- Four Last Songs, and other orchestral songs.
We are all getting older; even “famous” people, singers, violinists and other performers. I miss listening to the music of these great performers.
As an example, Soprano Barbara Bonney does more teaching now; and she opened a clothing retail store in Salzburg, Austria, where she studied music years ago.
And today, my thoughts go back to Kiri Te Kanawa, who is also less visible now. This CD contains some of Ms. Te Kanawa’s great interpretations of Lieder by Richard Strauss:
Strauss, R:
- Four Last Songs
- Morgen, Op. 27 No. 4
- Muttertändelei, Op. 43 No. 2
- Ruhe, meine Seele!, Op. 27 No. 1
- Wiegenlied, Op. 41 No. 1
- Befreit, Op. 39 No. 4
- Zueignung, Op. 10 No. 1
Performed by Kiri Te Kanawa (soprano), with the London Symphony Orchestra, Andrew Davis conducting.
Let me illustrate what I have come to miss, as we hear Kiri Te Kanawa with Sir Georg Solti going through Strauss’ “Four Last Songs”, and working through each song individually in rehearsal. You also see Kiri singing through them with Orchestra. Finally we get to see the whole concert:
http://youtu.be/spCdA4o8W5s
And here is Kiri Te Kanawa performing the lovely song “Zueignung” (dedication) By Richard Strauss:
Finally, here is another great singer, Jessye Norman, singing Richard Strauss’ song, “Ruhe, meine Seele” (Rest, my soul). Kurt Masur conducts the New York Philharmonic orchestra:
Tags: Richard Strauss, Kiri Te Kanawa, Four Last Songs, Solti, Andrew Davis
