Sir John Barbirolli, Janet Baker, Halle Orchestra - Great Recordings Of The Century - Janet Baker Sings Mahler / Barbirolli, et al

Baker/Barbirolli; an unmatched partnership

Few partnerships have been as memorable as that of Sir Barbirolli and Dame Baker's, and this collection of Mahler's three song cycles might very well be their very best achievement. Their artistic connection is simply astounding and never ceases to fascinate.

Baker is to me unsurpassed in this repertoire. Her sensitively colored diction and her honest, moving mezzo tone make her an ideal choice for these most personal pages of Mahler's output. With Baker, poetry is not only mastered on its own; but skillfully reintegrated in the music to form a remarkably dynamic whole. In this respect, her Kindertotenlieder are particularly evocative and deeply moving, with a heart-wrenching lullaby rounding off the cycle in "Im dieser Wetter".

Barbirolli is with her every step of the way and he conducts the Hallé and New Philharmonia orchestras like chamber ensembles. The wind solos are particularly telling as ample room is always made to include them in the Barbiorolli/Baker partnership.

The playing itself is not without blunders; cacking horns, questionable woodwing tuning... the usual suspects. The recorded sound, while perfectly satisfying, with a minimal hiss and a very vivid soundstage also has its share of let-downs (most notably a very harsh harp in the Rückertlieder), but with music-making of this caliber, these are very minute drawbacks and I am more than happy to look the other way. This is a very unique recording and I always find myself revisiting it and being fascinated by the artistry involved. Warmly recommended! November 4, 2008

Highest level of collaboration

I would only add that the orchestral accompaniment on this recording is just astoundingly sensitive, spontaneous and full of life. These are musicians who know how to listen. The responsiveness of the orchestra to the soloist reminds me of some of the greatest jazz improvisations. I've listened to this recording for 30 years and it continues to amaze me. February 23, 2007

Forever Dame Janet Baker

Certain artists have become closely identified with the music of Gustav Mahler, especially singers who have not only the vocal technique required to make it through his tough pieces, but who also have a majesty of poetry that allows Mahler's angst to sing. Chief among the growing throng of Mahlerites remains Dame Janet Baker. Baker may not possess the most beautiful of voices ever created, but her intelligence, technique, and sensitivity to text and musical line is unmatched.

These recordings of three of Mahler's song cycles are radiant examples of Baker at her peak. Accompanied by Sir John Barbirolli conducting the Halle Orchestra, this is Mahler 'as good as it gets'. Baker makes the 'Kindertotenlieder' as poignant as any singer ever has. Her performance of the 'R?ckert Lieder' (this time with the New Philharmonia Orchestra under Barbirolli's tender leadership) is staggeringly beautiful: "Ich atmet' einem linden Duft" floats in the ether of Mahler's most tender writing.

But in this recording the bravas belong to Baker's interpretation of 'Lieder eines fahrenden Gesellen', a performance so near perfection that it challenges recall. Listen to 'Die zwei blauen Augen von meinem Schatz' and see if tears can be avoided. The marriage between Baker and Barbirolli is as fine as any ever recorded (and there are many excellent recordings from which to choose!). This recording is a Mahler lover's delight, but it is also a recording to introduce music lovers who may not embrace Mahler's music yet. It truly merits inclusion in this Greatest Recordings of the Century collection. Highly recommended on every level. Grady Harp, April 06 April 18, 2006

Deeply sympathetic, lavishly beautiful Mahler ...

Dame Janet Baker, that name is legend in Mahler, and one could never doubt the towering artistry of her singing here, especially as combined with the lavish orchestral playing under Sir John Barbirolli on these classic recordings. All the artists on this recording really revel in the beauty and emotions of Mahler's music, Sir John and Dame Janet both making the most of all the notes, really making the music bloom to the full. Dame Janet's singing is as full of tone and as emotionally involved as is humanly possible in these songs. Only a few other singers could ever match her intesity and beauty, but to this listener, the renderings of all of the same Lieder by Anne Sofie von Otter (with Gardiner and Boulez) are certainly on par with Dame Janet Baker's. As for the baritones, I have a special affection for the warmly affecting renderings by Andreas Schmidt (with Jesus Lopez-Cobos on Telarc).
If the reader would allow me to make a point by comparing this album with another album to (re)affirm (if that would ever be necessary!, but please allow me to indulge ...) its gigantic stature, then these Mahler songs as recorded here by Janet Baker are certainly the equivalent of the equally famous and equally gourgeous Schwarzkopf/Szell/Strauss Lieder-album.
Be that as it may, if you love, or even just 'like' Mahler, the this album is essential hearing ... February 26, 2006

What else can I say?

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! March 3, 2004

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