The most sublime/touching/beautiful piece of singing you have ever heard?

[Cato]

What came to my mind for a response here were two performances:

Hildegard Behrens in Elektra by Richard Strauss in the scene following her recognition of Orestes: emotionally wrenching!   The specific performance has never been released on a CD or a DVD yet: it was on PBS in the early 90's, with Brigitte Fassbinder as Clytemnestra and Deborah Voigt  as Chrysothemis.

On practically the same level is a Decca CD with Ricardo Chailly conducting Arnold Schoenberg's  Gurrelieder  with Brigitte Fassbinder's spellbinding performance as the Waldtaube announcing the death of Waldemar's true love, Tove.

Not to be missed!

[Florestan]

Bump!

Three of the most beautiful love duets in unsurpassed performances

Tito Schipa & Toti dal Monte - Tornami a dir che m'ami (Don Pasquale)


Tito Schipa & Amelita Galli-Curci - Parigi, o cara (La traviata)


Tito Schipa & Mafalda Favero - Suzel, buon di (L'amico Fritz)

[snyprrr]

So close! It's actually labeled Xenakis ; )

you...just...won't...let...it...go!!!!! ahhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!

[mjwal]

A bottle of vodka to the first person who can post the name of the artists in this extraordinary interpretation
http://www.goear.com/files/external.swf?file=1eaf378

Unfortunately this won't play for me - it goes "playing...end of playlist" in a split second 

[Ten thumbs]

The most moving singing I can remember was Lotte Lehmann singing Schubert's Im Abendrot on a scratchy old recording. 

[mjwal]

Lehmann is wonderful and touching, without a doubt. But the recording that ticks all three attributes is for me Karl Erb's late radio (at circa 70 years old!) performance of Schubert's "Nachtstück" (already praised by me on the Fischer-Dieskau thread) - which goes straight to the heart of Wordsworthian sublimity IMO. I only have this on LP - listen here: http://historyofthetenor.com/page.php?77

[Verena]

Lehmann is wonderful and touching, without a doubt. But the recording that ticks all three attributes is for me Karl Erb's late radio (at circa 70 years old!) performance of Schubert's "Nachtstück" (already praised by me on the Fischer-Dieskau thread) - which goes straight to the heart of Wordsworthian sublimity IMO. I only have this on LP - listen here: http://historyofthetenor.com/page.php?77

Yes, this is very touching, sublime indeed.

[dirkronk]

I just zipped through this thread and realized that I'd never contributed. Not surprising, I guess, since I'm hardly a knowledgeable listener of voice. However, I do know what makes me stop, listen and wander into daydream-land because it's simply so darn gorgeous. My specific examples:

- Ameling doing Schubert's Der Hirt auf dem Felsen (orig. on German Harmonia Mundi, IIRC, and reissued many times, on RCA Victrola and later Quintessence vinyl, as well as assorted CD labels). Of course, ALL of Ameling's singing in this early period (try any Schubert, Schumann, Bach) is heavenly IMO.

- Janet Baker doing Mahler Ruckert Lieder. Just amazing. Her Brahms Alto Rhapsody with Boult is, too.

- Edda Moser did an LP of Mozart arias on German Electrola that is an utter treasure. Two or three selections on this album have convinced me that it may be the most beautiful her voice has ever sounded. Never seen this one on CD, so don't know if it ever got transferred. (And digital didn't always do well by Moser's voice: I once heard a transfer of a Rosenkavalier in which her voice, quite beautifully reproduced on analog originals, was made to sound like a refugee from Alvin and the Chipmunks.)

- Can't point out a specific song, but Lily Pons' voice has been known on occasion to make me melt.

- Male voices may impress and inspire me, but few seem simply beautiful in and of themselves. In this category, however, I WOULD include the young Gerard Souzay and, in assorted items that friends have played for me, Bjoerling and Schipa.

- The Tallis Scholars' version of Allegri Miserere has been issued a number of times. However, the first time I heard it was on a German EMI issue LP played over a good friend's beautifully-refined hi-fi system. The soaring-to-heaven notes turned me into a blubbering idiot. To date, no other version I've heard (including other performances by the same group, and other transfers of the same performance) has affected me in quite the same way.

FWIW.

Dirk

[Mirror Image]

In Bluebeard's Castle by Bartok, the Sixth Door: Lake of Tears section never fails but captivate me from beginning to end.

[DavidW]

Lorraine Hunt Lieberson singing the first aria in Bach's Cantata bwv 82.  Damn.

Zofia Kilanowicz singing in the third movement of Gorecki's 3rd. 

And give me anyone singing the urlicht from Mahler's 2nd.

[knight66]

Heather Harper singing The Embroidery Aria from Peter Grimes. From 3.30 here.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CDjtEPDiWz0&feature=related

All the regret and pain, beautifully expressed.

Mike

[canninator]

Dawn Upshaw's singing in Gorecki's third symphony, a heart rending cry of anguish and loss

Ensemble Organum in the Sanctus of de Machaut's Requiem and the Alleluias of the Old Roman Chant. For want of a better description, these are sung as though they were poised on the abyss, with a desperation to reach God without being sure he is listening.

Office of the Dead, Monks of Abbey of Solesmes, the recording under Dom Jean Claire. Hard to get these days but sung with a fragility to match that of the human body. This remarkable disc is, I think, the single greatest recording of the Gregorian repertoire. Of course I haven't heard them all but if anything tops this I might just take the cloth myself.

[Scarpia]

I'd have to say Maria Stader's contribution to the Fricsay recording of Mozart's mass in c-minor.

[Mirror Image]

And give me anyone singing the urlicht from Mahler's 2nd.

Really anyone?

Like...



DOLLY PARTON!!!!

[Mirror Image]

Dawn Upshaw's singing in Gorecki's third symphony, a heart rending cry of anguish and loss.

Yes, this is a very moving performance. I've admired Upshaw's voice for many years now. Remarkable vocalist.

[DavidW]

Dawn Upshaw's singing in Gorecki's third symphony, a heart rending cry of anguish and loss

She handles the first movement really well, but I don't think she is nearly as good as Kilanowicz in the later movements.

[vandermolen]

'Christchild's Lullaby (No 8 of Vitezslav Novak's 'Eight Nocturnes for Voice and Orchestra' Op. 39)

Daniela Strakova (Soprano), Carlsbad Symphony Orchestra.

Cond. Douglas Bostock (CLASSCD 191 - Classico).

[mjwal]

She handles the first movement really well, but I don't think she is nearly as good as Kilanowicz in the later movements.

Quite - Kilanowicz is the tops in that work.
But Dolly Parton in the Urlicht is far out...

[Cato]

What came to my mind for a response here were two performances:

Hildegard Behrens in Elektra by Richard Strauss in the scene following her recognition of Orestes: emotionally wrenching!   The specific performance has never been released on a CD or a DVD yet: it was on PBS in the early 90's, with Brigitte Fassbinder as Clytemnestra and Deborah Voigt  as Chrysothemis.

On practically the same level is a Decca CD with Ricardo Chailly conducting Arnold Schoenberg's  Gurrelieder  with Brigitte Fassbinder's spellbinding performance as the Waldtaube announcing the death of Waldemar's true love, Tove.

Not to be missed!

Allow me to suggest Zemlinsky's Lyric Symphony with Christine Schaefer in the Fourth movement "Sprich zu mir, Geliebter."  Christoph Eschenbach conducting the Orchestra of Paris on Capriccio.

[DavidW]

Quite - Kilanowicz is the tops in that work.
But Dolly Parton in the Urlicht is far out...

Yeah MI was pretty funny there... guess I shouldn't have said anyone!