Kathleen Ferrier ~ What is life & Art thou troubled
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 3 พ.ย. 2007
- Recorded in 1946 ~ Kathleen Ferrier ~ much beloved English Contralto ~ born on April 22, 1912, in Lancashire U.K. and died October 8th 1953.
Two favourites first heard on my grandmother's knee.
Audio with photo montage. - เพลง
The greatest honour that anyone has ever paid to me was when I sang Que Faro at a music festival in the mid-1980s. A woman came up to me afterwards and said that she'd been at Kathleen Ferrier's last concert at Covent Garden and my voice reminded her of that performance. I had great difficulty stopping myself from crying when she said that.
This is the greatest voice of the 20th century - without comparison
I knew Kathleen when I was 6 years old was greatly upset when she diedin 1953. Her voice is unique and raises the hairs on my neck.Her brother in law,many years later taught me to play the organ.
Klever Kaff lived not more than a 10 minute drive from my home, I visit her memorial garden regularly, she epitomises, far more than the Lennons or Mcartneys, the true spirit of music, real music, music which makes me, a council housed, ill-educated, kid who was fortunate enough to meet a mentor who taught me real music, When I hear 'What is Life' from Glucks Orpheo, I dissolve in tears
Imagine hearing this lovely and tragic music in 1946, at the end of WW2 where literally millions of people lost their loved ones! Wow.
What a simply superb artist is the lovely Kathleen.I never tire of hearing her lovely voice and seeing her beautiful face.
Without you Kathleen ALL our lives are diminished.
I was brought up in a children's home in Harpenden. Unlike the hell that other kids went through elsewhere, we had Sister Ethel Smith. One of the most wonderful people I have ever know. She converted us all to Kathleen Ferrier. Strange but true, my 96 year old aunt sang in a backing choir for Kathleen Ferrier.
Two beautiful arias from a beautiful lady who has left us a wonderful legacy. She will have enriched heaven immensely.
Che faro senza Kathleen? Her early death was a great loss. One of the great voices which touched everyone who heard it.
I remember a Lynda La Plante crime series called "Widows" in the early 80's. At the very end of the final episode, one of the key characters lay dead on the floor .. and instead of the usual end-music, they simply rolled the credits against an old, muffled version of "What Is Life". It totally blew me away and I spent years trying to track down the music - it turned out to be this very Kathleen Ferrier version ... and I still love it, 25 years on.
what a beautiful person with a truly amazing voice, rest in peace our kath,x
Nobody, but nobody, equals that dramatic, spine-tingling climax. Such power, such emotion.
Tears are in my eyes listening to Kathleen and thinking when i was young telling my mother who loved this second piece "Arth thou troubled" that I thought this was trash. How foolish we can be when young?
A good Blackburn girl god bless her and her northern voice
art williams I am not English. But when I hear this I wish I were.
There simply are no words to describe such beauty.
like I read a story from my own youth,and than continuing ,the story of me listening when my father was singing along with this heavenly music.You always wonders what is the secret of her pure and beautifull voice.God bless kathleen ferrier.
Kathleen Ferrier reduces one to ashes, in a profound and positive sense, the listener consumed by admiration,reverence and inspiration, by the beauty and sincerity of a supreme voice of such tenderness, reach and power, with such richness, rubato, resonance, purity of tone, spirit and belief in what she sings-all so modestly.
first heard her recordings at secondary school and loved her ever since, some 45 years in time
Voce stupenda e indimenticabile
voice of a angel this woman
its happening again. Whenever I hear a truly great singer, the hair at the back of my neck stands up. I remember reading about Kathleen as a child, but this is the first time I have actually heard her singing. NOW, I perfectly understand why she is up there with Callas etc as one of the great female singers of all time.
Way back in the mists of time when I was wee I used to hear her singing Blow the Wind Southerly on the radio
What a beautiful evocative song by Kathleen Ferrier and the equally beautiful comments the words have inspired. Peace and Love to all .....
the best makes you wonder what music so good god bless her
My father died the same week aged 40 a professional singer also, so this always reminds me I was just a baby at the time
First heard "What is life--"whilst lodging with an older couple in Middlesex, they would sit in silence and listen to music. I was a tax office trainee! The next song was one I learnt from the music teacher of the then "Southlands 2ndary School" in New Romney, as a pupil of singing aged 14, the lessons a gift from my elder sister. Great memories.
My favorite female singer was Adelina Patti - now its Kathleen Ferrier. I can't listen to this without welling up. Will never be equalled.
Peter
Still my favourite song and always will be...what a magic voice Kathleen had!...funny tale...I was a teenager and painting a disabled friend's front windows...singing along at the top of my voice with a recording of this..when I focused on a bus queue beyond the hedge ..all looking rather startled (panic stricken perhaps!!!) I was such a shy body I just died with embarrassment...thankfully the bus appeared....!
(I check all windows first now..Haha!)
^..^
The English version may sing less well, but in terms of poetic power it wins hands down:
What is life to me without thee
What is left if thou art dead?
What is life; life without thee?
What is life without my love?
What is left if thou art dead?
Eurydice! Eurydice!
Ah, hear me. Oh, answer! Oh answer!
Thy dear lord am I so faithful,
My dear lord am I, who loves thee,
Who doth love thee!
Eurydice! Eurydice!
In my dread anguish nought can aid me,
None can comfort.
Earth is cruel, heav’n is cold!
I used to sing these songs at the top of my voice in the car with my kids. Happy days.
A light has gone has gone out from this world and I shall miss her.
listening to this over the phone with my 80yr old friend. She is crooning along with Kathleen. What a magical moment.
My dad gave me a book entitled; Kathleen Ferrier-A memoir. We still have it in our library so I grew up knowing her in black and white.
this is so spiritually moving ...sang by a very spiritual voice so moving 10/10
Just heavenly, makes me weep its so beautiful. I miss you so much Mum and Dad.
Miss you too John.
No contralto comes close to Ferrier, before or since. Thank you for posting.
Wonderful, amazing, beautiful voice. What a tragedy she was taken from us so young.
lovely lovely lovely les reves mysteriese de mon enfance. burnley be proud of her. even now she steps back intt our lives because death cannot hold her back.we have lived to hear that voice. so beautiful and so of england. thankyou Kathleen.
Sitting here with tears in my eyes. First heard Kathleen in 1952 and have yet to hear a more gifted contralto (and I have heard quite a few since then). Her voice is rich and warm and so moving particularly singing Handle and Gluck.
Thank you for posting this entry
what a wonderful voice
Wonderfull, absolutley wonderfull
A Favourite played to me as a child at school assembly, those teacher knew what they were doing.
HOW can anyone not like this .. guess there's no pleaseing in some ''sigh''
A truly marvellous voice,
Unique and unequalled.
who can dislike this? maybe someone who likes the baritonello's masquerading as countertenors today? this... is one of the most awesome voices and interpretations of this aria, even if in the awkward English language.
Always brings a tear to the eye.
in 1946 I was 2 years old - I did not hear this awsome rendition of this piece of life essence till I was much older and had children and my eldest son played it to me and asked why it made him cry? I could not answer......I was crying!!!!! peter was 10 55 years ago - I was 25..... 40 years ago!!!!!
Kathleen is surely unique. Her sound is eternal.
My favorite Kathleen Ferrier song is "What is Life " from Gluck's Orfeo
My two favourites, I never tire of hearing her beautiful voice, thanks.
a favourite from an early age.
I grew up with this music - she was my mother's favourite singer. I sang along to her albums as a child and studied this song in my musical study days, I plan to sing this at her funeral - it is the essence of both of us - music will calm us. So moving!
Yes this immortalises her and surely another of my favourites- hauntingly beautiful.
Kathleen's joyous, yet spiritual interpretation, so warm and real wakens within me the meaning of compassion and thoughtfulness.
Beautiful! What an artist!
Ferrier is my queen of contralto!
This is an English version of the famous aria from Gluck's opera "Orfeo et Euridice." The piece was first performed in Vienna on 5 October 1762.
Does it get any better than this. I don't think so. Beautiful.
a truly awesome voice, a gift from the gods that was taken back way to soon, we couldn't possibly dream of seeing another. utterly amazing,
Lovely beyond comparison! Brava!
a voice so beautiful, it makes me weep.
i blubbed when i read ilandyers post about his/her dad, i know just what they mean. spot on, as for the song, quite beautiful as was Kathleen.
Beautiful...........
Absolutely beautiful!
A voice like that should not die, It is supreme.Terry
Terry Dyer Be sure: It won't die.
@Thoughtland Yes I very much remember "Blow the Wind Southerly" and hearing Kathleen singing it on the radio as a child - my mother loved Kathleen Ferrier and used to love to sing along with her.
My childhood favouries from age less than 5. One of my parents favourites Hence my exposure.to this classic
Reigns supreme
Tears flowed throughout. So beautiful thank you.
I am no fan of opera sung in English, but this is a most sublime and glorious exception! Thank you, Kathleen
Wow! What a voice! :D
thank you, we hold this vinal recording .. it is the word colour, quite simple. This love of this heart, knowing each word, then use of languague. Blessings upon this soul ever lasting.
Sharing her birthday, I was named after this sublime singer. I was introduced to her inimitably beautiful voice at an early age by my mother who, at nearly 100 years' old still almost weeps - as do I - when I play her Miss Ferrier's records. Such incredible singing, such a tragic loss.
Nijinsky47 That's really nice about your mother and you. Thanks for sharing. It's hard not to do the same when listening to such exquisite music. They don't write or sing stuff like this these days, more's the pity.
Nijinsky47 Your mother is not alone with these feelings. My eyes are wet. How is it possible to sing like 3:00 ff ?
Sylvia McNair... That's all I have to say!
But what a BEAUTIFUL voice I hear here!
Recall playing the decca ffss record from an early age.
Un grande contralto che ci ha lasciato troppo presto .
So utterly moving! I understand that this lady's nature was as beautiful as her voice. This shows through in the thoughtful accompanying montage of photos. Thank you!
Blest are the glorious dead for they shall live forever.
Thank you so much for posting this. This recording was probably the first opera I ever heard. I remember it being on the radio quite often in the 1950s, and I always loved it, even when I was too little to really understand what it was or who Kathleen Ferrier was.
Thanks for posting this. Never heard her before, but this is fourth song in a row on which she sounds really good.
You said it all.
With out a doubt the voice of an angel, Beautiful. concise, crystal clear
,music for the soul
, Thanks for this Russell , you can sing a bit as well!!!!
atb Brian
Know what you mean. I cannot play my inspirational CDs in the car either.
My late parents favourite.Exposed me to this at an early age.plus some classical music. Has influenced my musical taste more than somewhat. No regrets however.
maravilla!! thanks for posting these!!
c'est cela la musique ,c'est le chant d'un ange
She is the greatest - along with Leontyne. These ladies can do no wring.
Indeed ,adorable ,a truly wonderful voice! And this Second Person Singular English Pronoun- "Thoy art...." sounds so pleasurably friendly !!!
P.s. She died 56 years ago and 21,183 views of love show her unbeatable fingerprint
She had such an unique voice, it's a travesty that she died so young.
A lovely anecdote Cat5, cute ~☺
Onirique ....
Merci pour le post !
Tip top.
Все! Ферриер - моя королева!
Have this recording on the decca label 33rpm ffss
W.G. Rothery