Elisabeth Schwarzkopf (soprano),Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau - R. Strauss: Four Last Songs / Mahler: The Child's Wonderful Hornblower, etc. (SACD) - Japan 2 SACD Hybrid

Credits:

Elisabeth Schwarzkopf (soprano),Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau

Description:

Historic singing performed by two great singers. The absolute masterpiece with Cell, mastered and SACD-recorded in the latest version. Newly reissued from the original analog master tapes. Newly reissued from the original analog master tapes with new commentary and lyrics translation. The Mahler with F. Dieskau is a solo performance by both singers, and has long reigned as one of the most famous recordings of Mahler, This is a truly historical masterpiece. The two singers, who represented the Lieder world of the time, have been beautifully revived in this high-quality recording, which was mastered from a musical standpoint. The master was digitized at 192kHz/24bit from the original analog master tapes in the original country for this release, and mastered separately for the SACD and CD layers. New commentary and bilingual lyrics are included. This is a permanent edition. Schwarzkopf was around 50 years old at the time of the recording of R. Strauss and Mahler, and while some consider her to be past her prime as a soprano singer with a heavy load, others believe that as a Lied singer, her words have weight and depth, and the accumulation of her career has made her more musically convincing, and that she matches the musical ideas beautifully. Some consider her to be a singer of great depth and weight of words.The fact that F. Dieskau, who was in his early 40's at the time, was used as a collaborator in the Mahler concertos further enhances the mastery of the recordings. Although EMI had already recorded Mahler's works with Furtwängler, the combination of F. Dieskau, who was already active across multiple labels, and Schwarzkopf, who had a wealth of musical experience, must have been a major factor in attracting many listeners. The reissue originally consists of three original albums, and the five songs, including Schwarzkopf's "Four Last Songs" and "Dedication," were recorded in Berlin in September 1965. Although there is an earlier recording of the "Four Last Songs" with Karajan, many prefer this stereo version, which has a heavier voice and a more relaxed, biting sound. The remaining songs were recorded in September 1968, this time in London with a different orchestra (Mozart was recorded at the same time, but due to time constraints, it was not included in this recording). It is important to note that the recordings are in very similar condition, despite the passage of time and the differences in the recording location and orchestra.It is also important to note that one of the pieces is accompanied by the violin of Edith Pyneman, who died in 2023. The Mahler recording was made in March of the same year, and was conducted entirely by G. Sell. Sell controlled each orchestra moderately and had a perfect balance between the two singers, which is certainly an essential element for these great performances to be possible. It could be said that it would not have been possible without Sell. (1/2)