Search - Gluck, Ferrier, Stiedry :: Orfeo & Euridice (Abridged)

A record to cherish.

06/24/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Had Fate not decreed otherwise, the legendary Kathleen Ferrier would have had the opportunity of recording her finest role of Orfeo - in full - on LP, thus superseding this Glyndebourne production but, tragically, her life was cut short in 1953, when long-playing microgroove recordings were just starting to come into their own.
However, this beautifully remastered CD of the recording made in June 1947 is still a joy to hear, and despite the abridgements, occupied seven 78rpm discs in the days when a handtruck was needed to shift a 'complete opera' set (I believe Don Giovanni ran to 24 discs)!
In this Italian Ricordi version - which is actually much closer to Gluck's 1774 Paris revision of Orph?e et Eurydice (for tenor) than the later Berlioz adaptation - the tempi are surprisingly acceptable for the time and compare more than favourably with the recent 'authentic' Minkowski Orph?e released on Archiv. While the necessary cuts are regrettable - although the Act I 'Addio, addio o miei sospiri' would've challenged Ferrier's coloratura abilities - the omission of the too well-known Dance of the Furies from Act II was no loss!
In the days when even the Royal Opera, Covent Garden, performed their repertoire in English, Ferrier and her colleagues' Italian (specially learned for the production) sounds a little mannered, but that is unimportant and certainly doesn't effect the quality of the singing.
I have many examples of Gluck's greatest opera, ranging from the original 1762 Orfeo, through the 1774 Paris, 1859 Berlioz and now 1889 Ricordi (back to Orfeo) and Kath Ferrier's performance has quickly become one of my favourites, ranking with those of tenors L?opold Simoneau and David Hobson, and well ahead of the recent Richard Croft/Marc Minkowski effort.
Whatever the perceived shortcomings - technical and otherwise - to modern ears, this is a precious example of a great artist in her greatest role and we are fortunate that it is now available intact on CD."

The first recording of Gluck's opera by Glyndebourne and wel

David Fletcher Noble | Highlands Ranch, CO United States | 02/04/2004

(4 out of 5 stars)

"This recording of Gluck's masterpiece would never be a dissappointment to the listener. Though the conductor tends to quaver the rhythms a great deal and the numbers may not sound so smoothly run. The changing of Kathleen's Italian was an error for the conductor's part. He seemed to be overly critical of Kathleen's style and vocal talents. The other two ladies sing the parts to satisfactory degree. I don't mind the cutting and the abridging. I wished Dutton would have produced more abridged Gluck operas."