Blow the Wind Southerly
View record and artist detailsRecord and Artist Details
Composer or Director: Benjamin Britten, Traditional, Robert Burns, Roger Quilter, Herbert Hughes
Label: Decca
Magazine Review Date: 6/1988
Media Format: CD or Download
Media Runtime: 54
Mastering:
ADD
Catalogue Number: 417 192-2DH
Tracks:
| Composition | Artist Credit |
|---|---|
| My bonny lad |
Traditional, Composer
Kathleen Ferrier, Contralto (Female alto) Phyllis Spurr, Piano Traditional, Composer |
| (The) Keel Row |
Traditional, Composer
Kathleen Ferrier, Contralto (Female alto) Phyllis Spurr, Piano Traditional, Composer |
| Blow the wind southerly |
Traditional, Composer
Kathleen Ferrier, Contralto (Female alto) Phyllis Spurr, Piano Traditional, Composer |
| I have a bonnet trimmed with blue |
Traditional, Composer
Kathleen Ferrier, Contralto (Female alto) Phyllis Spurr, Piano Traditional, Composer |
| My boy Willie |
Traditional, Composer
Kathleen Ferrier, Contralto (Female alto) Phyllis Spurr, Piano Traditional, Composer |
| I know where I'm going |
Traditional, Composer
Kathleen Ferrier, Contralto (Female alto) Phyllis Spurr, Piano Traditional, Composer |
| Fidgety bairn |
Traditional, Composer
John Newmark, Piano Kathleen Ferrier, Contralto (Female alto) Traditional, Composer |
| I will walk with my love |
Traditional, Composer
Kathleen Ferrier, Contralto (Female alto) Phyllis Spurr, Piano Traditional, Composer |
| Folk Song Arrangements, Movement: O waly waly |
Benjamin Britten, Composer
Benjamin Britten, Composer John Newmark, Piano Kathleen Ferrier, Contralto (Female alto) |
| Folk Song Arrangements, Movement: At the mid hour of night |
Benjamin Britten, Composer
Benjamin Britten, Composer John Newmark, Piano Kathleen Ferrier, Contralto (Female alto) |
| Willow, willow |
Traditional, Composer
Kathleen Ferrier, Contralto (Female alto) Phyllis Spurr, Piano Traditional, Composer |
| (The) Stuttering lovers |
Traditional, Composer
Kathleen Ferrier, Contralto (Female alto) Phyllis Spurr, Piano Traditional, Composer |
| (3) Songs, Movement: No. 2, Now sleeps the crimson petal (wds. Tennyson |
Roger Quilter, Composer
Kathleen Ferrier, Contralto (Female alto) Phyllis Spurr, Piano Roger Quilter, Composer |
| (7) Elizabethan Lyrics, Movement: Fair house of joy (wds. Anon) |
Roger Quilter, Composer
Kathleen Ferrier, Contralto (Female alto) Phyllis Spurr, Piano Roger Quilter, Composer |
| To Julia, Movement: To Daisies |
Roger Quilter, Composer
Kathleen Ferrier, Contralto (Female alto) Phyllis Spurr, Piano Roger Quilter, Composer |
| (The) Arnold Book of Old Songs, Movement: No. 2, Over the mountains (wds from Percy's 'Reliq |
Roger Quilter, Composer
Kathleen Ferrier, Contralto (Female alto) Phyllis Spurr, Piano Roger Quilter, Composer |
| Have you seen the whyte lilie grow? |
Traditional, Composer
Kathleen Ferrier, Contralto (Female alto) Phyllis Spurr, Piano Traditional, Composer |
| Ye banks and braes of Bonnie Doon |
Robert Burns, Composer
Kathleen Ferrier, Contralto (Female alto) Phyllis Spurr, Piano Robert Burns, Composer |
| Drink to me only with thine eyes |
Traditional, Composer
Kathleen Ferrier, Contralto (Female alto) Phyllis Spurr, Piano Traditional, Composer |
| Down by the Salley Gardens |
Herbert Hughes, Composer
Herbert Hughes, Composer Kathleen Ferrier, Contralto (Female alto) Phyllis Spurr, Piano |
| Lover's curse |
Traditional, Composer
Kathleen Ferrier, Contralto (Female alto) Phyllis Spurr, Piano Traditional, Composer |
Composer or Director: Johannes Brahms, Gustav Mahler
Label: Decca
Magazine Review Date: 6/1988
Media Format: CD or Download
Media Runtime: 60
Mastering:
Mono
ADD
Catalogue Number: 421 299-2DH
Tracks:
| Composition | Artist Credit |
|---|---|
| (5) Rückert-Lieder, Movement: No. 1, Ich atmet' einem linden Duft |
Gustav Mahler, Composer
Bruno Walter, Conductor Gustav Mahler, Composer Kathleen Ferrier, Contralto (Female alto) Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra |
| (5) Rückert-Lieder, Movement: No. 4, Ich bin der Welt abhanden gekommen |
Gustav Mahler, Composer
Bruno Walter, Conductor Gustav Mahler, Composer Kathleen Ferrier, Contralto (Female alto) Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra |
| (5) Rückert-Lieder, Movement: No. 5, Um Mitternacht |
Gustav Mahler, Composer
Bruno Walter, Conductor Gustav Mahler, Composer Kathleen Ferrier, Contralto (Female alto) Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra |
| (2) Lieder |
Johannes Brahms, Composer
Johannes Brahms, Composer Kathleen Ferrier, Contralto (Female alto) Max Gilbert, Viola Phyllis Spurr, Piano |
| (2) Lieder, Movement: Geistliches Wiegenlied (wds. Geibel after Lope de |
Johannes Brahms, Composer
Johannes Brahms, Composer Kathleen Ferrier, Contralto (Female alto) Max Gilbert, Viola Phyllis Spurr, Piano |
Composer or Director: Franz Schubert, Johannes Brahms, Robert Schumann, Kathleen Ferrier
Label: Decca
Magazine Review Date: 6/1988
Media Format: CD or Download
Media Runtime: 63
Mastering:
Mono
ADD
Catalogue Number: 414 611-2DH
Tracks:
| Composition | Artist Credit |
|---|---|
| What the Edinburgh Festival |
Kathleen Ferrier, Composer
Kathleen Ferrier, Composer Kathleen Ferrier, Wheel of Fortune Woman |
| (Die) Junge Nonne |
Franz Schubert, Composer
Bruno Walter, Piano Franz Schubert, Composer Kathleen Ferrier, Contralto (Female alto) |
| Rosamunde, Fürstin von Zypern, Movement: No. 3b, Romanze: Der Vollmond strahlt (sop) |
Franz Schubert, Composer
Bruno Walter, Piano Franz Schubert, Composer Kathleen Ferrier, Contralto (Female alto) |
| Du liebst mich nicht |
Franz Schubert, Composer
Bruno Walter, Piano Franz Schubert, Composer Kathleen Ferrier, Contralto (Female alto) |
| (Der) Tod und das Mädchen |
Franz Schubert, Composer
Bruno Walter, Piano Franz Schubert, Composer Kathleen Ferrier, Contralto (Female alto) |
| Suleika I |
Franz Schubert, Composer
Bruno Walter, Piano Franz Schubert, Composer Kathleen Ferrier, Contralto (Female alto) |
| Du bist die Ruh |
Franz Schubert, Composer
Bruno Walter, Piano Franz Schubert, Composer Kathleen Ferrier, Contralto (Female alto) |
| (5) Lieder, Movement: No. 2, Immer leiser wird mein Schlummer (wds. Ling |
Johannes Brahms, Composer
Bruno Walter, Piano Johannes Brahms, Composer Kathleen Ferrier, Contralto (Female alto) |
| (5) Lieder, Movement: No. 1, Botschaft (wds. Daumer after Hafis) |
Johannes Brahms, Composer
Bruno Walter, Piano Johannes Brahms, Composer Kathleen Ferrier, Contralto (Female alto) |
| (4) Lieder, Movement: No. 1, Von ewiger Liebe (wds. Fallersleben) |
Johannes Brahms, Composer
Bruno Walter, Piano Johannes Brahms, Composer Kathleen Ferrier, Contralto (Female alto) |
| (4) Lieder, Movement: Der Tod, das ist die kühle Nacht (wds. Heine) |
Johannes Brahms, Composer
Bruno Walter, Piano Johannes Brahms, Composer Kathleen Ferrier, Contralto (Female alto) |
| Frauenliebe und -leben |
Robert Schumann, Composer
Bruno Walter, Piano Kathleen Ferrier, Contralto (Female alto) Robert Schumann, Composer |
Author:
The recitals given by Kathleen Ferrier and Bruno Walter at the Edinburgh Festival of 1952, broadcast and subsequently transfered to disc, may not be among the great recordings of the century, but they surely are among the great performances that happen to be on record. The surfaces are grubby, balance is not ideal and there is some distortion in the reproduction of the voice. It is also true that Walter's piano-playing is—Alan Blyth finds the diplomatic word for it in his sleeve-note—''idiosyncratic''; and maybe both the singing and the playing are on too large a scale to do justice to the intimate art of Lieder. But greatness is there; singer and pianist inspire each other, with Ferrier fully coming into her inheritance and giving everything in her voice, heart and mind to honour the occasion. The calming modulations of tone in Die junge Nonne, the intense building of climax in Du liebst mich nicht!, the gaiety and conviction of Botschaft, the heroic fulfilment of Von ewiger Liebe are all specially memorable but, more important, they belong in a generally unforgettable context. The Frauenliebe cycle also has its special moments, but again is such a total experience, boldly lived throughout. Faults could be found, but it is a foolish occupation to sit nit-picking amidst a blaze of glory.
The other records do not gain from being played as recitals: there is not enough contrast or feeling for programme in the sequences, and returning to them in future I expect to dot around, choosing one item at a time. If it's the English song record, then what will call first is I will walk with my love, infinitely touching as melody and singing, with Phyllis Spurr giving a characteristically sensitive account of the accompaniment which Herbert Hughes wrote with such unobtrusive grace. Of the songs by Quilter The fair house of joy seems to me too slow, but Now sleeps the crimson petal catches the mood to perfection.
In the Brahms and Mahler record everything benefits from the loveliness of voice and sincerity of approach. Finest of all, I think, are the Vier ernste Gesange, the voice at its most sumDtuous and utterly right for the songs, the style having noble breadth and authority as well as keeping compassionate personal contact. It is moving to hear the Alto Rhapsody again too, with the hush of ''die Ode verschlingt ihn'' turning for a little comfort to the warmer notes of ''Ach, wer heilet die Schmerzen''.
Unfortunately, it is in this record that one is most held back by the quality of the recorded sound. Whatever the method being used, it has an uncanny knack of bringing out exactly what most interferes with the pleasure of listening. In many of the louder passages in these recordings a rattle distorts the sound (I've heard it on three different sorts of equipment and found it pretty constant). One then notices the proud slogan ''Digital Remaster to Audiophile Standards''. I don't know about 'audiophiles' but I can't imagine that anyone who likes music, and the human voice particularly, would prefer this sound to what I have just now been listening to from the 78rpm originals, played on unsophisticated equipment with such elementary adjustments as I should think would make an audiophile's ears start from their sockets.
Happily, for a large part of the time the voice is unaffected. Happily, too, and thanks no doubt to good planning, the release coincides with the publication of Maurice Leonard's new book(Kathleen—The Life of Kathleen Ferrier: Hutchinson, £14 95), a brisk, informative and sympathetic account of the singer's life and work. In his introduction, Leonard mentions the ''tart'' rejoinder of Roy Henderson to the author's confession that he had never seen Ferrier on stage: ''Then you only know a quarter of what she did''. With the recent experience of these CDs and book, together with the distant, but distinct memories of her in life, I'd settle for two-thirds.
'
The other records do not gain from being played as recitals: there is not enough contrast or feeling for programme in the sequences, and returning to them in future I expect to dot around, choosing one item at a time. If it's the English song record, then what will call first is I will walk with my love, infinitely touching as melody and singing, with Phyllis Spurr giving a characteristically sensitive account of the accompaniment which Herbert Hughes wrote with such unobtrusive grace. Of the songs by Quilter The fair house of joy seems to me too slow, but Now sleeps the crimson petal catches the mood to perfection.
In the Brahms and Mahler record everything benefits from the loveliness of voice and sincerity of approach. Finest of all, I think, are the Vier ernste Gesange, the voice at its most sumDtuous and utterly right for the songs, the style having noble breadth and authority as well as keeping compassionate personal contact. It is moving to hear the Alto Rhapsody again too, with the hush of ''die Ode verschlingt ihn'' turning for a little comfort to the warmer notes of ''Ach, wer heilet die Schmerzen''.
Unfortunately, it is in this record that one is most held back by the quality of the recorded sound. Whatever the method being used, it has an uncanny knack of bringing out exactly what most interferes with the pleasure of listening. In many of the louder passages in these recordings a rattle distorts the sound (I've heard it on three different sorts of equipment and found it pretty constant). One then notices the proud slogan ''Digital Remaster to Audiophile Standards''. I don't know about 'audiophiles' but I can't imagine that anyone who likes music, and the human voice particularly, would prefer this sound to what I have just now been listening to from the 78rpm originals, played on unsophisticated equipment with such elementary adjustments as I should think would make an audiophile's ears start from their sockets.
Happily, for a large part of the time the voice is unaffected. Happily, too, and thanks no doubt to good planning, the release coincides with the publication of Maurice Leonard's new book
'
Blow the Wind Southerly
Kathleen Ferrier sings Brahms and Mahler
Kathleen Ferrier Recital, Edinburgh, 1949
Explore the world’s largest classical music catalogue on Apple Music Classical.
Included with an Apple Music subscription. Download now.
Gramophone Digital Club
- Digital Edition
- Digital Archive
- Reviews Database
- Events & Offers
From £9.20 / month
Subscribe
Gramophone Club
- Print Edition
- Digital Edition
- Digital Archive
- Reviews Database
- Events & Offers
From £11.45 / month
Subscribe
If you are a library, university or other organisation that would be interested in an institutional subscription to Gramophone please click here for further information.