Baker in the finest flower of her career
Santa Fe Listener | Santa Fe, NM USA | 04/20/2007
(5 out of 5 stars)
"During the period covered by this CD, 1960-68, Janet Baker's voice was a miraculous instrument for lieder singing. I heard her live at the time and collected all her recordings. She had an intensity that created immediate, sometimes piercing emotion, and her ability to convey joy was unique. Here she sings a wide variety of Brahms lieder, only a handful among the most famous (like 'von ewiger liebe'), while most are fairly obscure. The recordings come from BBC studio recitals and are therefore in good, clean mono. Her two accompanists, although not among the most renowned, are quite good. If you know how astonishing an artist Baker was in her prime, this CD is self-recommending. It's the best of the several that BBC Legends has released--a real treasure."