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

[smittims]

To be fair, oliver, Gurrelieder wasn't nearly so well-known at the time as it has become since.

[Wolfram]

He must have been Slap Happy for choice

Thankfully, if you want a version with different voices the Colin Davis will do nicely. As has already been mentioned John Shirley-Quirk is excellent, as is Josephine Veasey in Le spectre de la rose, and the tenor Frank Patterson gives a beautifully sung Au cimetiere which reminded me of Hylas’ song from the opening of Act 5 of Les Troyens.

I know ‘Slap Happy’ is intended as a reference to something beyond just the pugilistic JEG, but I am at a loss to know what. All I can find is a video game by that name. I think I’m missing something.

Anyway, JEG is really out in the cold now. A quick look at the Monterverdi Choir and Orchestras’ web site shows that they are very swiftly moving on with some very exciting young conducting talent. Good luck to them.

[Pulcinella]

Bumping this thread in anticipation of this afternoon's episode.
I might actually listen, as there a host of ironing to get through.

[Pulcinella]

Aargh!
Andrew in his most annoying top interruptive mode.