BaL 16.11.24 - Berlioz: Les nuits d'été

[Barbirollians]

Didn’t Ferrier take them on near the end of her career when Barbirolli encouraged her to sing Chausson’s Poeme de l Amour et La Mer - and Bruno Walter noted. “ you’ve gone up ! “

[oliver sudden]

Like many mezzos ex-contraltos (Ferrier was a good example) Janet was afraid of high notes , until Ray Leppard encouraged her to do them in their Handel and Haydn discs, which are still worth hearing.

I still wish I hadn't said to Alfreda Hodgson when I saw her with a vocal score of Gurrelieder 'Are you ready for the top B flat?'.
She looked horrified and said 'there isn't one, is there?' I'm ashamed to say I had to struggle to make encouraging noises.

Needess to say, it was 'alright on the night'.

.

Baker’s floaty top was extraordinary, not least in Nuits d’été (at least the Barbirolli recording). Not just quiet and controlled but still with substance. Also her ‘Ich bin der Welt abhanden gekommen’, in F rather than the usual Eb. (She did both, I think the higher one is on its own and the lower one is in the full cycle.)

Was Hodgson singing Lied der Waldtaube? Not much excuse for not knowing about _that_ Bb…

[richardfinegold]

JEG also employed four different singers in his recording.

He must have been Slap Happy for choice