Don Giovanni, opera, K. 527: Batti, batti, o bel Masetto
Don Giovanni, opera, K. 527: Vedrai carino
Die Zauberflöte (The Magic Flute), opera, K. 620: Ach, ich fühl's
Le nozze di Figaro (The Marriage of Figaro), opera, K. 492: Venite, inginocchiatevi
Le nozze di Figaro (The Marriage of Figaro), opera, K. 492: Giunse alfin il momento...Deh vieni, non tardar
Idomeneo, rè di Creta, opera, K. 366: Se il padre perdei
Il rè pastore, opera, K. 208: L'amerò, sarò costante
Exsultate, jubilate, motet for soprano & orchestra, K. 165 (K. 158a): Exsultate, jubilate
La Traviata, opera: Ah! for's e lui...Sempre libera
Rigoletto, opera: Caro nome
Rigoletto, opera: Tutte le feste...Si vendetta
Falstaff, opera: Sul fil d'un soffio etesio
La bohème, opera: Act 2. Finale. Quando men vo
Track Listings (26) - Disc #2
Turandot, opera: Signore, ascolta
Turandot, opera: Tu che di gel sei cinta
Der Rosenkavalier, opera, Op. 59 (TrV 227): Act 3. Final trio and duet
Einerlei ('Ihr Mund ist stets derselbe'), song for voice & piano, Op. 69/3 (TrV 237/3)
Säusle, liebe Myrthe!, song for voice & piano (or orchestra), Op. 68/3 (TrV 235/3)
Der Stern ('Ich sehe ihn wieder den lieblichen Stern'), song for voice & piano, Op. 69/1 (TrV 237/1)
Schlechtes Wetter ('Das ist ein schlechtes Wetter'), song for voice & piano, Op. 69/5 (TrV 237/5)
Ich wollt' ein Sträusslein binden, song for voice & piano (or orchestra), Op. 68/2 (TrV 235/2)
Als mir dein Lied erklang ('Dein Lied erklang! Ich habe'), song for voice & piano (or orchestra), Op. 68/4 (TrV 235/4)
Freundliche Vision ('Nicht im Schlafe hab' ich das geträumt'), song for voice & piano (or orchestra), Op. 48/1 (TrV 202/1)
Schlagende Herzen ('Über Wiesen und Felder ein Knabe ging'), song for voice & piano, Op. 29/2 (TrV 172/2)
Heimkehr ('Leiser schwanken die Äste'), song for voice & piano, Op. 15/5 (TrV 148/5)
Befreit ('Du wirst nicht weinen'), song for voice & piano (or orchestra), Op. 39/4 (TrV 189/4)
Die Nacht ('Aus dem Walde tritt die Nacht'), song for voice & piano, Op. 10/3 (TrV 141/3)
Wie sollten wir geheim sie halten, song for voice & piano, Op. 19/4 (TrV 152/4)
Meinem Kinde ('Du schläfst und sachte neig' ich mich'), song for voice & piano (or orchestra), Op. 37/3 (TrV 187/3)
Bitter Sweet, operetta: I'll see you again
Bitter Sweet, operetta: Zigeuner
Private Lives, operetta: Someday I'll find you
Conversation Piece, musical: I'll follow my secret heart
Glamorous Night, song (from 'Glamorous Night')
Careless Rapture, operetta: Music in May
The Dancing Years, operetta: The waltz of my heart
The Dancing Years, operetta: I can give you the starlight
King's Rhapsody, operetta: Someday my heart will awake
King's Rhapsody, operetta: The violin began to play
"On the singing side, the performance offered several newsworthy items, chief among them being the new Gilda--a Viennese girl named Hilde Güden who was lovely to look at and lovelier to listen to. The voice blossomed ... more »into a rich flower, every note in its place like a petal--a voice clear, true, and confident." -- New York World-Telegram and Sun, November 1951 It becomes evident from the first note that Hilde Güden possessed a truly beautiful vocal timbre. Her singing of the various arias from Don Giovanni, Die Zauberflöte, Le Nozze di Figaro, Idomeneo, Il Re Pastore, and the Exsultate jubilate perfectly mirror the style of Mozart-singing pertaining to her generation. The tone is always unforced and due consideration is given to dynamics so that score markings are scrupulously adhered to and achieved with a floating quality that is never too thin or threadbare, but full of color.« less
"On the singing side, the performance offered several newsworthy items, chief among them being the new Gilda--a Viennese girl named Hilde Güden who was lovely to look at and lovelier to listen to. The voice blossomed into a rich flower, every note in its place like a petal--a voice clear, true, and confident." -- New York World-Telegram and Sun, November 1951 It becomes evident from the first note that Hilde Güden possessed a truly beautiful vocal timbre. Her singing of the various arias from Don Giovanni, Die Zauberflöte, Le Nozze di Figaro, Idomeneo, Il Re Pastore, and the Exsultate jubilate perfectly mirror the style of Mozart-singing pertaining to her generation. The tone is always unforced and due consideration is given to dynamics so that score markings are scrupulously adhered to and achieved with a floating quality that is never too thin or threadbare, but full of color.
CD Reviews
Lovely singing by the loveliest of sopranos
Steven Keller | Fairview Heights, Illinois, USA | 12/13/2008
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Lovely! The selections on the first disc have appeared before on the Preiser label; however, to my knowledge the Strauss Brentano songs as well as the Ivor Novello and Noel Coward selections on the second disc have never appeared on compact disc. I have been eagerly anticipating the Strauss songs with piano and the Coward/Novello selections for years. This is singing of the highest caliber, and at the risk of sounding like an old codger, singing like we have not heard in years. The lovely Hilde Gueden had the ability to spin and soar her soprano voice like few singers of the 20th century. Gueden was a real musician who paid attention to the meaning of the text and the dynamics indicated in the score.
The genius at Decca who decided to feature Gueden in the soaring melodies of Novello and Coward should be paid homage here as we have some of the most beautiful renditions of these gentlemen's songs ever committed to disc. Truly, with the exception of Dame Joan's Coward disc, I'll follow my secret heart and Zigeuner have never been bettered. The Novello selections are incredible, my favorite being the rhapsodic piece from Glamorous Night. Although everything on these discs is lovely, you will be queuing up the Coward and Novello pieces over and over because of their sheer beauty and the beauty of Gueden's voice. Here I digress, but why do these delightful Novello pieces languish? It is ashamed that Dame Joan didn't record some of these pieces in her prime.
The Strauss Brentano songs have also seen the light of day, thank goodness, and the CD transfer is very good. Friedrich Gulda is the perfect match for Gueden in these loveliest of Strauss songs with piano. Keep the score in your lap as you listen and marvel at the scrupulous attention paid by both voice and piano as they realize the music that Strauss wrote.
At the risk of gilding the lily, I must say that you will not be disappointed in these discs. If you wish to be transported to a realm of imagination and beauty you need to get these discs while they are around. Thank you Hilde Gueden for these lovely recordings and thank you Nimbus for these transfers.
Track Listings (13) - Disc #1