Favorite vocal recitals on CD or DVD

[Maciek]

OK, OK, OK. Daniel Taylor added to the list.

EDIT: Oh, wait, I just realised I have him already, singing Part's Es Sang Vor Langen Jahren! Might expand though, that's not a very large sample...

[knight66]

Andre, What do you suggest I get to show him at his best?

Mike

[Maciek]

Well, with absolutely no other knowledge of his other discs, I would certainly recommend the Arvo Part one. Because I know you like Part, and I notice they have the CD at BRO.

EDIT: (And also, it's a great CD - minor comment I initially forgot to add. )

[knight66]

Thank you for that. it is a bit odd that Countertenors mainly sing either very old music or very new. Daniels has done a Nuits d'ete....but none of them have given us a decent bit of Wagner. 

Mike

[Lilas Pastia]

Well, I suppose I should listen to it too   !

Mike, Talor has made a specialty of 'theme' programs, where he teams (heheee) with instrumentist or other singers. Which is an excellent idea. I don't know about you, but for me a little countertenoring goes a long way. So, very sensibly, he makes sure we don't put it back on the shelf never to come down again. Plus, it allows him to spin off two or three records for the price of one. Well, he gets paid thrice, which is smart. The market for that kind of thing is limited after all!

[knight66]

Andre, I can never get too much of a good thing; and a first rate countertenor is a good thing. What have you got that he gets a chance to shine in?

Mike

[Lilas Pastia]

Two Bach cantatas discs: 3+7+167, and 82+Psalm 51 after Pergolesi's Stabat Mater

 

Let me know if you're interested

[knight66]

Oh, Andre, thanks. That first one looks esp interesting. I will have a look for it.

Mike

[Tsaraslondon]

Classical singing is not a natural process. People generally can sing a bit; but they do not just toss off Lucia's Mad Scene....even the women. It is no more natural than the relationship between Olympic runners and someone who runs to catch a bus.

So, when people claim the countertenor voice is not natural, I cannot really see their point.

All this is make way for a disc by David Daniels, possibly the best countertenor around. After quite a gap, he has now produced a new solo disc. Bach arias. In part this is an opportunity missed. The recital includes Ich Habe Genug and Vergunte Ruh...we get only part of these marvelous cantatas. I don't know what I would have got rid of to make room, but entire cantatas would have been very welcome. Daniels can be a little bland with the words, but here, he does use them and these are detailed thoughtful interpretations.

His voice is as full of sap and flexible as ever; but he does not overload the Bach with outright sweetness in the way that is more appropriate to Handel. So, no signs of a decline. He is expressive, but not in terms of the tone deployed. His expressiveness involves word pointing, phrasing and variations in volume. The tone is pretty much set, he does not use colour; what you initially hear is what you get.

I am glad to see he has reverted to Harry Bicket to accompany him, rather than the occasional speed merchant Fabio Biondi. The later was responsible for destroying Daniel's recording of the Pergolesi Stabat Mater by bashing through it as though it were a fast military march.

The English Concert are the orchestra and they are well forward in the sound picture and provide a lot of pleasure.

As well as the arias mentioned above; Daniels gives us the expected pieces from the B Minor Mass and the St John and St Matthew Passions. A very beautiful disc; I recommend it.

Well I finally got round to buying this CD, and I am not disappointed. One could argue that a preponderance of lullaby like arias from sacred works robs the disc of variety, but I am not going to complain when the singing is so beautiful. As you say, Daniels doesn't really colour the voice, as some singers do (Hunt Lieberson and Baker, to name two), but he is ever mindful of the meaning of words and his diction is, as usual, impeccable. I enjoyed it immensely and can't wait to hear him at the Queen Elizabeth Hall on Wednesday, where he will be singing some of this repertoire.

I have also just bought Joyce DiDonato's recent Handel arias disc, and first impressions are again excellent. The title of the disc is Furore, which makes for quite a few fast and furious arias. DiDonato certainly has the technique to deal with them, without any of Bartoli's annoying aspirates (what a relief!), and confirms my memory of her as a superbly dramatic artist, when I saw her in Hercules a couple of years ago. However, she also has the ability to float a long line in the slower arias and gives us a beautifully molded and moving Scherza infida, from Ariodante, if without quite the innigkeit, brought to it by David Daniels and Janet Baker. Dejanira's Mad Scene (Where shall I fly), from Hercules closes the recital and is as vividly characterised as it was in the theatre, quite eclipsing Von Otter's performance on Minkowski's complete set. She is performing much of this repertoire at a concert at the Barbican in December. I've got my tickets already.

[Lilas Pastia]

Right now:  listening to a totally mad collection on Decca (2 discs) with Marilyn Horne blowing away boundaries between baroque, classical, bel canto, lyric, romantic and dramatic opera. Add to that a unique way with traditional songs (Copland, Foster, Bernstein) and you get a pair of CDs that leaves you in a trance. Brava!          

[Dancing Divertimentian]

A new discovery just this evening.

The quixotic Poulenc given dedicated performances.

[Tsaraslondon]

I have just bought this



2 CDs at bargain price.

The first of them, recorded in 1983,  is a classic. It was always one of my favourite LPs. Hendricks' voice was in its youthful prime and the unlikely collaboration with pianist Dimitri Alexeev somehow reaps dividends. Without losing their inherent simplicity, these simple spirituals gain in substance, almost in the way of, say, Vaughan Williams' or Britten's folk song settings. Hendricks sounds absolutely gorgeous, but also sings with glowing conviction throughout.

The second of the two CDs (recorded 1998), I have slightly mixed feelings about. Hendricks' voice sounds remarkably similar, considering the 15 year gap since the first, but, though one would expect the addition of a gospel choir to add a touch of authenticity, there is often more than a whiff of Hollywood, and, oddly, the disc misses the simplicity of the earlier one. It is enjoyable none the less, and, at bargain price, the set is well worth acquiring, if only for the first CD, which is undoubtedly one of the best things Hendricks ever gave us.

[mn dave]

Erato likes this one.



I haven't heard it. 

[knight66]

In 1975 Janet Baker recorded a disc of Scottish folk songs as set by Haydn and Beethoven. The idea of such composers being aware of such songs might come as a surprise to some. In part it may have been as a result of the enthusiasm for Ossian, a supposed ancient Scottish bard who was all the rage at the end of the 18th Century. This hoax brought about a vogue in Celtic song and literature. Beethoven and Haydn were at various times commissioned to set Scots songs, in the original language, mainly perfectly understandable English. Both composers absorb the original style beautifully and the arrangements do no damage to the folk elements.

Baker is accompanied by no lesser than Menuhin, George Malcolm on harpsichord and the cellist Ross Pople. It is a disc stuffed full of charm and surprises. The orchestrations are much more suitable than had the piano been used throughout, though the Beethoven settings do deploy the piano, along with expressive fiddle music. Beethoven's are perhaps more elevated as settings. There is nevertheless the feel of improvisation at various points. The most substantial song is given a beautiful chamber setting, four minutes of 'Faithfu' Johnie', a jewel of a song.

About two thirds of the songs are set by Haydn. One of his highlights is, 'O can ye sew cushions', sung with tenderness and a thread of sound at the top of Baker's range. This song yields to other interpretations, I have heard her sing it as almost a lament, but here the mood is more wistfull. It is followed by the rumbustious Birks of Abergeldie...surely some kind of editorial error all those years ago, as the place referred to is in fact Aberfeldie.

This issue is on Testament, who are known for filling their discs up. So to the original recital is added some English songs by Dowland, Campian, Purcell and others. Here in 1967 Baker was mining pure gold. The four Campian songs fly by in a moment, all delightful. Purcell offers serious art song by way of two masterpieces, 'Sleep Adam Sleep' and 'Lord, what is man?' Baker is at her best throughout, we hear the smile very often, a light touch where appropriate, solemn or serious where warranted.

On these bonus tracks we hear lute, harpsichord, viola da gamba and flute. This really is a beautiful and unusual disc. It finishes with Boyce, 'Tell me lovely shepherd', Monro's 'My Lovely Celia' and Arne's 'Where the bee sucks'. Each a complete delight.

Mike

[knight66]

Montserrat Caballe is a name I don't encounter on these boards, though as I can detect, next to no one is interested in vocal music. Feeding her name into the search facility brought up a surprising 50 hits; but in looking through he posts, almost all of them merely mention her as being in such and such a recording and there is no discussion of her abilities.

First of all, there is her voice; it was remarkable, very beautiful, she could sing with unusally soft tone, exceptionally quiet yet projected pianissimo, the flexibility to perform colouratura without asperating the runs, wonderful breath control and yet there were reserves of strength that allowed her to sing Isolde.

We tend more to think of her in the Sutherland type of roles, bel-canto, some Verdi, Puccini. But her range was actually enormous. Rossini, Richard Strauss' Salome, Turandot, Norma, Violetta, Rosenkavalier, Aida, Elizabeth in Don Carlo, Venus in Tannhauser, Lady Macbeth...and so on and on.

It has been a long career and a bit in the way that Pavarotti devalued his currency, her over-the-hill concert appearances and promotion of her modestly talented daughter have perhaps slightly tarnished the reputation of a really great singer, one who was also a great artist.

So, to the disc; it is a conflation by EMI of several sources, but it works well, except for one very black mark, but that is for EMI, not the singer.

She was yet another who fell under the shadow of Callas. I recall her almost monthly complete opera discs, often with Domingo, were received with many a....yes, but characterisation is a bit generalised, she does not have the vocal face of Callas....but who ever has or did? In retrospect however the value of a lot of her work shines through. So her Aida is often now regarded as a touchstone, also her Violetta.

This disc starts with Bellini, then moves to Verdi.

The Bellini brings out the soft tone, floating phrases and pinging top notes. Her legato is wonderful, no bumps or tooth past squeezing, the sheer sound is beautiful and she puts expression into the words. The musical line makes sense, it is not just decoration. There are three pieces each from Pirata and Puritani. These are taken from complete sets and you get the accompanying singers where appropriate.

We then move to an almost complete recital disc of Verdi with a couple of interpolations from complete sets, Aida, Don Carlos, La Forza, Macbeth and Otello. Every aria is given due attention. There is nothing in the least routine. I recall the LP of the Verdi and a highlight was the Lady Macbeth sleepwalking scene. She digs into the words, the tone of course is beautiful rather than the she devil sound Verdi wanted, but it is a reading that makes sense. However, EMI have seen fit to excise the entirety of the introduction, so you jump in at the start of the main aria, vandalism really. The Aida is dreamy and impassioned and dramatic, no one negotiates the music in a more musical fashion.

This is a budget price issue, get it if you can.

Mike

[bhodges]

Very comprehensive write-up, Mike!  (And of the Janet Baker, too.)  I like Caballe, but for some reason don't seem to have many a single recording by her.  And if I recall, I saw her live at least once back in the 1980s.    Perhaps this release would be good to begin making amends for this travesty.

--Bruce

[The new erato]

Montserrat Caballe is a name I don't encounter on these boards, though as I can detect, next to no one is interested in vocal music.

Well  I am. Unfortunately for Miss Caballe, my interest lies in medieval ballads and lais, renaissance polyphony, baroque opera and sacred works, romantic lieder and orchestral songs, and early modernist opera (post-Puccini). So no luck for the fat lady who sings.

[knight66]

Like I said, next to no one.

Mike

[mn dave]

What's wrong with GMGers? Why aren't folks here into vocal music?

[knight66]

Wrong thread surely Dave, a one liner. (Mine also, to make you feel at home.)

Mike