Four Last Songs, Richard Strauss.
Lyrics: Hermann Hesse ( ... and Eichendorff. Song 4). Music Richard Strauss
The most beautiful orchestral songs ever written.
Song 1: Frühling
http://nl.youtube.com/watch?v=53n9t3qK-i0&feature=related
Song 2: September
http://nl.youtube.com/watch?v=Ju2qBGFtOGU&feature=related
Song 3: Beim Schlafengehen
http://nl.youtube.com/watch?v=O75CnnsFonM&feature=related
Song 4: Im Abendrot (Eichendorff).
http://nl.youtube.com/watch?v=0BzpoSJ42pM
Originally posted by ivanhoeThe best version, by far, of Beim Shlafengehen I've ever heard, was a circa 1970s version by Kiri Te Kanawa with the London Symphony Orchestra under Andrew Davis, which also happens to be the version used in the Mel Gibson film The Year of Living Dangerously. I don't happen to have the CD handy though I know it's on Sony Classical. Very important to get this particular version, since Te Kanawa's voice in later versions just isn't the same.
Four Last Songs, Richard Strauss.
Lyrics: Hermann Hesse ( ... and Eichendorff. Song 4). Music Richard Strauss
The most beautiful orchestral songs ever written.
Song 1: Frühling
http://nl.youtube.com/watch?v=53n9t3qK-i0&feature=related
Song 2: September
http://nl.youtube.com/watch?v=Ju2qBGFtOGU&feature=related
Song 3: Beim Schlaf ...[text shortened]... re=related
Song 4: Im Abendrot (Eichendorff).
http://nl.youtube.com/watch?v=0BzpoSJ42pM
Here's the Amazon.com page for the album in general; and note that the sample doesn't really begin to suggest the emotive power of her performance in the second part of this piece.
http://www.amazon.com/Kiri-Te-Kanawa-Strauss-Orchestral/dp/B0000025C9
By the way, she has some very nice versions of the Orchestral Songs on this same CD: listen for example to the samples of Befreit and Zueigznung, which even with the limited audio response available on the typical computer sound card give some hint of the magnificence of her vocals here...
Originally posted by Mark AdkinsA majestic version of "Beim Schlafengehen":
The best version, by far, of Beim Shlafengehen I've ever heard, was a circa 1970s version by Kiri Te Kanawa with the London Symphony Orchestra under Andrew Davis, which also happens to be the version used in the Mel Gibson film The Year of Living Dangerously. I don't happen to have the CD handy though I know it's on Sony Classical. Very important to ge of this piece.
http://www.amazon.com/Kiri-Te-Kanawa-Strauss-Orchestral/dp/B0000025C9
Kiri Te Kanawa - Beim Schlafengehen (04:56) (Last part is missing)
http://nl.youtube.com/watch?v=Q8l99a5hJng
Lyrics "Beim Schlafengehen":
Nun der Tag mich müd' gemacht,
soll mein sehnliches Verlangen
freundlich die gestirnte Nacht
wie ein müdes Kind empfangen.
Hände, laßt von allem Tun,
Stirn, vergiß du alles Denken,
alle meine Sinne nun
Wollen sich in Schlummer senken.
Und die Seele unbewacht,
Will in freien Flügen schweben,
Um im Zauberkreis der Nacht
tief und tausendfach zu leben.
"Warning - this is a historical recording. The sound quality is poor. Were it of lesser importance, I would not even consider posting it here.*
Shortly before he died, Richard Strauss wrote a letter to Kirsten Flagstad. He asked her to give the premiere of his four last songs. He requested that she find a suitable conductor and orchestra for the occasion. She honored his request by choosing the world's greatest conductor and the orchestra that was the home of the world's greatest horn player.
So here you have the world premiere performance of Beim Schlafengehen from Strauss' Four Last Songs.
London Philharmonia Orchestra, 1950
Wilhelm Furtwangler - conductor
Kirsten Flagstad - soprano
Dennis Brain - horn "
http://nl.youtube.com/watch?v=FbGB0JtefvQ&feature=related (05:17)
Originally posted by Mark AdkinsI got this cd. Great !
The best version, by far, of Beim Shlafengehen I've ever heard, was a circa 1970s version by Kiri Te Kanawa with the London Symphony Orchestra under Andrew Davis, which also happens to be the version used in the Mel Gibson film The Year of Living Dangerously. I don't happen to have the CD handy though I know it's on Sony Classical. Very important to ge ...[text shortened]... of this piece.
http://www.amazon.com/Kiri-Te-Kanawa-Strauss-Orchestral/dp/B0000025C9
Originally posted by ivanhoeIf you will forgive me for saying so, that (the youtube.com video) is actually a rather understated performance by her, and her tempi are off; also the orchestra, whether for sonic, technical, or performance reasons, is rather soft. But the term "majestic" certainly describes the CD version I gave a link to.
A majestic version of "Beim Schlafengehen":
Kiri Te Kanawa - Beim Schlafengehen (04:56) (Last part is missing)
http://nl.youtube.com/watch?v=Q8l99a5hJng
Lyrics "Beim Schlafengehen":
Nun der Tag mich müd' gemacht,
soll mein sehnliches Verlangen
freundlich die gestirnte Nacht
wie ein müdes Kind empfangen.
Hände, laßt von allem Tun,
Stirn ...[text shortened]... ill in freien Flügen schweben,
Um im Zauberkreis der Nacht
tief und tausendfach zu leben.
I listened to this last night. Very beautiful.
I also went into a music store today and happened upon a recording of the Four Next-to-Last Songs of P.D.Q. Bach. The traditional order of performance is:
"Das kleine Birdie"
"Der Cowboykoenig"
"Gretchen am Spincycle"
"Es war ein dark und shtormy Night"
Not as beautiful, but highly entertaining.
np