its obscure songs (read: not Schubert or Schumann) made me question buying this cd. As soon as I pressed play though, my hesitancy evaporated and there was only intimate music. Terrific.

Average customer rating:

An incomparable artist in lighter songs, mostly encores
Wonderful but no relation
Elisabeth Schwarzkopf

Songs You Love - Elisabeth Schwarzkopf

Manufacturer: EMI Classics
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Folk | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Modern & 20th Century | Historical Periods | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Elisabeth Schwarzkopf 1915-2006
Elisabeth Schwarzkopf - A Viennese Evening with Willi Boskovsky
The Very Best of Elisabeth Schwarzkopf
To My Friends
Schubert: 24 Lieder

ASIN: B000GEU6EA
Release Date: 2006-08-01

Tracks:

Danny Boy
Drink To Me Only With Thine Eyes
Plaisir D'Amour
Bist Du Bei Mir
Abendempfindung
Der Zauberer K472
Der Nussbaum (Myrthen Op.25 No.3)
Auftrage Op.77 No.5
Da Unten Im Tale (Deutsche Volkslieder No.6)
Och Mod'r, ich Well Ein Ding Han! (Deutsche Volkslieder No.33)
Vergebliches Standchen Op.84 No.4
Auf Flugeln Des Gesanges Op.34 No.2
Songs My Mother Taught Me Op.55 No.4
Si Mes Vers Avaient Des Ailes
Nur Wer Die Sehnsucht Kennt
Murmelndes Luftchen
Ich Leibe Dich Op.5 No.3
Farmyard Song Op.61 No.3
Schwarz Rosen Op.36 No.1
Schilf, Schilf, Sausle Op.36 No.4
Wiegenlied Op.41 No.1
In Dem Schatten Meiner Locken
Elfenlied
Wiegenlied Im Sommer
Hat Gesagt-Bleibt's Micht Dabei Op.36 No.3
Schlechtes Wetter Op.69 No.5
Mausfallen-Spruchlein
O, Du Liebs Angeli
Gsatzli

Customer Reviews:

An incomparable artist in lighter songs, mostly encores.......2007-03-10

This is not quite a greatest hits collection, but of the 29 songs, many if not all served the great Elisabeth Schwarzkopf, who died last year at the advanced age of 90, as favorite encores. As such, there is no unified program here, which may bother some listeners. Danny Boy and Drink to Me Only With Thine Eyes (the former sounding as un-Irish as one could imagine) belong to a different world from the Strauss, Schumann, and Mozart to come. Expect everything from folksong to art song, and be prepared for a coyness that suited adoring audiences better than the cold-hearted microphone.

The material dates from 1957 (in mono) and 1966 (stereo), which means we hear the voice in two colorations, one light and bright, the other darkened and rounded with age. I loved many things here, as any die-hard Schwarzkopf fan will, but I'm not sure that this hodge-podge would be the best way to introduce newcomers to this incomparable artist.

Wonderful but no relation.......2007-02-23

A wonderful CD with some choice Elisabeth Schwarzkopf recordings - pace the prior review thre is no relationship between Elisabeth Schwarzkopf and Norman Schwarzkopf - that is just a rumor. Schwarzkopf is a very common name.

Elisabeth Schwarzkopf.......2007-02-19

Always a pleasure to listen to this glorious soprano (aunt of General H. Norman
of Operation Desert Storm fame) but the choice of selections was not to my
liking. I would have preferred more Viennese operetta in which she was
incomparable.

Average customer rating:

Black Roses

Manufacturer: EMI Records [All429]
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Tracks:

The Only Moment
The Girl Under The New Moon
Prayer To The Night
Melody
Villemo
Pan
Fiddlers
A Swan
Album Verse
With A Water Lily
Gone!
Birdsong
March Snow
But My Bird Is Nowhere To Be Seen
Black Roses
Tennis At Trianon
The Diamond On The March Snow
Sigh, Sedges, Sigh
Apple Blossom
The Lake Of Memory
Summer Song
Song Behind The Plough
Yesterday Evening
Greeting

Average customer rating:

One of opera's legendary figures sings lieder.

Kirsten Flagstad, Volume 4

Manufacturer: Simax
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Modern & 20th Century | Historical Periods | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Customer Reviews:

One of opera's legendary figures sings lieder........2001-08-17

The Norwegian Kirsten Flagstad was the pre-eminent Wagnerian soprano of the 20th century, but she also gave hundreds of lieder and song recitals, the pick of which bejewel this ravishing double CD. the first offers three complete song-cycles, Grieg's rippling 'Haugtussa', all pastoral maidens and brooks, Flagstad singing as light as a breeze; Wagner's 'Wesendonck-Lieder', that ghost of his masterpiece 'Tristan and Isolde', my favourite lieder cycle - this is the best interpretation I have ever heard, passionate, yearning and, in 'Im Treibhaus' and 'Traume', genuinely spine-tingling. Sibelius' enchanting songs complete the CD, with 'The Maiden's Tryst' unexpectedly lush and romantic.

The second disc of Anglo-American songs may be less demanding, but are no less delightful. Highlights include Landan Ronald's operettish 'O Lovely Night', Frank Bridge's rollicking 'Love Went A-Riding', Bax's hushed 'The White Peace', Elgar's hymn-like tribute to his vocation 'Speak Music', Delius' rapturous 'Love's Philosophy', as well as a tantalisingly muffled 1937 recording of Stephen Foster's 'Old Folks at Home'. There are also no less than four lullabies, which attests to the Victorian hangover on bourgeois tastes in the middle of the last century.