"This must be our last try," said Elisabeth Schumann to the record producer, after balance problems and singers (mainly Melchior) making mistakes were detected in earlier "trys". Sounding as fresh as a bird at daybreak, Elisabeth Schumann led them through one last time - and it was magic. - John Austin, Australia
I was going to say that this is one of the greatest sound recordings ever made... But I appear to have already done that. So I will just add that sitting here and listening to this recording again, it always works its magic. To listen is to feel uplifted.
"How do you produce those beautiful, gleaming high notes?" Irmgard Seefried asked Elisabeth Schumann in Vienna in 1946, when they met for the first time. Touching her own backside, the largest part of her anatomy, "From here, my dear," Elisabeth Schumann replied. - John Austin, Australia
A splendid recording in all regards. In the summer of 1963 I traveled extensively throughout Europe and arrived in Copenhagen dead tired. I crawled into bed and slept many hours. At length, I walked the SHORT distance to Tivoli and encountered hoards leaving the park. Posters everywhere informed me I had missed Melchoir's FREE final farewell concert. My loss haunts me yet!
there really is something magical about the recordings of this era. Any fidelity and brightness that might be gained today would miss the soft beauty of the sound of this era.
Absolutely wonderful. The quintet is done to perfection, with amazing recording balance for a 1931 recording. Your own equipment is also amazing. Is there even a single scratch on this record!?!? It sounds like a CD, except the quality is better!
John Austin..yes totally agree E.S. perhaps the finest lieder soprano and untouchable in Der Rosen: that era with Lotte and Vienna....only wish I lived in thosedays...imagine Claudia Muzio etc etc.
Dear Elizabeth......she made this fine recording she's just so superior and I can't for the life of me understand why so many voice lovers don't rave about her glorious gift.....her wonderful lieder and Der Rosen with Lotte. She has the perfect breath control and pitch variance with a defining sound that spells incomparable.
I cannot understand why us true vocal operatic lovers and critics of the human voice cannot recognize one of the finest sopranos ever Eliz: Schumann, from all lieder to Der Rosen..she reigns supreme please listen. Yes she's german like all the great composers. Not forgetting our wonderful Italians.
Sheer perfection! Thank you Doug for reminding me of the glory of this particular recording. I cannot think of a single contemporary soprano who could sound so heavenly. What a cast for a complete recording. Schorr was unquestionably the greatest Sachs of all time and the other three singers were not exactly to be sniffed at. You have managed to achieve extraordinarily fine sound and balance for your transfer. Remarkable! Many thanks, Vivian
Dear Vivian: Hard to imagine anyone better suited here than Elisabeth Schumann, in my humble opinion. And to think this was the fifth or sixth take?! Wonderful music, wonderfully performed. As always... thank you! Doug --
Thanks, Doug, for including the quote from that fascinating book of Simmons which I have taken down from my shelf many times. Your presentation is quite good and you have a clean pressing, hard to find after all these years.
A man after my own heart:-) My Audacity program is the most heavily used ancillary program on my computer:-) But however it got there, this one of the cleanest, clearest, most pristine videos I've heard in a while!
This is the perfect example of my constant writing...Elizabeth Schumann is incomparable here and in Der Rosen: and her lieder...some artists just suita composers wishes.
Keeping in mind that it is not how "loud" you can sing but rather how well. The impresarios are "acoustically challenged," as are the stage directors, who select singers based on the criteria, the former, of how well singers can "bellow" and the latter on their physiology. Both are responsible for the destruction of opera and the reason that the PAST is entitled the GOLDEN ERA OF SINGING.
What a story-sounds like similar ones with Corelli-but what voices what musical spirits-all those jokes about dumb tenors, or resonating space instead of brains-but I think it has something to do with a terminal anxiety about this unnatural voice type they have-though Melchior was very sure of himself I don't associate him with Walter but a fine recording I have Tristanissimo but don't remember this story The dust jacket has him in front of that great Schattenstein portrait of him as Tristan
Edmund: Many thanks, but true confession... the "system" here is in every way comically amateurish. Although this particular disc is very clean, the audio was nonetheless put through an inexpensive de-click and de-crackle process. Again... thank YOU!
"This must be our last try," said Elisabeth Schumann to the record producer, after balance problems and singers (mainly Melchior) making mistakes were detected in earlier "trys". Sounding as fresh as a bird at daybreak, Elisabeth Schumann led them through one last time - and it was magic. - John Austin, Australia
I was going to say that this is one of the greatest sound recordings ever made... But I appear to have already done that. So I will just add that sitting here and listening to this recording again, it always works its magic. To listen is to feel uplifted.
Simply put: One of the greatest sound recordings ever made.
Jeffrey Roberts Hi Jeffrey: YES, hard to disagree!
"How do you produce those beautiful, gleaming high notes?" Irmgard Seefried asked Elisabeth Schumann in Vienna in 1946, when they met for the first time. Touching her own backside, the largest part of her anatomy, "From here, my dear," Elisabeth Schumann replied. - John Austin, Australia
A splendid recording in all regards. In the summer of 1963 I traveled extensively throughout Europe and arrived in Copenhagen dead tired. I crawled into bed and slept many hours. At length, I walked the SHORT distance to Tivoli and encountered hoards leaving the park. Posters everywhere informed me I had missed Melchoir's FREE final farewell concert. My loss haunts me yet!
Many listeners, Chris, many of us do just that.... Elisabeth Schumann is, beyond doubt, one of the truly wonderful greats!
Simply exquisite!
there really is something magical about the recordings of this era. Any fidelity and brightness that might be gained today would miss the soft beauty of the sound of this era.
Possibly the best sounding video you have ever posted - and boy, I LOVE this record. Thanks for posting this!
Absolutely wonderful. The quintet is done to perfection, with amazing recording balance for a 1931 recording. Your own equipment is also amazing. Is there even a single scratch on this record!?!? It sounds like a CD, except the quality is better!
Wonderful! Also a reminder that Barbirolli was a superb accompanist, and later of course a great conductor of orchestras and of opera.
Hear, hear... very well said! Today's singers could learn a lot from historic recordings, speaking of which, this one in particular! Many thanks!
John Austin..yes totally agree E.S. perhaps the finest lieder soprano and untouchable in Der Rosen: that era with Lotte and Vienna....only wish I lived in thosedays...imagine Claudia Muzio etc etc.
Dear Elizabeth......she made this fine recording she's just so superior and I can't for the life of me understand why so many voice lovers don't rave about her glorious gift.....her wonderful
lieder and Der Rosen with Lotte. She has the perfect breath control and pitch variance with
a defining sound that spells incomparable.
I cannot understand why us true vocal operatic lovers and critics of the human voice
cannot recognize one of the finest sopranos ever Eliz: Schumann, from all lieder to
Der Rosen..she reigns supreme please listen. Yes she's german like all the great
composers. Not forgetting our wonderful Italians.
Sheer perfection! Thank you Doug for reminding me of the glory of this particular recording. I cannot think of a single contemporary soprano who could sound so heavenly. What a cast for a complete recording. Schorr was unquestionably the greatest Sachs of all time and the other three singers were not exactly to be sniffed at. You have managed to achieve extraordinarily fine sound and balance for your transfer. Remarkable! Many thanks, Vivian
Sheer bliss.
Dear Vivian: Hard to imagine anyone better suited here than Elisabeth Schumann, in my humble opinion. And to think this was the fifth or sixth take?! Wonderful music, wonderfully performed. As always... thank you! Doug --
What a wonderful way to end the day. Thanks, Doug.
Hi Nosh: Agreed... Miss Schumann is indeed worthy of adoration! thank YOU!
Perhaps the most beautiful piece of singing that I have found in You Tube.
Thank you very much for sharing, beautiful... God Bless
A very, very special recording... one for all time. Thank you, Candy!
I always get a lump in my throat when I hear Elizabeth Schumann's opening phrase.
Stunning - the highest regards for posting.
There are times when everything works just right. IMO this is one of those times.
With my respect-John
Interesting story behind the recording. It's always nice to know some behind-the- scene happenings. Thank you, Doug.
Most welcome... thank YOU, vstasov... it is after all you who introduced me to this classic disc!
Heaven.
.... Utterly beautiful ..... Thanks so much for sharing this !!!
So many admiring and grateful comments and not a single like! What do you think of it, Doug? (The only one is mine, by the way).
Thank you. James... very much!
Thank you, Barbara, very much!
Well said... agree 101 percent. Actually, words fail... what a wonder. Thank you, Doug!
EXCELLENT POST!!! Thanks for sharing, Sir Doug.
Thank you. a timelesssly lovely recording.
Yes... such magnificence... thank YOU, John!
A pleasure... thank YOU, Janja!
Thanks, Doug, for including the quote from that fascinating book of Simmons which I have taken down from my shelf many times. Your presentation is quite good and you have a clean pressing, hard to find after all these years.
A man after my own heart:-) My Audacity program is the most heavily used ancillary program on my computer:-) But however it got there, this one of the cleanest, clearest, most pristine videos I've heard in a while!
Thank YOU, James... very much!
Exceptional
Superb.
Thank you, Doug - fabulous!!
Glad you like this. Thank you, George! PS: Ahhhh.... too bad re Melchior!
Hear, hear... bravo, Chris!
Oh... but thank YOU... very much! Best. Doug --
A pleasure... as always, thank YOU, George!
Amazing in every way.
Elizabeth Schumann has such a lovely, floaty voice. It sounds so fresh for a Wagner voice!
Thank YOU... very much!
Thanks.... Cheers!
Hi Roberta: Thank you... very much. Best. Doug --
Great...thanks for posting!
Hi Ginny:
And thank you...
... very much!
Doug --
Hello, John:
From her son's fine book, yes?
Many thanks!
Doug --
surely they all felt they were producing a masterpiece by say 4:00
Fair question... for which I haven't an answer!
Ditto.... thanks, AE!
would Schumann be hired today, or would houses demand a bigger voice?
This is the perfect example of my constant writing...Elizabeth Schumann is incomparable here and in Der Rosen: and her lieder...some artists just suita composers
wishes.
Keeping in mind that it is not how "loud" you can sing but rather how well. The impresarios are "acoustically challenged," as are the stage directors, who select singers based on the criteria, the former, of how well singers can "bellow" and the latter on their physiology. Both are responsible for the destruction of opera and the reason that the PAST is entitled the GOLDEN ERA OF SINGING.
ah the Dual 1219!-mines giving me trouble since i put the new amp-seems the amp doesn't like my shunted 78 rpm cartridge....lol
What a story-sounds like similar ones with Corelli-but what voices what musical spirits-all those jokes about dumb tenors, or resonating space instead of brains-but I think it has something to do with a terminal anxiety about this unnatural voice type they have-though Melchior was very sure of himself I don't associate him with Walter but a fine recording
I have Tristanissimo but don't remember this story The dust jacket has him in front of that great Schattenstein portrait of him as Tristan
Edmund: Many thanks, but true confession... the "system" here is in every way comically amateurish. Although this particular disc is very clean, the audio was nonetheless put through an inexpensive de-click and de-crackle process. Again... thank YOU!
someone ought to go through the other takes and see if a better version could be pieced together. I doubt it.
+ciroalb3 Ditto... thanks... (cheers!)
Was reading that they did over 30 takes before Barbirolli was satisfied!! Now that’s dedication!
2.7, 2.8, or 3 mil 78 rpm stylus?
Sorry, which cartidge? Good luck!
Marshall: Hmmmm.... interesting re "terminal anxiety" and "unnatural voice type." FYI, see page 107 Tristanissimo. Thanks! Doug --
Hmmmm..... dunno... should sound fine!
3 mil
m78s