Kathleen Ferrier: The Complete EMI Recordings

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Kathleen Ferrier: The Complete EMI Recordings

Kathleen Ferrier (contralto), Gerald Moore (piano), Isobel Baillie (soprano), Elisabeth Schwarzkopf (soprano), Kathleen Ferrier (Orfeo), Greet Koeman (Euridice), Nel Duval (Amore)

Wiener Philharmoniker, Wiener Symphoniker, Chorus & Orchestra of the Netherlands Opera, Bruno Walter, Herbert...

The voice is unique, its emotional power palpable after all these years. — The Observer, 16th April 2012 More…

Release Date: 16th Apr 2012
Catalogue No: 9562842
Label: Warner Classics
Length: 3 hours 7 minutes

Presto Recording of the Week

23rd April 2012

Gluck: Orfeo ed Euridice (1997 - Remaster): What is life to me without thee? (Che farò senza Euridice) (Act 3)

Work length4:37

$1.30

$1.70

Gerald Moore (piano), Kathleen Ferrier (contralto)
Recorded: 1944-06-30
Recording Venue: 30 June 1944/No. 3 Studio, Abbey Road, London

Johannes Brahms (1833-1897), Robert Reinick: 6 Lieder Op. 3 (1997 - Remaster): Constancy (Liebestreu) (Reinick)

Work length2:16

$1.30

$1.70

Gerald Moore (piano), Kathleen Ferrier (contralto)
Recorded: 1944-06-30
Recording Venue: 30 June 1944/No.3 Studio, Abbey Road

Brahms: 49 Deutsche Volkslieder (1997 - Remaster): No. 12, Feinsliebchen, du sollst mir nicht barfuss geh'n

Work length2:38

$1.30

$1.70

Gerald Moore (piano), Kathleen Ferrier (contralto)
Recorded: 1944-06-30
Recording Venue: 30 June 1944/No.3 Studio, Abbey Road, London

Elgar: The Dream of Gerontius Op. 38 (1997 - Remaster): My work is done ... It is because

Work length3:20

$1.30

$1.70

Gerald Moore (piano), Kathleen Ferrier (contralto)
Recorded: 1944-06-30
Recording Venue: 30 June 1944/No. 3 Studio, Abbey Road, London

Maurice Greene, Stanley Roper: I will lay me down in peace (from anthem 'O God of my righteousness')

Work length3:48

$1.30

$1.70

Gerald Moore (piano), Kathleen Ferrier (contralto)
Recorded: 1944-09-30
Recording Venue: 30 Sep 1944, No. 3 Studio, Abbey Road London

Maurice Greene, Stanley Roper: O praise the Lord (from anthem 'Praise the Lord, O my soul')

Work length1:51

$1.30

$1.70

Gerald Moore (piano), Kathleen Ferrier (contralto)
Recorded: 1944-09-30
Recording Venue: 30 September 1944, No. 3 Studio, Abbey Road London

Handel: Spring is coming ('Ottone' - Haym)

Work length3:56

$1.30

$1.70

Gerald Moore (piano), Kathleen Ferrier (contralto)
Recorded: 1945-04-20
Recording Venue: 20 April 1945 / No. 3 Studio, Abbey Road, London

Handel: Come to me, soothing sleep ('Ottone' - Haym)

Work length4:20

$1.30

$1.70

Gerald Moore (piano), Kathleen Ferrier (contralto)
Recorded: 1945-04-20
Recording Venue: 20 April 1945 / No. 3 Studio, Abbey Road, London

Purcell: Sound the trumpet ('Birthday Ode for Queen Mary')

Work length2:06

$1.30

$1.70

Kathleen Ferrier (contralto), Isobel Baillie (soprano), Gerald Moore (piano)
Recorded: 1945-09-21
Recording Venue: 21 September 1945 / No. 3 Studio, Abbey Road London

Purcell: Let us Wander not Unseen (based on music from The Indian Queen, Z630)

Work length1:50

$1.30

$1.70

Kathleen Ferrier (contralto), Isobel Baillie (soprano), Gerald Moore (piano)
Recorded: 1945-09-21
Recording Venue: 21 September 1945 / No. 3 Studio, Abbey Road, London

Purcell: Shepperd, shepherd, leave decoying ('King Arthur' - Dryden)

Work length1:24

$1.30

$1.70

Kathleen Ferrier (contralto), Isobel Baillie (soprano), Gerald Moore (piano)
Recorded: 1945-09-21
Recording Venue: 21 September 1945 / No. 3 Studio, Abbey Road, London

Mendelssohn: I would that my love, Op.63 No. 1 (Heine)

Work length2:50

$1.30

$1.70

Kathleen Ferrier (contralto), Isobel Baillie (soprano), Gerald Moore (piano)
Recorded: 1945-09-21
Recording Venue: 21 September 1945 / No. 3 Studio, Abbey Road, London

Mendelssohn: Greeting, Op.63 No. 2 (Eichendorff)

Work length2:35

$1.30

$1.70

Kathleen Ferrier (contralto), Isobel Baillie (soprano), Gerald Moore (piano)
Recorded: 1945-09-21
Recording Venue: 21 September 1945 / No. 3 Studio, Abbey Road, London

Mahler: Kindertotenlieder

Work length23:27

$6.50

$8.50

Kathleen Ferrier (contralto)
Wiener Philharmoniker
Bruno Walter
Recorded: 1998-08-30
Recording Venue: 4 October 1949, Kingsway Hall, London.

Nun will die Sonn' so hell aufgeh'n

Track length4:52

$1.30

$1.70

Nun seh' ich wohl, warum so dunkle Flammen

Track length4:39

$1.30

$1.70

Wenn dein Mütterlein, tritt zur Tür herein

Track length4:31

$1.30

$1.70

Oft denk' ich, sie sind nur ausgegangen!

Track length2:55

$1.30

$1.70

In diesem Wetter, in diesem Braus

Track length6:30

$1.30

$1.70

Excerpt, Bach, J S: Mass in B minor, BWV232

Work length17:14

$5.20

$6.80

Kathleen Ferrier (contralto), Elisabeth Schwarzkopf (soprano)
Wiener Symphoniker
Herbert von Karajan
Recorded: 1950-06-15
Recording Venue: 15 June 1950, Musikvereinssaal, Wien

Duet: Christe eleison

Track length3:38

$1.30

$1.70

Contralto aria: Qui sedes

Track length3:39

$1.30

$1.70

Duet: Et in unum Dominum

Track length4:18

$1.30

$1.70

Contralto Aria: Agnus Dei

Track length5:39

$1.30

$1.70

Christoph Willibald Gluck, Ranieri de' Calzabigi: Orfeo ed Euridice (1998 Remaster)

Work length13:55

$6.50

$8.50

Kathleen Ferrier (contralto)
Netherlands Opera Orchestra, Netherlands Opera Chorus
Charles Bruck
Recorded: 1951-01-01
Recording Venue: Municipal Theatre, Amsterdam

Sinfonia

Track length3:06

$1.30

$1.70

Ah! Se intorno a quest'urna funesta (Act I)

Track length4:10

$1.30

$1.70

Amici, quel lamento (Act I)

Track length0:36

$1.30

$1.70

Ballet of Shepherds and Nymphy (Act I)

Track length2:21

$1.30

$1.70

Ah! Se intorno a quest'urna funesta (Act I)

Track length3:42

$1.30

$1.70

Gluck: Orfeo ed Euridice (1998 Remaster): Chiamo il mio ben così (Act I)

Work length7:33

$1.30

$1.70

Kathleen Ferrier (contralto)
Netherlands Opera Orchestra
Charles Bruck
Recorded: 1951-01-01
Recording Venue: Municipal Theatre, Amsterdam

Christoph Willibald Gluck, Ranieri de' Calzabigi: Orfeo ed Euridice (1998 Remaster)

Work length1:17:48

$35.10

$45.90

Kathleen Ferrier (contralto), Nel Duval (soprano), Greet Koeman (soprano)
Netherlands Opera Orchestra, Netherlands Opera Chorus
Charles Bruck
Recorded: 1951-01-01
Recording Venue: Municipal Theatre, Amsterdam

Voi delle ombre oscura (Act I)

Track length0:58

$1.30

$1.70

Amore assisterà l'infelice marito! (Act I)

Track length2:53

$1.30

$1.70

Gli sguardi trattieni (Act I)

Track length2:27

$1.30

$1.70

Che disse? Che ascoltai? (Act I)

Track length2:10

$1.30

$1.70

Dance of the Furies Chi mai dell'Erebo (Act II)

Track length5:50

$1.30

$1.70

Deh! Placatevi con me (Act II)

Track length2:42

$1.30

$1.70

Misero giovane! (Act II)

Track length0:52

$1.30

$1.70

Mille pene, ombre sdegnose (Act II)

Track length0:48

$1.30

$1.70

Ah! Quale incognito (Act II)

Track length3:08

$1.30

$1.70

Dance of the Blessed Spirits Dance of the Heroes (Act II)

Track length8:47

$1.30

$1.70

È quest'asile ameno e grato (Act II)

Track length3:45

$1.30

$1.70

Che puro ciel! Che chiaro sol! (Act II)

Track length5:32

$1.30

$1.70

Vien a'regni del riposo (Act II)

Track length2:19

$1.30

$1.70

Ballet of the Heroes (Act II)

Track length2:31

$1.30

$1.70

Oh voi, ombre felici (Act II)

Track length0:35

$1.30

$1.70

Torna, o bello (Act II)

Track length3:17

$1.30

$1.70

Ah vieni, o diletta, vien con me (Act III)

Track length4:02

$1.30

$1.70

Vieni! Vieni con me, vieni, o cara! (Act III)

Track length4:28

$1.30

$1.70

Ah, dovess'io saper (Act III)

Track length1:43

$1.30

$1.70

Che fiero momento (Act III)

Track length3:45

$1.30

$1.70

Ah, per me il duol ricomincia (Act III)

Track length2:18

$1.30

$1.70

Che feci mai? (Act III)

Track length1:16

$1.30

$1.70

Che farò senza Euridice? (Act III)

Track length4:43

$1.30

$1.70

Ah! Finisca e per sempre (Act III)

Track length1:19

$1.30

$1.70

Non più! che fai tu? (Act III)

Track length1:19

$1.30

$1.70

Gaudio, gaudio son al cuore (Act III)

Track length3:02

$1.30

$1.70

Trionfi Amore! (Act III)

Track length1:19

$1.30

$1.70

Excerpt, Mahler: Kindertotenlieder

Work length11:56

$2.60

$3.40

Kathleen Ferrier (contralto)
Wiener Philharmoniker
Bruno Walter
Recorded: 1949-10-04
Recording Venue: 4 October 1949, Kingsway Hall, London.

Nun will die Sonn' so hell aufgeh'n

Track length5:20

$1.30

$1.70

In diesem Wetter, in diesem Braus

Track length6:36

$1.30

$1.70

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Recording of the Week, Kathleen Ferrier

23rd April 2012

On the centenary of Ferrier’s birth, Katherine pays to tribute to the great Lancashire contralto and explores her legacy on disc via two comprehensive commemorative sets from Decca and EMI, which includes folksongs, Bach and Mahler.

Issued to mark the centenary of Kathleen Ferrier’s birth, this 3CD set brings together for the first time all the EMI recordings by this great contralto, including two previously unissued tracks. In addition the booklet features three EMI publicity photos rarely seen since she first signed a contract with HMV/Colombia in 1944

Kathleen Ferrier (22 April 1912–8 October 1953) remains one of the best-loved British singers of our time. The eminent vocal expert Alan Blyth wrote of her in 1998: ‘Kathleen Ferrier, a legend in her own lifetime, has certainly become one since her untimely death in 1953. Her professional life, lasting little more than a decade, saw her rise from the obscurity of appearing with choirs in the north of England to the eminence of an international career in the company of such conductors as Barbirolli, Walter and Klemperer. It was an extraordinary transformation in every respect, but one wholly justified by the dignity and conviction of her singing and the commitment of her interpretations.’

CD1 begins with four test recordings of pieces by Gluck, Brahms and Elgar recorded by producer Walter Legge in June 1944 but not issued until 1978. Ferrier signed a one-year contract with EMI in September 1944 and her first commercial release was the two arias by the Baroque composer Maurice Greene that follow. Then come two Handel solos and five duets with soprano Isobel Baillie of compositions by Purcell and Mendelssohn. These completed Ferrier’s EMI contract and she then moved to Decca.

In 1949 Ferrier came back to EMI to record Mahler’s Kindertotenlieder in London with the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Bruno Walter, the great Mahlerian who had introduced Ferrier to this work, which closes CD1

CD2 begins with four items recorded at a rehearsal in June 1950 for a concert of the Bach Mass in B Minor in Vienna with the Vienna Symphony Orchestra conducted by Karajan. EMI was setting up its recording equipment in the Musikvereinssaal for another project while the rehearsal was taking place and the engineer, as a test, turned on the tape machine to capture, almost complete, these four precious Ferrier tracks, which include two solos and two duets with the soprano Elisabeth Schwarzkopf.

Then comes a complete performance of Ferrier’s signature operatic role, that of Orfeo in Orfeo ed Euridice by Gluck. This live recording dates from a radio broadcast in July 1951 in Amsterdam.

CD3 concludes with two bonus tracks; these are reserve takes of the first and the fifth movements of Kindertotenlieder being issued here for the first time. This work was originally recorded on 12-inch waxes, with a tape machine running as safety back-up, as was EMI’s practice in 1949. Masters from the waxes were used for most of the original 78-rpm sides, but for the release of the work on CD, the back-up tapes were used, and these reserve ‘takes’ have also survived.

Artists

Kathleen Ferrier (contralto), Gerald Moore (piano), Isobel Baillie (soprano), Elisabeth Schwarzkopf (soprano), Kathleen Ferrier (Orfeo), Greet Koeman (Euridice), Nel Duval (Amore)

Wiener Philharmoniker, Wiener Symphoniker, Chorus & Orchestra of the Netherlands Opera, Bruno Walter, Herbert von Karajan, Charles Bruck

Reviews

16th April 2012

The voice is unique, its emotional power palpable after all these years.

20th April 2012

The voice is unmistakable: richly textured, darkly coloured, ringed with nobility, sadness too...In some tracks she almost sounds like the darker sibling of counter-tenor Alfred Deller, another vocal wonder of the time. But the resemblance is fleeting. And as this set proves, the longer Ferrier sang the more uniquely expressive she became. Even now, almost 60 years on, her death still leaves a hole.

New York Times 23rd November 2012

plenty of treats on EMI’s contribution to the celebration

Kathleen Ferrier: The Complete EMI Recordings

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Contents

Recording of the Week, Kathleen Ferrier

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