Our Summer BAL 37: Strauss Four Last Songs

[cloughie]

Janowitz is my default version too but my real favourite is Della Casa/VPO/Böhm. Much prefer the order of the songs on this recording and everything about it is just so right.

Other recordings on my shelves are Schwarzkopf/Szell, Mattila/Abbado, Popp/Tennstedt and Söderström/Haitink (live, included in the Haitink radio recordings box)

...and now for something a bit different - Bonney/Martineau - lovely singing and outstanding piano - his skills stretched to cover what the orchestra would otherwise do!

[verismissimo]

Christine Brewer was in good voice with the Sydney SO on Friday, and the orchestra is clearly in good shape under newish MD David Robertson. I can see why ams rates her recording with Runnicles.

The concert hall at the Sydney Opera House remains a problem acoustically. Time for a complete revamp, methinks.

Off to hear Jonas Kauffman sing Best Bits there this evening (at vast expense, although we were kindly donated two of our three tickets by a kind friend who went to last Sunday's performance).

Nobody for Te Kanawa in the 4LSs?

[cloughie]

Christine Brewer was in good voice with the Sydney SO on Friday, and the orchestra is clearly in good shape under newish MD David Robertson. I can see why ams rates her recording with Runnicles.

The concert hall at the Sydney Opera House remains a problem acoustically. Time for a complete revamp, methinks.

Off to hear Jonas Kauffman sing Best Bits there this evening (at vast expense, although we were kindly donated two of our three tickets by a kind friend who went to last Sunday's performance).

Nobody for Te Kanawa in the 4LSs?

I think they are up there with the best - the Solti maybe slightly better than the A Davis.

[Zucchini]

Nobody for Te Kanawa in the 4LSs?

I've heard her sing these wretched songs live and found her voice far too big. Being charitable - a fine demonstration of creamy power singing I suppose. Gave up with Strauss after that.

[BBMmk2]

Just the sort of voice you do not need for a work like this, imo.

[visualnickmos]

Scharzkopf's voice is not to my liking one iota; too 'old fashioned' and prim. Basically, I just can't bear to listen to anything of hers.

Janowitz; far too shrill and squeaky - almost pierces the eardrums in places.

Leontyne Pryce; fabulous.

Barbara Hendricks; LOVE this recording.

On a more or less equal footing, I enjoy the recordings by Felicity Lott and Kiri Te Kanawa, but especially Jessye Norman and Lucia Popp......

I don't know why I wrote all of the above - not particularly interesting or informative! Sorry folks...

[LeMartinPecheur]

Scharzkopf's voice is not to my liking one iota; too 'old fashioned' and prim. Basically, I just can't bear to listen to anything of hers.

Janowitz; far too shrill and squeaky - almost pierces the eardrums in places.

Leontyne Pryce; fabulous.

Barbara Hendricks; LOVE this recording.

On a more or less equal footing, I enjoy the recordings by Felicity Lott and Kiri Te Kanawa, but especially Jessye Norman and Lucia Popp......

I don't know why I wrote all of the above - not particularly interesting or informative! Sorry folks...

No apology necessary vnm: always interesting to see others' opinions, so long as they aren't pushed onto us as "the truth sent from above"

I can field field Schwarzkopf with Szell and Ackermann, Della Casa, Norman, Heather Harper/ Del Mar, Te Kanawa/ Davis, and Schwanewilms/Halle/Elder (BBC MM), and like them all. Wouldn't pick a clear favourite, though it's nice to see others' high opinion of Della Casa, my intro to the work back at age 18.

Sorry vnm, wouldn't part with Schwarzkopf whatever you say...

[Parry1912]

Few gripes with what has gone before but I'll throw in Isokoski/Janowski

Yes that is a superb version.

I'll also mention the excellent Schwarzkopf/Karajan live recording (and I'm not a great fan of Schwarzkopf normally).

[richardfinegold]

Scharzkopf's voice is not to my liking one iota; too 'old fashioned' and prim. Basically, I just can't bear to listen to anything of hers.

The idea of her playing footsie in the sack with Joseph Goebbels doesn't make it any more appealing...and I'm glad that someone else likes the Lott recording.

[Richard Tarleton]

Janowitz; far too shrill and squeaky - almost pierces the eardrums in places.

I think we just have to accept that very different things can happen when the sound of the human voice passes through individuals' auditory equipment (ears) - just like food and taste buds. We have extremes of opinion on these boards on all sorts of singers - there are one or two whose voices I can't imagine anyone deriving pleasure from listening to but yet who have their devoted admirers here, and vice versa. I suppose there is no such thing as objective sound - it's what we bring to it, and listen to it with.

I wonder if "shrill" is what I hear as a sort of silvery "thrill" at the leading edge of her voice - her Strauss Countess, and Fiordiligi (both with Bohm) are also favourite recordings of mine. But squeaky - is this throughout, or can you point to a particular point in the recording?

[visualnickmos]

I think we just have to accept that very different things can happen when the sound of the human voice passes through individuals' auditory equipment (ears) - just like food and taste buds. We have extremes of opinion on these boards on all sorts of singers - there are one or two whose voices I can't imagine anyone deriving pleasure from listening to but yet who have their devoted admirers here, and vice versa. I suppose there is no such thing as objective sound - it's what we bring to it, and listen to it with.

I wonder if "shrill" is what I hear as a sort of silvery "thrill" at the leading edge of her voice - her Strauss Countess, and Fiordiligi (both with Bohm) are also favourite recordings of mine. But squeaky - is this throughout, or can you point to a particular point in the recording?

This is very true - and an excellent analogy

About Janowitz; I will have to listen again, in order to be more specific - I'll come back to you on that in a few days.

I have just listened again to Barbara Hendricks (Sawallisch EMI) and after not hearing her recording for a while, found even more to enjoy than I had previously. It really is a very beautiful recording - voice and orchestra weaving along as true 'equals' - some may find her too understated, but for me she has nailed it. I recommend this recording to anyone who is fond of Vier Letzte Lieder - and Barbara Hendricks, of course!

[Pulcinella]

I too am allergic to Schwarzkopf in these songs.
In addition to the BBC MM CD mentioned above, I have the following:
Harper/LSO/Hickox
Janowitz/BPO/Karajan
Norman/Leipzig/Masur
Popp/LPO/Tennstedt

Have just relistened to the Harper, the only one of the four I have heard doing them live (hope that's true; fading memory now makes me wonder if it was Ravel's Sheherezade, her recording of which with the BBCSO under Boulez got replaced by a Roussel symphony in the Sony reissue, I think) and like it a lot.

Slightly off topic, for those who like these songs I would recommend listening to the Neruda Songs by Peter Lieberson, written for his wife, Lorraine Hunt Lieberson. This morning's post has just brought the second recording of those songs, by Kelly O'Connor with the Atlanta Symphony under Robert Spano, which is next up for listening to on this rainy day. I shall be interested to see if (how) her interpretation differs from that of the dedicatee.

[pastoralguy]

I'm looking forward to hearing the new disc from Erin Wall with Sir Andrew Davis and the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra. She sang them last week as part of their Edinburgh Festival concert and she was very impressive. The disc isn't released until end of next month but the company supplied some for the Festival audience. Both she and Sir Andrew signed ours!

Once the Festival has finished we've a pile of autographed discs to catch up on.

[pastoralguy]

Slightly off topic, for those who like these songs I would recommend listening to the Neruda Songs by Peter Lieberson, written for his wife, Lorraine Hunt Lieberson. This morning's post has just brought the second recording of those songs, by Kelly O'Connor with the Atlanta Symphony under Robert Spano, which is next up for listening to on this rainy day. I shall be interested to see if (how) her interpretation differs from that of the dedicatee.

Yes, I have that disc and listened to it a LOT when it arrived. Very sad when one realises the fate of Lorraine Hunt Lieberson.

[Lordgeous]

I'm not a particular fan of E.S. but I find her recording (with Czell) spellbinding, let alone for the sumptuos orchestral playing. I recently bought the Popp (on the strength of this thread) and although she sings beautifully she just doesnt move me like E.S. does; very 'arch' I know but she seems to suit these songs. Maybe its because that was the first time I heard them? Still, I must explore some of the other recommendations above.