Kathleen Ferrier - The Complete EMI Recordings (2012)

Artist: Kathleen Ferrier
Title Of Album: The Complete EMI Recordings
Year Of Release: 2012
Label: Emi Classics (56284)
Genre: Classical Music, Vocal
Quality: FLAC (tracks+.cue,.log)
Bitrate: Lossless (270-350 kbps)
Total Time: 03:09:12
Total Size: 445 MB (Scans)

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.

Composer: Johann Sebastian Bach, Johannes Brahms, Sir Edward Elgar, Christoph W. Gluck, ...
Performer: Kathleen Ferrier, Elisabeth Schwarzkopf, Gerald Moore, Nel Duval, ...
Conductor: Herbert von Karajan, Charles Bruck, Bruno Walter
Orchestra/Ensemble: Vienna Symphony Orchestra, Netherlands Opera Orchestra, Netherlands Opera Chorus, ...

Tracklist:

CD1
01 - Gluck, What is life without thee? (Orpheus & Eurydice)
02 - Brahms, Liebestreu op.3 nr.1
03 - Brahms, Feinsliebchen (Deutsche Volkslieder II, nr.12)
04 - Elgar, My work is done...It is because (The Dream of Gerontius)
05 - Greene, I will lay me down in peace (O God of righteousness)
06 - Greene, O praise the Lord (Praise the Lord, o my soul)
07 - Handel, Spring is coming (Ottone)
08 - Handel, Come to me, soothing sleep (Ottone)
09 - Purcell, Sound the trumpet (Birthday Ode to Queen Mary)
10 - Purcell, Let us wander, not unseen (The Indian Queen)
11 - Purcell, Shepherd, Shepherd, cease decoying (King Arthur)
12 - Mendelssohn, I would that my love op.63 nr.1
13 - Mendelssohn, Greeting op.63 nr.3
14 - Mahler, Kindertotenlieder - I. Nun will die Sonn' so hell aufgeh'n
15 - Mahler, Kindertotenlieder - II. Nun seh ich wohl, warum so dunkle Flammen
16 - Mahler, Kindertotenlieder - III. Wenn dein Mutterlein
17 - Mahler, Kindertotenlieder - IV. Oft denk' ich, sie sind nur ausgegangen
18 - Mahler, Kindertotenlieder - V. In diesem Wetter

CD2
01 - Bach, Mass in B minor BWV232 - I. Christe eleison
02 - Bach, Mass in B minor BWV232 - II. Qui sedes
03 - Bach, Mass in B minor BWV232 - III. Et in unum Dominum
04 - Bach, Mass in B minor BWV232 - IV. Agnus Dei
05 - Gluck, Orfeo ed Eurydice - Sinfonia
06 - ACT I - Ah! se intorno a quest'urna funesta (Chorus, Orfeo)
07 - ACT I - Amici, quel lamento (Orfeo)
08 - ACT I - Ballet of Shepherds and Nymphs (Orchestra)
09 - ACT I - Ah! se intorno a quest'urna funesta (Chorus, Orfeo)
10 - ACT I - Chiamo il mio ben cosi
11 - ACT I - Voi delle ombre oscura (Orfeo)
12 - ACT I - Amore assistera l'infelice marito! (Amore, Orfeo)
13 - ACT I - Gli sguardi trattieni (Amore)
14 - ACT I - Che disse? Che ascoltai? (Orfeo)
15 - ACT II, Scene 1 - Dance of the Furies - Chi mai dell'Erebo (Orchestra, Chorus)
16 - ACT II, Scene 1 - Deh! placatevi con me (Orfeo, Chorus)
17 - ACT II, Scene 1 - Misero giovane! (Chorus)
18 - ACT II, Scene 1 - Mille pene, ombre sdegnose (Orfeo)
19 - ACT II, Scene 1 - Ah! quale incognito (Chorus, Orfeo)

CD3
01 - ACT II, Scene 2 - Dance of the Blessed Spirits - Dance of the Heroes (Orchestra)
02 - ACT II, Scene 2 - E quest'asile ameno e grato (Eurydice, Chorus)
03 - ACT II, Scene 2 - Che puro ciel! Che chiaro sol! (Orfeo)
04 - ACT II, Scene 2 - Vien a'regni del riposo (Chorus)
05 - ACT II, Scene 2 - Ballet of the Heroes (Orchestra)
06 - ACT II, Scene 2 - O voi, ombre felici (Orfeo, Chorus)
07 - ACT II, Scene 2 - Torna, o bello (Chorus)
08 - ACT III - Ah vieni, o diletta, vien con me
09 - ACT III - Vieni! Vieni con me, vieni, o cara! (Orfeo, Eurydice)
10 - ACT III - Ah, dovess'io saper (Eurydice)
11 - ACT III - Che fiero momento
12 - ACT III - Ah, per me il duol ricomincia (Eurydice, Orfeo)
13 - ACT III - Che feci mai?
14 - ACT III - Che faro senza Eurydice?
15 - ACT III - Ah! finisca e per sempre (Orfeo)
16 - ACT III - Non piu! che fai tu?
17 - ACT III - Gaudio, gaudio son al cuore (Amore, Orfeo, Eurydice)
18 - ACT III - Trionfi Amore! (Chorus)
19 - Mahler, Kindertotenlieder (alternative takes) - Nun will die Sonn' so hell aufgeh'n
20 - Mahler, Kindertotenlieder (alternative takes) - In diesem Wetter, in diesem Braus