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Post by julesd68 on May 4, 2019 16:57:27 GMT
Martin reminded yesterday me how much I love Jessye Norman’s recording of Four Last Songs. Some time ago I did a survey of historic recordings and it was certainly my favourite but frustratingly I can’t find the old thread! I thought it would be a good time to see how it fares against some highly rated contemporary recordings - see what you think of these and please feel free to add any other recent favourites. I believe the Felicity Lott is a Jerry favourite …  I'll post my thoughts once I've listened to all of them. |
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Post by MartinT on May 4, 2019 17:01:43 GMT
Jessye Norman is my favourite by far. It's not just her, it's the wonderful accompaniment by Kurt Masur and the Gewandhausorchester. The relatively slow pace and sumptuous playing just make it a very special performance.
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Post by julesd68 on May 4, 2019 17:08:58 GMT
Indeed, but I'm hoping there might be a couple of recordings there unfamiliar to some of us, as a point of reference ...
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Post by MartinT on May 4, 2019 20:48:43 GMT
It's a much lighter tone, but the Lucia Popp recording with Klaus Tennstedt and the LPO is quite lovely.
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Post by Slinger on May 5, 2019 17:54:37 GMT
Jessye Norman is my favourite by far. It's not just her, it's the wonderful accompaniment by Kurt Masur and the Gewandhausorchester. The relatively slow pace and sumptuous playing just make it a very special performance. I've just found this, Martin. It's "unavailable" on Amazon, but I'd be interested to know what it sounds like.  |
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Post by MartinT on May 5, 2019 17:56:38 GMT
I have the original Philips release on CD, which sounds very fine. I think that's a remaster and probably sounds as good if not better.
Get it if you have the chance, Paul. It's a desert island disc for sure.
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Post by Slinger on May 5, 2019 18:00:48 GMT
I've got the Jessye Norman version that you have, I love her voice, and I've just seen that the remaster is selling for peanuts on eBay.  |
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Post by jandl100 on May 5, 2019 18:36:24 GMT
I've always found the Norman recording a bit problematical - something somewhere is overloading when she lets rip* - her voice, the recording, my audio system [over its infinite variations over the course of multiple decades] or my ears. Anyway, to my ears it gets unpleasantly squally.
... I suspect it's the 2nd or the 4th of the options presented.
* No-one ime lets rip quite like our Jessye! Except perhaps Christine Brewer - and her recording squalls, too. You know, I think it might be my ears!
Yes, I do like Lott, and Isokowski and Popp.
Listening to Nina Stemme atm - gorgeous.
None of these squall like the JN recording.
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Post by julesd68 on May 5, 2019 19:15:06 GMT
I'm looking forward to sampling all these again; will see if I am still enraptured by the Norman. Interesting that the Stemme has very mixed reviews. This review finds her too operatic in style it seems ... www.classicstoday.com/review/review-13623/ |
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Post by MartinT on May 5, 2019 19:55:18 GMT
Sorry, but I really don't like Isokoski's voice. It's just wrong for the Strauss songs.
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Post by jandl100 on May 5, 2019 20:15:04 GMT
Sorry, but I really don't like Isokoski's voice. It's just wrong for the Strauss songs. I know what you mean, her's is a 'head voice', there seems to be no contribution from the chest giving depth and 'swell', for want of better terms. I do still like it as a different take on the music. |
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Post by jandl100 on May 5, 2019 20:28:33 GMT
hmm, JN's is quite a clumsy and abrupt entry into Beim Schlafengehen. Others just gently ease in imperceptibly with the existing orchestral music, a wonderfully delicate thing. And even after that she lacks subtlety. I don't think delicate or subtle is in JN's vocabulary. Nope, I really don't like her recording. She seems to be belting it out all the time to me - still, the folks outside in the carpark probably thought it was OK.  |
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Post by Slinger on May 5, 2019 20:35:09 GMT
Try giving this one a listen...
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Post by jandl100 on May 5, 2019 20:58:14 GMT
^ Very nice. Delicacy and subtlety in abundance. I think I must be the only person in the known universe who doesn't like Jessye Norman's recording. Still, it can't be helped - I guess I was dropped on my head when I was a baby. |
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Post by MartinT on May 5, 2019 20:58:22 GMT
Try giving this one a listen... I like her Beim Schlafengehen. Will listen to all of it tomorrow. |
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Post by Slinger on May 5, 2019 21:32:23 GMT
Sylvia Sass was a huge fan of Maria Callas. I think it shows.
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Post by jandl100 on May 6, 2019 9:03:31 GMT
An interestingly recorded set from Collins Classics, with Sharon Sweet.
Not hugely keen on her voice (she doesn't squall, though, and it's decent enough) but she is nicely set back in a natural concert hall perspective rather than being highlighted and upfront.
Very effective, imo.
Actually, I think she's pretty good, just a bit characterless compared to the big names - lovely entry into Beim Schlafengehen.
And of course de Burgos is a fine conductor.
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Post by jandl100 on May 6, 2019 9:16:08 GMT
.... playing Ms Sweet again, definitely growing on me. She settles down after the first song and is really quite impressively lovely in tone and phrasing.
And the recording is superb.
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Post by MartinT on May 6, 2019 9:59:11 GMT
Fruhbeck de Burgos - always a fine conductor. His opening to Im Abendrot is a little fast and loses the sense of serenity of Masur but still he gets the essence of it right.
Yes, Sharon Sweet sounds good and gets the all-important Beim Shlafengehen entrance right (which I think Norman does, too).
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Post by jandl100 on May 6, 2019 10:01:09 GMT
Good lord - Norman just BLARES in. No subtlety at all. Ah well, just one of the many things we don't quite see eye to eye on! |
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