Andrea Chenier - Umberto Giordano
Recorded 20 September 1954
At Watford Town Hall, near London
Philharmonia Orchestra under Tullio Serafin
Producer Walter Legge of EMI (husband of Elisabeth Schwarzkopf).
What is fascinating about this is that ES quite possibly attended this recording session. There is a famous picture of them sitting together at about this time.
1. Heidenröslein
2. Die Forelle
3. An Silvia
4. Das Wandern
Words and translations into several languages on a long list of Schubert Lieder available on: "www.recmusic.org/li eder/s/schubert.html "
Two recordings of this famous duet from Mozart's Marriage of Figaro:
1. 1959 Elisabeth Schwarzkopf and Anna Moffo in Kingsway Hall, London with the Philharmonia Orchestra under Giulini;
2. 1968 Gundula Janowitz and Edith Mathis in Berlin with the Deutsche Opera Orchestra under Böhm.
1993 recording with Academy of Ancient Music with the Winchester Cathedral Choir conducted by Christopher Hogwood. Various commentators have reminded me to put this information here.
Recorded 1965 with Georg Szell and the Berlin Radio Symphony Orchestra (NOT the LSO as the video gives).
Interesting that a couple of years ago Renee Fleming picked this recording as one of her 8 "Desert Island Discs".
The video response is Elisabeth's rendition of the first two of these songs "Fruehling" and "September"
April 1964 "The Magic Flute" Mozart (Maestro Otto Klemperer)
The cast for this recording was a "who's who". It included Janowitz, Gedda, Berry, Frick, Schwarzkopf and Ludwig.
The following link is to a TV interview with Lucia 1n 1987. She mentions this recording, which was her break-through at age 25.
http://uk.youtube .com/watch?v=yrbWoTM UaUg
Recorded in London 1977 - Philharmonia Orchestra under Andrew Davis with the Ambrosian Singers.
Pie Jesu Domine,
dona eis requiem,
requiem sempiternam.
Merciful Lord Jesus,
grant them rest,
rest everlasting.
Customarily the Third of Richard Strauss's Four Last Songs. 1965 recording with Georg Szell and the Berlin Radio Symphony Orchestra - Schwarzkopf was 50.
The 2 video responses are:
1. Lucia Popp "Beim Schlafengehen" with the Philharmonia under Klaus Tennstedt.
2. Elisabeth Schwarzkopf "Fruehling" and "September" with the Berlin and Szell.
Watched the wonderful Karita Mattila doing this. Was keen to understand better what this music was saying. Schwarzkopf's recording is offered here with German and English subtitles. The English translation is not word-for-word. Instead, I tried to catch the scansion and some of the poetic imagery in Wagner's phrases. If any German speaker can suggest a correction or two, I will be most grateful.
Audio + Slide show
A demure beginning and end. But what brilliance in the middle as the dancers swirl with more and more abandon.
Composer: Carl Maria von Weber
Orchestration: Hector Berlioz