Musicianship at the most inspired level
Santa Fe Listener | Santa Fe, NM USA | 12/31/2006
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Most lovers of Klemperer and Ludwig will already own all these classic 60s performances, but they have been scattered across a range of reissues--not always in the best sound--and now we have them all together and remastered. It's no exaggeration to say that every single performance is stupendous. Superficially one would think that having a mezzo sing Isode's final scene is merely a gimmick, but venturing into dramatic soprano territory, Ludwig brings electrifying drama and emotion. You feel your spine tingling with every bar.
Equal praise belongs to the Brahms Alto Rhapsody, surely oe of the two or three greatest ever recorded. Leonore's big 'Abscheulicher' aria reminds us of the greatest modern Fidelio on records. The Weesendonck lieder stand comparison with Flagstad's version, and the Mahler songs taken from Des Knaben Wunderhorn and the Ruckert Lieder, originally paired on LP with Das Lied von der Erde, are another reminder of supreme greatness. It's almost embarrsssing to fall down before everything here, but Ludwig and Klemperer deserve nothing less but the highest admiration."
Vintage performances
Ralph Moore | Bishop's Stortford, UK | 12/31/2008
(5 out of 5 stars)
"A great singer, a great conductor and a great orchestra singing great music, beautifully remastered for this bargain compilation - what are you waiting for?
Of course, any seasoned music lover will certainly have this music performed by other artists or already even have some of these recordings in another form and it is perfectly possible to prefer other individual readings. For example, I still marginally favour Janet Baker's reading of the Wesendonck Lieder with Boult; indeed Baker is really the only other comparable singer of this era and their voices are often similar - but each has her inimitable timbre and inflections. When I am listening to Ludwig's glorious sound, however, I do not find myself wishing for Baker, as much as I enjoy both. Ludwig finds just the right mood for each piece and her vocalisation is peerless; she soars over this music effortlessly. The two soprano items - the "Liebestod" from "Tristan" and the "Abscheulicher" from "Fidelio" - betray no hint of strain, even if there is reason to believe that moving up precipitated Ludwig's vocal crisis in the 70's (burst capillaries on the vocal cords; happily overcome) and I have to say that the gem of the recital for me is still the Beethoven aria, which I have long owned as part of the wonderful complete set; those top B's are marvellous.
Ludwig has the knack of living the music and communicating directly with the listener such that her voice goes right to the heart. For instance, she finds just the right gravity and serenity for the Brahms but becomes much more nervy and febrile for disturbing songs such as Mahler's "Das irdische Leben". Klemperer secures perfect tempi and beautiful playing from all sections of the Philhamonia. My only minor cavil about anything on this disc is that the Philharmonic Chorus basses are a bit growly in the "Alto Rhapsody", but then I run out of things to moan about. Buy it."
Track Listings (13) - Disc #1