KATHLEEN FERRIER When the Voice Finds Wings to Fly

The centenary of the birth of the extraordinary British contralto Kathleen Ferrier, a singer who became a legend after her untimely death in 1952, is marked by a 10-CD set on the Documents label. These recordings from her all too short career present an outstanding artist who with her inspired singing and her legendary, darkly warm timbre achieved immortality.

Many of the recordings featured have become benchmarks, in particular her interpretations of Mahler’s Das Lied von der Erde and Kindertotenlieder. Her Brahms, Schubert, Schumann and Wolf are evidence that she was a great Lied singer. The set also includes sacred works by Pergolesi, Handel and Bach, together with a complete recording of Gluck’s opera Orfeo ed Euridice, as well as her wonderful interpretations of the traditional songs of her native country, sung with lightness of touch and devotion in equal measure.

Personnel: Kathleen Ferrier (contralto) with various orchestras/artists (see below)

Discs 1-2:

MAHLER: Das Lied von der Erde/Kindertotenlieder, Three Rückert Songs

WOLF: Four Mörike Songs

Julius Patzak, Phyllis Spurr (piano), Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra/Bruno Walter (1949, 1952)

Disc 3:

SCHUBERT: Gretchen am Spinnrade/Die junge Nonne/An die Musik/Der Musensohn

SCHUMANN: Woman‘s Love and Life/Volksliedchen Widmung

Phyllis Spurr, John Newmark (piano) (1947, 1949, 1950)

Disc 4:

BRAHMS: Geistliches Wiegenlied/Four Serious Songs/Alto Rhapsody

Max Gilbert (viola), Phyllis Spurr, John Newmark (piano), London Philharmonic Choir, London Philharmonic Orchestra, Clemens Krauss (1947, 1949, 1950)

Discs 5-6:

BACH: excerpts from: Mass in B minor/St. John Passion/St. Matthew Passion/Ascension Oratorio

The Bach Choir, London Philharmonic Orchestra, National Symphony Orchestra, The Jacques Orchestra, Vienna Symphony Orchestra, Sir Adrian Boult, Sir Malcolm Sargent, Reginald Jacques, Herbert von Karajan (1946, 1947-1950, 1952)

Disc 7:

PERGOLESI: Stabat Mater

Joan Taylor, Nottingham Oriana Choir, The Boyd Neel String Orchestra/Roy Henderson (1946)

MENDELSSOHN: Elijah (excerpts)

The Boyd Neel Orchestra/Boyd Neel (1946)

Disc 8:

PURCELL: Sound the trumpet/Let us wander, not unseen Shepherd, shepherd, cease decoying

HANDEL: Frondi tenere ... Ombra mai fu Art thou troubled? Spring is coming/ Come to me, soothing sleep/Return, O God of Hosts!/O thou that tellest good tidings to Zion/Father of Heaven He was despised

GREEN: O Praise the Lord/I will lay me down in peace

Gerald Moore (piano), Basil Lam (harpsichord), London Symphony Orchestra, London Philharmonic, Sir Malcolm Sargent, Sir Adrian Boult (1944, 1945, 1952)

Disc 9:

GLUCK: Orfeo ed Euridice

Orfeo: Kathleen Ferrier, Euridice: Ann Ayars, Amor: Zoe Vlachopoulos, Glyndebourne Festival Chorus, Southern Philharmonic Orchestra, Fritz Stiedry (1947)

Disc 10:

TRADITIONALS

VAUGHAN WILLIAMS: Silent noon

STANFORD: A soft day/The fairy lough

Phyllis Spur, John Newmark, Frederick Stone (piano) (1949-1952)

Documents 10cds 233590