It is said that the
nuptials of some mortals are made in
heaven. There are a few musical liaisons
that must have been made in a place
beyond even there. Such liaisons are
forged from a unification of individual
genius and artistic outlook in artists
mining a common vein of musicality.
Such occurred with Janet Baker and John
Barbirolli. Certain of their recordings
overlap those of Bruno Walter and Kathleen
Ferrier and the content here. Indeed
the interpretations of these two pairs
could be considered rivals. Baker and
Barbirolli shared the same recording
company, EMI, and their recordings together
depended on the exigencies of the catalogue
as seen by the company’s Artist and
Repertoire gurus. It wasn’t that easy
for Kathleen Ferrier and conductor Bruno
Walter to get recording sessions together
after memorable performances at the
Edinburgh Festival in 1947. As James
Murray, in an informative sleeve note
explains, Walter was one of the Columbia
label’s most prestigious artists whilst
Kathleen Ferrier was contracted to Decca.
Manoeuvring and pressure on the part
of Ferrier persuaded Decca to relent,
and during a Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra
tour of Britain, Columbia recorded the
pair in Kindertotenlieder. The return
fixture didn’t happen until 1952 when
Decca recorded the pair in Das Lied
van der Erde in their favourite venue
of the Grosser Saal of the Musikverein
in Vienna. The Drei Rückert Liederen
was also recorded at these sessions
and issued as the fourth side of a two
LP set.
Regis has already issued
Das Lied (RRC 1146) prepared with care
by Tony Watts who has lavished similar
care on this CD. However, Columbia’s
recording technique of 1949 was no match
for Decca’s and particularly the latter’s
Vienna team of 1952. Indeed at the start
of the Kindertotenlieder (tr. 1), with
Ferrier’s opening phrases not ideally
steady and the voice too far forward,
the orchestral sound is thin and the
bassoon and horns tremulous. However,
matters improve rapidly and the symbiosis
of two great musicians working together
in a common purpose can be enjoyed to
the full. Ferrier’s tone is light, expressive
and full of feeling (tr.4). The better
recording and balance in the Drei Rückert
Liederen allow the listener to be drawn
into the expressive nuances of the singing
(trs. 6-8). Ferrier’s diction and phrasing
are outstanding here and are superbly
set off and matched by Bruno Walter’s
conducting.
After the emotion of
the Mahler the impact of the Brahms
pieces is less immediate. Ferrier’s
voice is not as open-throated (tr. 9)
as in the Rückert Liederen with
the tessitura lower (tr. 10 at 2min
18). However, her characteristic elegance
of phrase and emotional involvement
are present to the full. Her voice is
recorded well forward without overwhelming
the sympathetic piano accompaniment
in the 1950 Decca original. Similar
excellent balance is achieved in the
Op. 91 songs (trs. 13-14) where the
mood is well reflected by all the participants.
This Regis collection
has been prepared with care and draws
on both Decca and Columbia originals.
To the best of my knowledge the combination
of these works is unique on CD. For
that reason, as well as Kathleen Ferrier’s
consummate skill in this oeuvre, it
can be thoroughly recommended.
Robert J Farr
REGIS RRC 1153 [68.19]