"Vier Letzte Lieder"

[pastoralguy]

And don't forget Flott's terrific recording with Jarvi and the SNO which has a beautiful rendition of the violin solo from the orchestra's long term leader, Edwin Paling.

[Richard Barrett]

My problem with Masur's tempo is that it is "extremely slow" all the way through the last of the Last Songs - Strauss marks the start as an "Andante", and Masur is much slower than my own idea about the speed that that word can mean.

You're right, but for me the presence and depth of Norman's voice trumps any considerations of what Strauss might have meant by "Andante". This applies to the other three songs as well. There are also questions as to what the "correct" order of the songs actually is, but Masur's overall concept of tempo and expressive relationships between the songs is completely convincing to me. As far as I'm concerned he could have slowed down even more as "Im Abendrot" continues, but I'll save that for my own recording, which will be coming out just after yours.

[Nick Armstrong]

And don't forget Flott's terrific recording with Jarvi and the SNO which has a beautiful rendition of the violin solo from the orchestra's long term leader, Edwin Paling.

She was the winner in the private BAL referred to in my old 2012 contribution mentioned a little earlier!

[ahinton]

You're right, but for me the presence and depth of Norman's voice trumps any considerations of what Strauss might have meant by "Andante". This applies to the other three songs as well. There are also questions as to what the "correct" order of the songs actually is, but Masur's overall concept of tempo and expressive relationships between the songs is completely convincing to me.

It's always convinced me, too; had there been the slightest bit less control over that vast and gorgeous instrument that is Jessye Norman's voice at its best (breath control especially), the impression of unwelcome sagging might have made its presence felt but, since all is so flawless in her singing, this never occurs. I think that Strauss's original intention was to place Beim Schlafengehen first and Flott does it that way, but I'm nore convinced by the order in which JN sings them.

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

I'll save that for my own recording, which will be coming out just after yours.

You sing on mine, and I'll sing on yours!

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

I thinkthat Strauss's original intention was to place Beim Schlafengehen first and Flott does it that way, but I'm nore convinced by the order in which JN sings them.

They weren't really intended as a cycle, so perhaps the order is not so important.

[Richard Barrett]

You sing on mine, and I'll sing on yours!

[Pulcinella]

You sing on mine, and I'll sing on yours!

Impressive vocal range you must still have for a chap your age, ferney!

[Richard Tarleton]

When I bought my first recording (Norman, early 80s) the poems were not included on the LP sleeve for copyright reasons - I see that "the texts for the three Hesse songs are copyrighted until 2032 and therefore cannot be reproduced on Wikipedia", though they are included with CD versions these days.

The Leipzig G'haus and Masur played in Belfast in the mid-80s. I was in a short-lived specialist classical record shop there at the time when a couple came in and asked for "something by the Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra". As the assistant was stumped I chipped in and ventured to suggest Strauss 4 Last Songs with Jessye Norman. The couple and assistant looked at me, looked nervously at eachother and clearly decided it was safest to ignore me.

I rarely listen to any recording other than the Jessye Norman one already referred to. Yes it is extremely slow, but the last words are of course "is this something like death?", at which I imagine an infinitely extended single moment of stillness, and (in this case) beauty. That's how I would like it to be. Nobody else does it in that way as far as I'm concerned.

I am really pleased to read this Richard. I occasionally spin one of the other versions just to ring the changes, my wife always protests and we come back to Jessye Norman. It's good to hear a live performance from time to time, to freshen it up - we heard Rebecca Evans with the Orchestra of WNO/Lothar Koenigs perform it in Cardiff back in January.

[ahinton]

They weren't really intended as a cycle, so perhaps the order is not so important.

No, I know; the importance of the order is therefore whatever might strike each individual listener as the most convincing, I suppose.

[ahinton]

You sing on mine, and I'll sing on yours!

There is a singer by the name of Richard Barrett (who sang some Sorabji songs once in US) but, as he's a baritone (see http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/1977-Opera...-/311615280441 ), I guess that this wouldn't work, so you'd have to rely on the Welsh voice of the one whom we know here...

[Stanley Stewart]

You sing on mine, and I'll sing on yours!

"...We two alone will sing like birds i' the cage;..." King Lear, Act V, Sc III

[Pulcinella]

When I bought my first recording (Norman, early 80s) the poems were not included on the LP sleeve for copyright reasons - I see that "the texts for the three Hesse songs are copyrighted until 2032 and therefore cannot be reproduced on Wikipedia", though they are included with CD versions these days.

The Leipzig G'haus and Masur played in Belfast in the mid-80s. I was in a short-lived specialist classical record shop there at the time when a couple came in and asked for "something by the Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra". As the assistant was stumped I chipped in and ventured to suggest Strauss 4 Last Songs with Jessye Norman. The couple and assistant looked at me, looked nervously at eachother and clearly decided it was safest to ignore me.



I am really pleased to read this Richard. I occasionally spin one of the other versions just to ring the changes, my wife always protests and we come back to Jessye Norman. It's good to hear a live performance from time to time, to freshen it up - we heard Rebecca Evans with the Orchestra of WNO/Lothar Koenigs perform it in Cardiff back in January.

Interested to hear of the copyright issues.
The words are included in this book, Texte deutscher Lieder, a copy of which I bought in Canada for $2.10 in February 1980.
(Actually, the receipt inside suggests that I bought two items for $0.50 each, so perhaps it was in a sale!)

[Richard Barrett]

"...We two alone will sing like birds i' the cage;..." King Lear, Act V, Sc III

"We think caged birds sing, when indeed they cry." Webster, The White Devil act IV sc 5

[Richard Tarleton]

A typo, there, I fear, RT.



You missed out the from the end of the lovely Gundula's surname.

Just about every other version has a picture of the chanteuse in question on the CD cover. The Gundula version has a picture of.....HvK