Sylvia Fisher

[Guest]

I am searching for Sylvia Fisher singing the Immolation Scene from Götterdämmerung.
She sang it twice at the Proms. First in 1955 under Barbirolli (that would be a tremendous find)
also in 1960 under Basil Cameron.
She was one of the great stalwarts of the fledgling Covent Garden Opera after the war and during the 50's.
She sang a marvellous Marschallin under Kleiber, which, I am happy to say, has been preserved.
She was also a valued member of Britten's EOG in her later years. Her Gloriana was particularly great.I saw it at Sadler's Wells in 1966.
She recorded very little, but one memorable recording is the Delius Idyll with Jess Walters and the Halle under Barbirolli in 1956 for Pye.

A great singer now mostly forgotten.
Any other Fans out there?

[verismissimo]

Her Sieglinde in the 1957 Kempe Ring from CG was put out by Testament a few years ago: http://www.testament.co.uk/shop/product.aspx?id=536

Was her Gotterdammerung Brunnhilde with Kempe ever broadcast? I don't think it's in the Harewood Collection part of the Music Preserved archive.

When I asked him about her, and why she had been so little recorded in her prime (ie pre-Britten), Harewood said that she had been a fine singer, but a difficult woman and a slow learner. "Lazy", I think, was his word!

If you compare reviews of her performances with her contemporary Australian, Joan Hammond, she wins every time. Yet it's Hammond who is remembered so fondly.

[verismissimo]

BTW welcome, slarty!

[slarty]

Thanks for replying.
She did not sing any Broadcast of Gotterdammerung at CG. That would be the great wish?
A friend and I are compiling a CG archive of all known broadcasts (and in-house recordings) from 1947 to 1979.
We have knowledge what is in the Harewood Collection at MP and there is nothing with Fisher singing GD.
The 1955 GD broadcast with Kempe has Margaret Harshaw as Brunnhilde.
I still have hopes of finding one or other of the proms with her. We have already found the Walkure and Tristan bleeding chunks that she sang at the proms in 1957 and 1959
thanks for the welcome.
As you can surmise,my main interests are more to do with the Third programme than Radio 3, but it is great that there is a forum to put these ideas and requests forward.
thanks
slarty

[secondfiddle]

Sylvia Fisher was rather like Marie Collier, a fine voice that was too little recorded. The National Sound Archive at the BL has a 1974 Prom broadcast of Janacek's Katya Kabanova (Mackerras) in which she sang, and also another Katya Kabanova with her (also Mackerras) c. 1973, Sadler's Wells.
She sang in the Beecham Beethoven Choral Symphony at the 1956 Edinburgh Festival, and she was to have sung in Beecham's recording of Delius's A Mass of Life. It is said that one or two of her takes were actually included in the issued LP set but she withdrew for whatever reason, perhaps illness.

[verismissimo]

I wonder if there are recordings of Australian broadcasts anywhere? Did she do any?

[slarty]

It is difficult to know what she may have recorded in Australia.She joined the Covent Garden company for the 1948-49 season.
However,amongst others, the following broadcasts are preserved.
Rosenkavalier CG 1952 Kleiber


Friday 6 August 1954
Royal Albert Hall (Prom 12)

Ludwig van Beethoven
Fidelio, Op 72 Recitative & aria
'Abscheulicher...Komm, Hoffnung' Act 1 Scene 2
Malcolm Sargent conductor
Sylvia Fisher soprano
BBC Symphony Orchestra
................................................

Wednesday 7 August 1957
Royal Albert Hall(prom 16)

Richard Wagner
Tristan und Isolde Act 1 Sc.3 "Wie Lachend sie mir...."
BBC Symphony Orchestra
Malcolm Sargent
Sylvia Fisher
.................................................. .........

Monday 14 September 1959
Royal Albert Hall (prom 44)

Richard Wagner
Die Walküre Act 3 (final 36 minutes)
London Symphony Orchestra
Basil Cameron

Sylvia Fisher
Sigurd Björling
------------------------------------------------


Monday 22 August 1960 (Prom 26)
Royal Albert Hall

Richard Wagner
Wesendonck-Lieder, WWV 91
Malcolm Sargent conductor
Sylvia Fisher soprano
BBC Symphony Orchestra
.............................................

BBC Recital with Piano accompanist. 1960's
Sylvia Fisher Clifton Halliwell ,acc.
Wagner Wesendonck Lieder
Strauss Allerseelen
Strauss Heimlische Aufforderung
Strauss Rühe meine seele
Strauss Traum durch die dämmerung
Strauss Cäcelie

[amateur51]

Sylvia Fisher was rather like Marie Collier, a fine voice that was too little recorded.

Agreed, as was Sybil Michelow who died only recently.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/2013/feb/06/sybil-michelow

[verismissimo]

Well done, slarty. Great work and good news!

[Roslynmuse]

Re post 7 - the accompanist was Clifton Helliwell (not Halliwell) - a former Head of Keyboard at the RNCM.

[slarty]

Thanks Roslynmuse, the recording came to me so notated. I have ammended it.
slarty