Jadwiga Rappe, alto

Maciek · July 11, 2007, 06:32:18 AM

Jadwiga Rappé is a Polish alto I've been a bit obsessed with lately. I was aware of her existence and the very good reviews she got, and I might have even been to her concert once or twice in the days when I (SHUDDER) did not care for vocal music very much. But a couple of weeks ago I heard her sing a few Moniuszko songs on the radio (no commercial release of this) and was stunned: this was a peerless, technically perfect recording, possibly the best Moniuszko lieder singing I've ever heard. Here is a zip file of 4 of these songs (it's all I've got):

DownloadLink: http://rapidshare.com/files/42312058/Rappe_sings_Moniuszko.zip
File-Size: 20,72 MB
Jadwiga Rappé, alto. Maja Nosowska, piano.
The program:
Groźna dziewczyna (The Menacing Girl)
Motyl (The Butterfly)
Tęsknota (Longing)
Wilija (The Neris River)

Some more info on her: Apart from receiving a full musical training, she also majored in Polish Studies (just like me, which may explain why I'm drawn to her but also why her interpretations are actually interpretations of the texts, not just the music). Her career took off in 1980 when she won the 1st prize and gold medal at International Johann Sebastian Bach Competition in Leipzig. She's a great champion of contemporary music (sings Gorecki, Baird, Lutoslawski, Pawel Szymanski etc., etc.), though that is only a fraction of her amazingly wide repertoire.

She has a very good web page (http://www.rappe.pl/) but no samples (which can be found elsewhere anyway). You can see from her discography that she has done quite a lot of recordings for the big labels (Chandos, Erato, EMI, Philips, Teldec, BMG, Naxos) so I thought maybe someone has heard her? I'd be very interested in your comments on her voice, technique, recordings, etc. Am I deluded or is she a fantastic singer? I'm absolutely craving for more recordings (I've got pitifully few) but am (as usually) a little short of money...

Maciek · July 11, 2007, 06:39:20 AM

Oh, forgot to mention this beauty. Her Bach cantatas disc:

Heard parts of this on the radio too. It's lovely. I want it so badly!

Maciek · July 11, 2007, 10:41:12 AM

No one?

Well, let me mention at least some of the less obscure repertoire she has recorded with the bigger labels (I'm taking this from the site mentioned above). I'm sure someone must have heard at least some of these:

Szymanowski - Stabat Mater, PRNSO/Wit (EMI, then rereleased on DUX)

Bach - St Matthew Passion, Concertgebouw/Harnoncourt (Teldec)

Bach - B Minor Mass, Concentus musicus Wien/Harnoncourt (Teldec)

Mozart - Missa solemnis KV 139 „Wiesenhaus", Concentus musicus Wien/Harnoncourt (Teldec)

Mozart - Coronation Mass, Staatskapelle Dresden/Peter Schreier (Philips)

Honegger - Le Roid David, Muenchner Rundfunkorchester/Leopold Hager (Orfeo)

Beethoven - Missa solemnis, Chor- und Symphonieorchester des Bayerischen Rundfunks/Sir Colin Davis (BMG)

Beethoven - Symphony No. 9, Staatskapelle Dresden/Sir Colin Davis (Philips)

Wagner - Erda in Haitink's Rheingold and Siegrfied (both on EMI)

Mahler - 2nd, PRNSO/Wit (Naxos) - hey, Mike, didn't you review this one on the old forum?

Mahler - 3rd, Orchestre de la Suisse Romande/Armin Jordan (FNAC

)

Mahler - Das Klagende Lied, Halle Orchestra and Choir/Kent Nagano (Erato)

Lots of Penderecki, including 3 different recordings of the Polish Requiem (PRNSO/Wit on Polskie Nagrania, Royal Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra/Krzysztof Penderecki on Chandos, and National Philharmonic/Wit on Naxos)

Lutoslawski - 5 Songs to Poems by K. Illakowicz, PRNSO/Wit (Naxos)

karlhenning · July 11, 2007, 10:43:40 AM

Jadwiga Rappé, what a cool name :-)

Maciek · July 11, 2007, 10:57:20 AM

Well, that's a start...

Strangely enough, everyone over here seems to be ignoring the accent over e... Perhaps there is a reason.

Maciek · July 11, 2007, 02:26:17 PM

5 replies in less than 8 hours. My, isn't this thread popular! And no less than 2 contributors! This is exciting!

Karl, here's a little prize for you (hooray!

):

DownloadLink: http://rapidshare.com/files/42392626/09-Shostakovich_op_79_no_2--.mp3
File-Size: 3,72 MB

Shosty op. 79 no. 3 Lullaby (the original with piano version) performed by Jadwiga Rappé (alto) and Tomasz Herbut (piano)

Enjoy,
Maciek

Maciek · July 11, 2007, 02:56:37 PM

No, seriously. I reveal myself completely, tell you these are the best Moniuszko lieder I have ever heard (and let us not forget this is the greatest composer in history we're talking about) and this is all I get? Nods? Empty stares? Silence? OK, I know it when I'm not welcome somewhere, you know...

knight66 · July 11, 2007, 03:02:26 PM

Maciek, I only have the Mozart of the discs you list...

I did not have the Mahler 2, it was the Mahler 8 Wit disc that I reviewed. She is in that disc, I will have to have another listen, though again, difficult to disentangle one alto line there.

Mozart - Missa solemnis KV 139 ,,Wiesenhaus", Concentus musicus Wien/Harnoncourt (Teldec)

And the Alto does not get much scope. I am keen to hear her, but as you know my current dial-up position means I will be here until doomsday. I like the look of the Bach cantata disc.

Mike

Gurn Blanston · July 11, 2007, 03:07:47 PM

I have been trying for 3 days to upload some clips to Rod's thread, and finally I succeeded, alas, too late. Since I have nothing by Jadwiga Rappé, is it alright if I upload them here? Guaranteed to raise the traffic level on this thread, I promise!

http://www.mediafire.com/?dxmtjaelm9z

Maciek · July 11, 2007, 03:11:38 PM

Quote from: Gurn Blanston on July 11, 2007, 03:07:47 PM
Guaranteed to raise the traffic level on this thread, I promise!

You must be joking! This might be a belated warning but you've just thrown that link into an enormous black hole. There's no guarantee you're ever going to see it again. Don't forget to say goodbye.

Maciek · July 11, 2007, 03:25:59 PM

Quote from: knight on July 11, 2007, 03:02:26 PM
I am keen to hear her, but as you know my current dial-up position means I will be here until doomsday.

You should try the Shostakovich - it's a relatively small file (3 MB). Shouldn't take more than 15 minutes. (I think.) Not much but still...

Or you could pass on it until they finally give you broadband. It's about time anyway, isn't it?

BTW, it is a bit of a problem that in most repertoire the low female voices (which I'm usually attracted to) don't normally get much time for themselves...

I understand her Berlin Erda was received very favorably (this was shortly after the Leipzig competition) - but that isn't a very large role either, IIRC. (She was 7 months pregnant during the premiere, BTW!)

bhodges · July 11, 2007, 03:28:36 PM

Quote from: Maciek on July 11, 2007, 02:26:17 PM
5 replies in less than 8 hours. My, isn't this thread popular! And no less than 2 contributors! This is exciting!

Just as a (slightly sad) aside, I find that many classical listeners somehow are completely turned off by vocal music, and very often the converse is true. I have friends who will only listen to music IF it has vocals. No string quartets, no orchestral blockbusters, no violin sonatas -- nothing. I don't quite get it, but there you go.

Ah well, I'll investigate Ms. Rappé later, and see what all the fuss is about. (Very interesting list of repertoire you posted.)

--Bruce

knight66 · July 11, 2007, 03:30:54 PM

Broadband....possibly another THREE weeks. I will wait, remind me about this thread woodya.

Mike

Maciek · July 11, 2007, 03:40:23 PM

Quote from: bhodges on July 11, 2007, 03:28:36 PM
Very interesting list of repertoire you posted.

You think that's interesting? You should see what she has listed here: http://www.rappe.pl/repertoire.en.html!!!

Quote from: knight on July 11, 2007, 03:30:54 PM
remind me about this thread woodya.

Sure thing.

(Unless I forget, that is.

)

karlhenning · July 11, 2007, 03:42:41 PM

This is, I think, my favorite thread of all time.

Must have something to do with the participants, partly.

bhodges · July 11, 2007, 03:42:56 PM

Quote from: Maciek on July 11, 2007, 03:40:23 PM
You think that's interesting? You should see what she has listed here: http://www.rappe.pl/repertoire.en.html!!!

--Bruce

Maciek · July 11, 2007, 03:50:38 PM

Quote from: karlhenning on July 11, 2007, 03:42:41 PM
This is, I think, my favorite thread of all time.

Why, thank you, Karl.

Quote
Must have something to do with the participants, partly.

And thank you again.

Maciek · July 11, 2007, 03:51:19 PM

Oh, and I hope you like the Shostakovich.

bhodges · July 11, 2007, 03:56:13 PM

Quote from: karlhenning on July 11, 2007, 03:42:41 PM
This is, I think, my favorite thread of all time.

Must have something to do with the participants, partly.

Indeed, time out from Jadwiga, to say thanks, too.

--Bruce

Gurn Blanston · July 11, 2007, 03:56:58 PM

Quote from: karlhenning on July 11, 2007, 03:42:41 PM
This is, I think, my favorite thread of all time.

Must have something to do with the participants, partly.

You've made it a party, Karl!

BTW, please DO try my link. It was actually perfect for the other thread, but it provides a nice change of pace here too. The file is called Apples v Apples.zip, there are 2 nice little clips in it. Actually, not clips, whole movements, and lovely they are, too. I think one of the violins is actually an alto, so it might be not off topic.