''Song Recital'' is a 54-minute studio album of Lieder,

mélodie A ''mélodie'' () is a form of French art song, arising in the mid-19th century. It is comparable to the German '' Lied''. A ''chanson'', by contrast, is a folk or popular French song. The literal meaning of the word in the French language is " ...

s and English and American songs performed by

Frederica von Stade Frederica von Stade (born 1 June 1945) is a semi-retired American classical singer. Best known for her work in opera, she was also a recitalist and concert artist, and she recorded more than a hundred albums and videos. She is especially associa ...

with piano accompaniment by Martin Katz. It was released in 1978.

Background and recording

The album was recorded using analogue technology on 19 December 1977 in the

CBS 30th Street Studio CBS 30th Street Studio, also known as Columbia 30th Street Studio, and nicknamed "The Church", was an American recording studio operated by Columbia Records from 1948 to 1981 located at 207 East 30th Street, between Second and Third Avenues in M ...

, New York City.''Frederica von Stade: The Complete Columbia Recital Albums'', Sony CD, 88875183412, 2016 It was the first disc on which von Stade performed a song recital by herself; her only earlier essay in the genre had been made together with her friend

Judith Blegen Judith Eyer Blegen (born April 27, 1941) is an American soprano, particularly associated with light lyric roles of the French, Italian and German repertories. Life and career Blegen was born in Fayette County, KentuckyJudith E Blegen in the ''Kent ...

. Forty-eight hours after taping her album, von Stade gave birth to her first child, whom she named Jenny Rebecca after the album's final track.''Song Recital'', with

(mezzo-soprano) and Martin Katz (piano), Columbia LP, M-35127, 1979 Mother and daughter can be heard singing together on von Stade's 1996 jazz album, '' Across Your Dreams''. (

Carol Hall Carol Hall (April 3, 1936 – October 11, 2018) was an American composer and lyricist. She was best known for composing the music and lyrics for the Broadway stage musical '' The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas'' (1978, adapted as a film in 19 ...

wrote "Jenny Rebecca" as a gift for a friend who had just had a baby. The first of Hall's compositions to appear on disc, it was first recorded by a young

Barbra Streisand Barbara Joan "Barbra" Streisand ( ; born April 24, 1942) is an American singer, actress, songwriter, producer, and director. With a career spanning over six decades, she has achieved success across multiple fields of entertainment, being the ...

in 1965.)

Cover art

The vinyl and cassette versions of the album both use a design featuring a photograph of von Stade taken by her first husband, Peter Elkus. When von Stade and Elkus divorced, he cited his contributions to her album covers in his successful litigation to secure a share of her future earnings.

Critical reception

Reviews

J. B. Steane reviewed the album on LP in ''

Gramophone A phonograph, later called a gramophone, and since the 1940s a record player, or more recently a turntable, is a device for the mechanical and analogue reproduction of sound. The sound vibration waveforms are recorded as corresponding physic ...

'' in November 1978. "The voice of this lovely singer", he wrote, "is now in its freshest full bloom". The early middle phase of a singer's career should be appreciated and enjoyed like a sunny spell in June. But instead of relishing an artist's springtime with a proper, thankful mindfulness, it was tempting to instead think ahead to her autumn, to "the mellow fruitfulness of the mature interpreter, the ripeness of art that knows all shades of expression, from the most playful to the most profound". Steane, J. B.: ''

'', November 1978, pp. 948-955 In the first item on Frederica von Stade's recital, for example, Dowland's "Come again, sweet love doth now invite", her singing seemed "placidly hymn-like, wanting sharpness of flavour (and sometimes of consonant too)" when one remembered the "exceptionally strong projection and rhythmic vitality" that

Janet Baker Dame Janet Abbott Baker (born 21 August 1933) is an English mezzo-soprano best known as an opera, concert, and lieder singer.Blyth, Alan, "Baker, Dame Janet (Abbott)" in Sadie, Stanley, ed.; John Tyrell; exec. ed. (2001). ''New Grove Dictionar ...

had brought to the song when she had recorded it with

Gerald Moore Gerald Moore (30 July 1899 – 13 March 1987) was an English classical pianist best known for his career as a collaborative pianist for many distinguished musicians. Among those with whom he was closely associated were Dietrich Fischer-Diesk ...

. Von Stade's narration in Liszt's ''Die drei Zigeuner'' was a little "passive and underlit" in comparison with

Elisabeth Schwarzkopf Dame Olga Maria Elisabeth Friederike Schwarzkopf, (; 9 December 1915 – 3 August 2006) was a German-born Austro-British lyric soprano. She was among the foremost singers of lieder, and is renowned for her performances of Viennese operetta, as w ...

's performance with Geoffrey Parsons. It was true, too that the young Martin Katz's edition of Purcell's "The Blessed Virgin's expostulation" was not as imaginative in its dynamics as

Benjamin Britten Edward Benjamin Britten, Baron Britten of Aldeburgh (22 November 1913 – 4 December 1976) was an English composer, conductor, and pianist. He was a central figure of 20th-century British music, with a range of works including opera, o ...

's, and that von Stade's tempo in its recitative had "a rather square regularity" about it. But it would be a mistake to allow the weaknesses of von Stade's album to blind one to its merits. Her reading of the Purcell piece was notable for its "tender absorption" and the "lovely pianissimo" of phrases like "flattering hopes, farewell". On the B side of her disc, Debussy's ''Chansons de Bilitis'' had "the most winning femininity, 'La chevelure' drawing from the singer a richer, more sensual tone, while a new darkness colours the satyrs' obituary". (Martin Katz was more sensitive in his accompaniment here than he had been when performing the ''Chansons de Bilitis'' with

Marilyn Horne Marilyn Berneice Horne (born January 16, 1934) is an American mezzo-soprano opera singer. She specialized in roles requiring beauty of tone, excellent breath support, and the ability to execute difficult coloratura passages. She is a recipient ...

.) Four folk songs collected and arranged by Canteloube – from his ''Chants de France'', not his more famous ''

Chants d'Auvergne ''Chants d'Auvergne'' (; ), by Joseph Canteloube, is a collection of folk songs from the Auvergne region of France, arranged for soprano voice and orchestra or piano between 1923 and 1930. The 27 songs, collected in five series, are in the local la ...

'' – were "magically evocative, and bolder in the projection of personality". And a modest, contemporary American song, dedicated to the four-day-old "Jenny Rebecca", "serves as an encore piece, allowing the voice to settle and linger graciously in the mind". Henry Purcell Closterman

There was no denying that, at least on its A side, the album had its limitations. Von Stade was not yet an eloquent, vivid or creative as she was certain to become in the years ahead. But she was one of the best singers of her generation, and her voice was now at its most beautiful. Her first solo song recital (admirably engineered) was a delightful one, and it was to be hoped that many more would follow it.

George Jellinek George Jellinek (December 22, 1919 – January 16, 2010) was the Hungarian-born host of ''The Vocal Scene'', a weekly syndicated radio feature produced by WQXR radio of New York City. Over three decades, from 1969 to 2004, he steadily interview ...

reviewed the album on LP as a "recording of special merit" in ''

Stereo Review ''Sound & Vision'' was an American magazine, purchased by AVTech Media Ltd. (UK) in March 2018, covering home theater, audio, video and multimedia consumer products. Before 2000, it had been published for most of its history as ''Stereo Review' ...

'' in June 1979. "Frederica von Stade's artistry", he wrote, "inspires joy and wonder. Her unfailing taste, secure technique and musicianship and exquisitely pure tone – beguilingly warm and youthfully fresh at the same time – may all be counted among the blessings of our musical life". Jellinek, George: ''

'', June 1979, p. 150 She had found things in Purcell's "The Blessed Virgin's expostulation" that he had never heard before. She was enchanting in Canteloube's ''Chants de France''. And she was even better in Liszt's "Oh! Quand je dors" and in Debussy's ''Chansons de Bilitis'' (songs reminiscent of his ''Pelléas et Mélisande'' in their implicit eroticism). Her album was one that few readers would dislike, "for von Stade's charm, style and elegance are irresistible". David Shengold mentioned the album in ''

Opera News ''Opera News'' was an American classical music magazine. It was published from 1936 to 2023 by the Metropolitan Opera Guild—a non-profit organization, located at Lincoln Center, that was founded to promote opera and support the Metropolitan ...

'' in December 2016, reviewing a box set of von Stade's Columbia CDs in which it had been included. Calling it an exquisitely sung must-have, he wrote that " tfinds on Stadein rich, amazingly pure voice, poignantly expressive in several disparate idioms encompassing Dowland, Purcell and Debussy, plus three ravishing Liszt selections, including the all-time loveliest version of 'Oh! Quand je dors'."

Accolades

Writing in ''Gramophone'' in December 1978, J. B. Steane included the album in his Critics' Choice list of the best recordings of the year. Although the disc had had only limited success in conveying the full character that he knew von Stade to possess, he wrote, he delighted in the fresh bloom on her voice and found that the LP was one that he returned to. The album was nominated for a

Grammy The Grammy Awards, stylized as GRAMMY, and often referred to as The Grammys, are awards presented by The Recording Academy of the United States to recognize outstanding achievements in music. They are regarded by many as the most prestigious a ...

award for the best classical solo vocal performance of 1979.

CD track listing

John Dowland John Dowland ( – buried 20 February 1626) was an English Renaissance composer, lutenist, and singer. He is best known today for his melancholy songs such as "Come, heavy sleep", " Come again", " Flow my tears", " I saw my Lady weepe", " N ...

(1563–1626), arranged by Martin Katz '' The First Booke of Songes or Ayres'' (1597) * 1 (2:34) No. 17: " Come again: sweet loue doth now enuite" '' The Second Booke of Songs or Ayres'' (1600) * 2 (4:33) No. 3: "Sorow sorow stay, lend true repentant teares"

Henry Purcell Henry Purcell (, rare: ; September 1659 – 21 November 1695) was an English composer of Baroque music, most remembered for his more than 100 songs; a tragic opera, Dido and Aeneas, ''Dido and Aeneas''; and his incidental music to a version o ...

(1659–1695), arranged by Martin Katz ''The Blessed Virgin's expostulation'' (1693), with a text by

Nahum Tate Nahum Tate ( ; 1652 – 30 July 1715) was an Anglo-Irish poet, hymnist, and lyricist, who became Poet Laureate in 1692. Tate is best known for '' The History of King Lear'', his 1681 adaptation of Shakespeare's ''King Lear'', and for his libr ...

(1652–1715) * 3 (10:08) "Tell me, some pitying angel"

Franz Liszt Franz Liszt (22 October 1811 – 31 July 1886) was a Hungarian composer, virtuoso pianist, conductor and teacher of the Romantic music, Romantic period. With a diverse List of compositions by Franz Liszt, body of work spanning more than six ...

(1811–1886) * 4 (5:15) "Die drei Zigeuner" (1860), S. 320, with a text by

Nikolaus Lenau Nikolaus Lenau was the pen name of Nikolaus Franz Niembsch Edler von Strehlenau (13 August 1802 – 22 August 1850), a German-language Austrian poet. Biography He was born at Csatád (Schadat), Kingdom of Hungary, now Lenauheim, Banat, then p ...

(1802–1850) * 5 (5:09) "Einst" (1878), S. 332, with a text by

Friedrich von Bodenstedt Friedrich Martin von Bodenstedt (22 April 1819 – 19 April 1892) was a German author. Biography Bodenstedt was born in Peine in the Kingdom of Hanover. He was trained as a merchant in Braunschweig and studied in Göttingen, Munich and Berlin. R ...

(1819–1892) * 6 (5:17) "Oh! Quand je dors" (1842, revised 1849), S. 282, with a text by

Victor Hugo Victor-Marie Hugo, vicomte Hugo (; 26 February 1802 – 22 May 1885) was a French Romanticism, Romantic author, poet, essayist, playwright, journalist, human rights activist and politician. His most famous works are the novels ''The Hunchbac ...

(1802–1885)

Claude Debussy Achille Claude Debussy (; 22 August 1862 – 25 March 1918) was a French composer. He is sometimes seen as the first Impressionism in music, Impressionist composer, although he vigorously rejected the term. He was among the most influe ...

(1862–1918) ''Chansons de Bilitis'' (1897–1898), with texts by

Pierre Louÿs Pierre-Félix Louÿs (; 10 December 1870 – 4 June 1925) was a Belgian poet and writer, most renowned for lesbian and classical themes in some of his writings. He is known as a writer who sought to "express pagan sensuality with stylistic perf ...

(1870–1925) * 7 (3:07) "La flûte de Pan" * 8 (4:03) "La chevelure" * 9 (3:20) "Le tombeau des Naïades"

Joseph Canteloube Marie-Joseph Canteloube de Malaret (; 21 October 18794 November 1957) was a French composer, musicologist, and author best known for his collections of orchestrated folksongs from the Auvergne (province), Auvergne region, ''Chants d'Auvergne''. ...

(1879–1957), collector and arranger ''Chants de France, Vol. 1'' (1948), with traditional texts *10 (3:37) No. 1: "Auprès de ma blonde" (a round from the

Île de France Ile or ILE may refer to: Ile * Ile, a Puerto Rican singer * Ile District (disambiguation), multiple places * Ilé-Ifẹ̀, an ancient Yoruba city in south-western Nigeria * Interlingue (ISO 639:ile), a planned language * Isoleucine, an amino aci ...

) *11 (3:46) No. 2: "Où irai-je me plaindre?" (a song from Haut-Dauphiné) *12 (1:40) No. 3: "Au pré de la rose" ("Aou prat dé la roso", a round from

Albret The House of Albret, which derives its name from the lordship (''seigneurie'') of Albret (Labrit), situated in the Landes of Gascony, Landes, was one of the most powerful feudal families of Kingdom of France, France and Kingdom of Navarre, Navarr ...

and Gascogne) *13 (2:23) No. 6: "D'où venez-vous, fillette?" ("D'ound v'enanatz, filheto", a song from

Provence Provence is a geographical region and historical province of southeastern France, which stretches from the left bank of the lower Rhône to the west to the France–Italy border, Italian border to the east; it is bordered by the Mediterrane ...

)

(1936–2018), arranged by Martin Katz *14 ( 3:16) "Jenny Rebecca" (1965), with a text by Carol Hall

Personnel

Musical

(b. 1945), mezzo-soprano * Martin Katz (b. 1944), piano and arranger

Other

* Paul Walter Myers (1932–2015), producer * Stanley Tonker, engineer * Mike Ross-Trevor, engineer

Release history

In Europe, Columbia released the album in 1978 (with catalogue numbers 76278 for their LP and 40-76278 for their cassette). In the US, Columbia released it on 3 January 1979 (with catalogue numbers M-35127 for their LP and MT-35127 for their cassette) The vinyl editions had sleeve notes by Robert Jacobson and an insert with texts and translations. Although excerpts from the album appeared on compilation CDs, it was not issued on silver disc in its entirety until 2012, when Newton Classics included it with a 16-page biographical booklet by David Patrick Stearns in their 4-CD collection ''Frederica von Stade: Duets, Arias, Scenes & Songs'' (catalogue number 8802125).''Frederica von Stade: Duets, Arias, Scenes & Songs'', Newton Classics CD, 8802125, 2012 In 2016, Sony reissued the album (in a miniature replica of its original American LP sleeve) with a 52-page booklet in their 18-CD collection ''Frederica von Stade: The Complete Columbia Recital Albums'' (catalogue number 88875183412).

References

{{Authority control Frederica von Stade albums 1970s classical albums 1978 albums Albums recorded at CBS 30th Street Studio