Paul Carr | Silver Spring, MD United States | 08/10/2000
(5 out of 5 stars)
"I'd normally be pretty skeptical of anything titled "Great Recordings of the 20th Century," but EMI's nailed it with this one. We have here the superb musicianship and beautiful voice of Janet Baker with sympathetic support by Barbirolli. The Kindertotenlieder is particularly affecting. Robert Fripp has called this the "music of God's tears," and Miss Baker convinces me that this is an apt description. Highly recommended."
One-of-a-kind performance
Ahmed E. Ismail | Cambridge, MA United States | 08/09/2000
(5 out of 5 stars)
"It has been noted that everything Dame Janet Baker recorded is well worth hearing, and perhaps that is most true when she worked with Sir John Barbirolli. They did not record many works together (these, Elgar's "Sea Pictures" and "Dream," and Berlioz's "Les Nuits d'Eté" about cover it), but every one holds a special place in the discography.Mahler's song cycles may have been written for a man's voice (such as Thomas Hampson or Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau). However, listening to these performances, you'd never miss the difference. Baker and Barbirolli capture the atmosphere of each song perfectly, with especially lovely performances of the Rückert Lieder--the ending of "Um Mitternacht" is awe-inspiring. Then the Kindertotenlieder come along, and the raw emotion in both orchestra and voice alternately shock and soothe the listener.Anyone who wants an introduction to Mahler's song cycles need not hesitate over this disc."
What else can I say?
altoman | Springfield, VA | 03/03/2004
(5 out of 5 stars)
"This is truly an incredible cd. Dame Janet Baker was a great artist, who some reviewers said was a singing actress on the level of Callas, but without the ugly top notes. When she undertook a role or a song, she completely invested herself in it. Her retirement was, for me, a very sad day.In the Kindertotenlieder, she is a bereft mother, crushed by the loss of her children. While each song is heartbreaking in its own way, she still manages to reach even deeper in the final song, "In diesem Wetter, in diesem Braus" in which the mother, driven mad by her loss, laments that her (dead) children should not be out in the storm raging outside.In the Lieder eines fahrenden Gesellen, she is a completely different character, a lonely wanderer, encompassing a wide range of emotions. Most striking to me was the distraught "Ich hab' ein gluhend' Messer", where, even if you don't know German or have the translation in front of you, you know that this is a person in pain.To me, however, the greatest triumph on this cd is the Five Ruckert Lieder, in which Dame Janet goes from strength to strength. "Um Mitternacht" is absolutely soul-stirringly magnificent, but the crown jewel is "Ich bin der Welt abhanden gekommen", which is incredibly moving. It is otherworldly in a way that only one who has forsworn the world could know.If you don't know the artistry of the great Dame Janet Baker, there are few better places to start. Be warned, however, that this is not music to be played when you are depressed!"
Baker+Barbirolli+Mahler=Desert Island Material. Outstanding!
DAVID A. FLETCHER | Richmond, Va United States | 04/20/2003
(5 out of 5 stars)
"While I won't damn Mahler with faint praise like my predecessor below, I'll certainly echo his sentiments (and those of the others) regarding the artistic marriage of Dame Janet Baker, Sir John Barbirolli, and the orchestral song cycles of Gustav Mahler. These performances have been honored since their first appearances in the USA via EMI's Angel label in the late 60's and early 70's. Baker's recorded relationship with Barbirolli dates back to 1964 and her turn as the Angel in their performance of Elgar's "Dream of Gerontius," a justly famous reading of the work that Sir John most closely identified with during his long career. Their subsequent collaborations were almost always memorable, and often benchmark-setting in quality. Such is the case here. Baker is simply haunting and profound in her readings, and musically satisfying in a manner that begs you to train all of your attention to the works contained in this collection.For those whose taste for Mahler runs deep, seek out Dame Janet's performance of "Das Lied Von der Erde," with Bernard Haitink and the Royal Amsterdam Concertgebouw on Philips/Universal. Likewise (and here we set off the usual "who's a better conductor than who" debate), I can't imagine a Mahler symphony collection without Barbirolli's EMI performances of Symphonies 5 and 9, with the New Philharmonia and Berlin Philharmonic Orchestras, respectively. Both performances have their flaws--the Berlin/9th being their first experience with the score in the modern recording era, and it shows--but through both recordings, "Glorious John" earns his accolades with heart-on-the-sleave readings that convince listeners of their aptness. Barbirolli had, and has, his detractors, but unlike Bernstein, it would be difficult to accuse him of being garish or simply maudlin. And please, don't accuse me of Lenny-bashing; I put his later DG recordings of Symphonies 1, 5, 6, and 9 in the same library-essentials category (see what I mean about starting musical fist-fights?).In sum, then, count this as a must-have addition to any Mahler collection that is strangely without it, as well as a good introduction to late-Romantic orchestral songs for those just venturing into that territory. There is supreme artistry here, and it should not be missed."
Quite an enjoyable recording!
Julio Castro Karg | Guadalajara, Jalisco Mexico | 04/26/2003
(5 out of 5 stars)
"I had a couple of different versions of every single work in this recording when I bought it. And I must say that I was pretty satisfied with them all.Then, I found this recording from EMI's "Great Recordings of the Century" series, and given the obvious prestige of both conductor and singer (and the extremely low price of this CD) I decided to give it a try!Barbirolli's conducting is superb, I think that this is one of his best recordings of a Mahler work (alongside his famous and wonderfull recording of the Fifth Symphony)! However, the most noticeable difference from other versions of this particular works is without a doubt Janet Baker's fabulous singing! This recording is a joy to listen to! I recommend it wholeheartedly!"