advertisement


Richard Strauss Four Last Songs

I have this issued by the World Record Club (New Zealand pressing) played it for years. One day in my never ending search of 2nd hand vinyl I came across a British EMI labelled pressing. Joy! thought I, but I was to be disappointed it was not a patch on the sound quality of the WRC pressing, even though the EMI looked pristine, and was heavier, with no surface noise. The WRC LPs pressed in NZ came with a poor reputation but comparing a few other recordings at the time they sounded excellent as well. Perhaps the WRC were a lot closer to the original masters than we in NZ thought.

Errol
I read once - back in their hey-day , where W.R.C stated that they used new pressing stampers (-issued & provided by the record companies owning the original copyrights of performances )only up to a limit of manufacturing about 350 vinyl pressings., Whereas they stated - main companies (when pressing their own copies) were known to go as far as making 500 copies and more from any single pressing stamper.
This, possibly explains the situation , you once uncounted.
 
I suspect you have missed a zero off there! A stamper set can be good for 5000 pressings IIRC.
 
That cool, restrained and understated nature is probably the thing I really like about the Schwarzkopf record. There is no hint of what I think of as 'over-singing' which can spoil a lot of classical vocal and opera for me (and certainly ruins any 'diva' pop stuff).
Decades ago, when friends gathered for a classical opera 'jam session', often one or two of the males would do their
'party trick' and reduce others -present, to laughter.
A favorite , clasping their chest & stomach momentarily for 'added vocal support'....and -mimicking : letting out 'the said diva's synonymous clasped backside 'cat -scratch howls' .
To the sharp critical eye: it was equally fascinating to observe the
Legge visual 'transformation of 'Dame Elizabeth...from someone looking like a frump house frau...(at the very same time period)then identically copying the then newly invented windswept bouffant hairstyle & look , 'the 60's mature glamor image ' created for the popular -song concert artist / entertainer & film star . Marlene Dietrich :D.

To have seen live - Jessye Norman at her very peak , perform Strauss' 4 Last Songs , , with the Closing Scene from Strauss Capriccio is my benchmark.

Many a renowned Strauss diva attempts the "4 Songs'" (for example-recently) such as Renee Fleming... though through she do not vocally falter and I admire her to a great deal..i concede .her recent excursion (Decca) shows her late 50's voice is not now suited to the texture of this particular material.
 
I can tell you Schwarzkopf is, or rather was every bit as imposing in the flesh as her reputation. I was introduced to her at a reception at the ROH in the 80's. I was in my 20's and it felt like you were meeting Brenda. It was certainly the first time I'd met a prominent member of the Nazi Party.
 
I can tell you Schwarzkopf is, or rather was every bit as imposing in the flesh as her reputation. I was introduced to her at a reception at the ROH in the 80's. I was in my 20's and it felt like you were meeting Brenda. It was certainly the first time I'd met a prominent member of the Nazi Party.
Your comment recalls one, I heard from a often much World -travelled music enthusiast & academic who noted during one Concert, Schwarzkopf gave , he was shocked to witness ..at the end of singing a Prussian themed song ...'things got the better of her'. On the final musical note, she raised her arm and gave a swift but unmistakeable Nazi salute.
 
Your comment recalls one, I heard from a often much World -travelled music enthusiast & academic who noted during one Concert, Schwarzkopf gave , he was shocked to witness ..at the end of singing a Prussian themed song ...'things got the better of her'. On the final musical note, she raised her arm and gave a swift but unmistakeable Nazi salute.
Personally I'd rather see a video of this episode before I decide to be shocked :rolleyes:
 
I must admit I didn't know about Schwarzkopf's remarkably dubious past. Nazi connections seem to have blighted the careers of quite a few landmark classical musicians. I guess there is an argument some had to go along with it just to survive, it was after all a dictatorship, but some such as Schwarzkopf seemed to go the extra mile.
 
She apparently enjoyed the favours of a significant Gauleiter. My favourite quote about her was from Charles Mackerras- his daughters came into the studio one day when he was recording with her and she said to him "I see your girls don't curtsy".
 
She apparently enjoyed the favours of a significant Gauleiter. My favourite quote about her was from Charles Mackerras- his daughters came into the studio one day when he was recording with her and she said to him "I see your girls don't curtsy".

Wow, that's fantastic. I never warmed to her as a singer, though there's no question she was a great one. Just not to my taste. I remember she once wrote a letter to Gramophone complaining that one of the critics had praised her intelligence rather than her singing.
 
Nobody has mentioned Renee Fleming. I bought her recording of these songs, conducted by Eschenbach, a few years ago and found it rather disappointing. It is a full-blooded and expressive performance, but there is too much vibrato and to me that is a distraction.

I agree with many others here, Janowitz or Schwarzkopf.
 
I can tell you Schwarzkopf is, or rather was every bit as imposing in the flesh as her reputation. I was introduced to her at a reception at the ROH in the 80's. I was in my 20's and it felt like you were meeting Brenda. It was certainly the first time I'd met a prominent member of the Nazi Party.
I believe she once appeared on Desert Island Discs, and selected only her recordings of her own performances.
 
I believe she once appeared on Desert Island Discs, and selected only her recordings of her own performances.

I suspect that:-

a) She was too grand to ever have heard of the programme and didn`t know what it was all about, or,

b) Virtually all her post war recordings were produced by Walter Legge and she wanted to be reminded of him, she did write (have ghostwritten) a very fond biography of him.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/1555535194/?tag=pinkfishmedia-21
 
This site contains affiliate links for which pink fish media may be compensated.
Listening to Soile Isokoski sing them with Marek Janowski and the Berlin RSO just now. Her phrasing is beautiful and she has all the technical ability to carry these off perfectly. What is it about Finland? It has a tiny population and seems to have an endless production line of great singers.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B000062TDA/?tag=pinkfishmedia-21
There are used copies going for under a quid on Amazon!

Here is another young soprano with real mastery of Strauss (and Wagner)- Lise Davidsen,

http://lisedavidsen.com/
 
This site contains affiliate links for which pink fish media may be compensated.
Thread resurrection heads up - R3 is doing the Four Last Songs this coming Saturday 13/7 09.30ish in Building a Library.
 
Lise Davidsen has released her recording recently, Salonen and Philharmonia accompanying..... Didn't really see him as a Strauss conductor so will be interesting if that Building a Library covers it.
 


advertisement


Back
Top