KATHLEEN FERRIER The Complete Decca Recordings. Centenary Edition

Kathleen Ferrier was born on 22 April 1912 and died at the age of forty-one on 8 October 1953.

She was an artist held in awe and affection by numerous colleagues and countless fans worldwide and her reputation is undiminished to this day. A true contralto, whose repertory encompassed English song as well as German Lieder, her recording of Mahler’s Das Lied von der Erde with the Vienna Philharmonic under Bruno Walter [and tenor Julius Patzak] is one of the most celebrated classical recordings of all time and has been a staple of the Decca catalogue since it was first released in 1952. The majority of Ferrier’s studio recordings were made for DECCA and many from broadcast sources have also been published by DECCA.

On the occasion of the 100th anniversary of Kathleen Ferrier’s birth the DECCA legacy is brought together in a comprehensive 14-CD set with a bonus DVD.

All the recordings have been remastered for this anniversary edition and will further demonstrate the unique qualities of this much-loved artist.

Cd 1
Gluck Orfeo ed Euridice (abridged)
Kathleen Ferrier Orfeo
Ann Ayers Euridice
Zoë Vlachopoulos Amor
Glyndebourne Festival Chorus
Southern Philhrmonic Orchestra
Fritz Stiedry

CD 2
J. S. Bach St Matthew Passion - Arias and choruses
Elsie Suddaby soprano
Kathleen Ferrier contralto
Eric Greene tenor
William Parsons
The Bach Choir
The Jacques Orchestra
Reginald Jacques

CD 3
Gluck · Handel · Bach · Mendelssohn Arias
London Symphony Orchestra / National Symphony Orchestra
Sir Malcolm Sargent
The Boyd Neel Orchestra / Boyd Neel
Pergolesi Stabat Mater
Joan Taylor soprano
Kathleen Ferrier contralto
Nottingham Oriana Choir
The Boyd Neel String Orchestra
Roy Henderson

CD 4
Schumann Frauenliebe und -leben, op.42
2 Lieder, Op.51 / 1 & 2
Brahms Sappische Ode, Op.34 / 4 · Botschaft, Op.47 /1
Schubert 7 Lieder
Silent night, holy night · O come, all ye faithful
John Newmark · Phyllis Spurr · Benjamin Britten piano
The Boyd Neel String Orchestra / Boyd Neel

CD 5
Brahms Four Serious Songs
BBC Symphony Orchestra / Sir Malcolm Sargent
Chausson Poème de l'amour et de la mer, Op.18
Hallé Orchestra / Sir John Barbirolli
Ferguson Doscovery, Op.13
Wordsworth Three Songs, Op.5
Rubbra Three Psalms, Op.81
Ernest Lush piano

CD 6
Bach · Bridge · Handel · Jensen
Parry · Purcell · Stanford · Vaughan Williams
Warlock · Wolf

CD 7
Bach &Handel Arias
London Philharmonic Orchestra / Sir Adrian Boult

CD 8
British Songs

CD 9
Schubert · Brahms Lieder
Schumann Fraenliebe und -leben
Bruno Walter piano
BBC Broadcast from the 1949 Edinburgh Festival

CD 10
Brahms Alto Rhapsody
Lieder, Op.91
Vier ernste Gesðnge
Mahler Kindertotenlieder

CD 11
Brahms Liebeslieder-Walzer, Op.52
Neue Liebeslieder-Walzer, Op.63, no.13
Irmgard Seefried soprano · Kathellen Ferrier contralto
Julius Patzak tenor · Horst Günter bass-baritone
Clifford Curzon · Hans Gál piano
Britten Spring Symphony
Jo Vincent soprano · Kathleen Ferrier contralto
Peter Pears tenor
Concertgebouw Orchestra
Eduard van Beinum

CD 12
Mahler Symphony No.2
Jo Vinent soprano · Kathleen Ferrier contralto
Amsterdam Tonkunst Choir
Concertgebouw Orchestra
Otto Klemperer

CD 13
Mahler Das Lied von der Erde
3 Rückert-Lieder
Julius Patzak tenor
Wiener Philharmoniker
Buino Walter

CD 14
J. S. Bach Cantatas 11 & 67
The Cantata Singers
The Jacques Orchestra
Reginald Jacques

Bonus DVD
An Ordinary Diva

Decca 4783589