BBC4 re-run of 2003 Kathleen Ferrier documentary

[DracoM]

[aeolium]

The recording of Ferrier that most moves me is the 1949 Kindertotenlieder, with the VPO conducted by Walter. That delicate Mahler orchestration is wonderfully realised in performance by Walter and the Vienna orchestra, combined with Ferrier's singing at its most pure and affecting. It's notable that Walter who knew and worked with Mahler, and had given the premiere of Das Lied von der Erde, considered Ferrier an ideal soloist in these works - and indeed was at times overcome and in tears at her performances.

[Nick Armstrong]

Good to know there's someone else out there!

[salymap]

The recording of Ferrier that most moves me is the 1949 Kindertotenlieder, with the VPO conducted by Walter. That delicate Mahler orchestration is wonderfully realised in performance by Walter and the Vienna orchestra, combined with Ferrier's singing at its most pure and affecting. It's notable that Walter who knew and worked with Mahler, and had given the premiere of Das Lied von der Erde, considered Ferrier an ideal soloist in these works - and indeed was at times overcome and in tears at her performances.

Thanks for reminding me that a good friend sent me the Ferrier/Walter performance of Kindertotenlieder for Christmas. Now is the time to play it again.

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

I'm very annoyed to see that this isn't on iPlayer. It was on rather late for me, so I thought I'd watch it today.

Ditto!

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

Good to know there's someone else out there!

There's Brassbandmaestro, too.

... And you all seemed such decent chaps ...

[Barbirollians]

I feel very sorry for people who don't get Kathleen Ferrier's voice . I ended up listening to all three Ruckert Lieder she recorded with Walter last night and they always move me immensely .

One does wonder whether the problem for some people is the almost complete disappearance of contraltos so they are unused to this register - are they all retrained as mezzos nowadays ?

[Anna]

There's Brassbandmaestro, too.
... And you all seemed such decent chaps ...

And there's me too ..... I switched on R3, don't know, early Saturday before BaL? and it was that damned song again! I agree (ok, we are in the minority) with DracoM and Caliban, her voice is the most offputting thing imaginable. But, different strokes for different folks.

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

her voice is the most offputting thing imaginable.

That's pretty poor imagination, Anna! (Rupert Murdoch in his underwear beats it by miles!)

[Barbirollians]

[QUOTE=Anna;154258] her voice is the most offputting thing imaginable.

Even worse than Ann Widdecombe playing the Duchesse de Crackenthorp ? Or Andre Rieu ?- or worst of all the insufferable self-satisfied last night speeches of Andrew Davis.

[Anna]

That's pretty poor imagination, Anna! (Rupert Murdoch in his underwear beats it by miles!)

I have never seen R. Murdoch in his underwear, nor Ann Widdicombe. Have you?

[Flay]

Count me in as a disliker too. The vibrato is too much. Her voice sounds (and is) dated.

As a kid I made a radio with the old ferrite rod and a crystal earpiece. The first thing I heard was her voice wobbling through the ether. Terrifying!

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

I have never seen R. Murdoch in his underwear, nor Ann Widdicombe. Have you?

Like I say: no imagination!

('tho' Anne Widdicombe in Rupert Murdoch's underwear trumps the lot!)

[Barbirollians]

I made no suggestions about Ann Widdecombe in her underwear or anyone else's ! She is , however, apparently appalling badly, playing the said speaking role in the current revival of La Fille du Regiment at Covent Garden .

[aeolium]

I don't really understand this concept of 'dated' performance. Of course performances from the past sound different from those of today - each generation re-interprets the music in different idioms and with different performance practice. You could just as well say that Kreisler or Cortot, and many singers, sound 'dated' in that people do not perform in that way today. But to me it is simply a different musical generation and the important thing is the musical contribution, not whether or not it sounds like the performances of today. It's not dated - it's old, but we'd have to have a pretty narrow sort of imagination to confine ourselves to the performing styles of our own generation.