Episode 15. Hail and Farewell: 2019 Departures

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Peter Schreier

We set our sights on the New Year, at the same time giving a backward glance, in mostly reverse chronological order, to those singers and other musicians, whose contributions have immeasurably enhanced our lives. I’ve prepared a whopper of an episode that traverses many genres and styles, but which, as always, remains faithful to the mission of the podcast: to bring you the most interesting and communicative singers. From João Gilberto to Marcello Giordani, from Sanford Sylvan to Rolando Panerai, from Heather Harper to Ann Crumb: they’re all here, with a few surprises sprinkled along the way. Three last-minute entries to the Hail and Farewell sequence are Peter Schreier, Allee Willis, and Jerry Herman, all of whom died in the last week.

RECORDINGS HEARD IN THIS EPISODE

Peter Schreier

Gioacchino Rossini: Sieh, schon die Morgenröte (Der Barbier von Sevilla). Peter Schreier, tenor (1935-2019); Otmar Suitner conducting the Berliner Staatskapelle and the Solistenvereinigung des Berliner Rundfunks. From Der Barbier von Sevilla: Opernquerschnitt, Eterna Records 8 20 575 (1965). The cast includes Hermann Prey, Ruth-Margret Pütz, Franz Crass, Fritz Oldendorff, and Annelies Burmeister.

Dalton Baldwin, Elly Ameling, and one of her whippets

Reynaldo Hahn: La dernière Valse. Dalton Baldwin, piano (1931-2019), accompanying Elly Ameling, soprano. From Souvenirs, Columbia Masterworks M 35119, 1979. The version I have linked to is a live version from 1980 posted on YouTube. The studio version of this recording is not currently available on YouTube. The first episode of the New Year will be of the entire Souvenirs album, which has never been reissued in any form in the past forty years and which was one of my favorite records growing up.

Jackie Moore

Dave Crawford, Brad Shapiro, Jackie Moore: It Ain’t Who You Know. Jackie Moore (1946-2019), Atlantic single 2902, recorded 1972.



Francisco Casanova (L); Friedemann Layer (R)

Amilcare Ponchielli: Silenzio e tenebre (Marion Delorme). Francisco Casanova, tenor (1957-2019); Friedemann Layer (1941-2019) conducting the Orchestre National de Montpellier. From a live 2001 performance, Accord Records 472 613-2.

Ann Crumb

Traditional American, arr. George Crumb. All the Pretty Little Horses from Unto the Hills: American Songbook III). Ann Crumb (1950-2019); James Freeman conducting the Orchestra 2001. Bridge Records 9218A/B.

Raymond Leppard

Gerald English

Heather Harper

Francesco Cavalli: Mio core respira (La virtù degli strali d’amore). Heather Harper, soprano (1930-2019); Gerald English, tenor (1925-2019); Raymond Leppard (1927-2019) conducting the Bath Festival Ensemble. From Seventeenth Century Venetian Opera: Music by Monteverdi and Cavalli, Angel Records S-36431 (1967).

Rolando Panerai

Ruggero Leoncavallo: E allor perche, dì (Pagliacci). Rolando Panerai, baritone (1924-2019); Joan Carlyle, soprano; Herbert von Karajan conducting the Orchestra del Teatro alla Scala. Deutsche Grammophon 2709 020 (1966).

Marcello Giordani

Jules Massenet: Ô souverain, ô juge, ô père (Le Cid). Marcello Giordani, tenor (1965-2019); Julius Rudel conducting members of the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra and the New York Choral Society. Live performance, 2 November 1997.

Diahann Carroll

Jule Styne, Bob Merrill: The Music that Makes Me Dance (Funny Girl). Diahann Carroll (1935-2019). Live television performance, ca. 1968.

July 1989, Paris, France — French choreographer Jean-Paul Goude (R), in charge of the organistaion of the great parade for the 200th anniversary of the French Revolution, and Fashion designer Azzedine Alaia working on Jessye Norman’s costume before the show. — Image by © Pierre Perrin/Sygma/Corbis

Richard Strauss: Beim Schlafengehen (Vier letzte Lieder). Jessye Norman, soprano (1945-2019); Wolfgang Sawallisch conducting . Live performance, Geneva, 19 November 1979.

Paul Badura-Skoda

Franz Schubert: Erlkönig, D. 328. Paul Badura-Skoda, pianist (1927-2019) accompanying Elisabeth Söderström (1927-2009), soprano. Astrée ‎Records AS 87, 1984.

André Previn

Toni Morrison

André Previn, Toni Morrison: I am not seaworthy (Honey and Rue). André Previn (1929-2019) conducting the Orchestra of St. Luke’s; , Toni Morrison (1931-2019), poetry; Kathleen Battle, soprano. Deutsche Grammophon Records, 437 7872 5 (1995).





Henri Sauguet, Max Jacob: Exhortation (Visions infernales). Joseph Rouleau, bass (1929-2019); Claude Savard, piano. Recorded 1971.

João Gilberto

Antonio Carlos Jobim, Vinicius de Moraes: Chego de saudade. João Gilberto (1931-2019). From Chego de saudade, Odeon Records (Brazil) MOFB – 3073 (1959).

Sid Ramin

Sid Ramin (1919-2019), Tony Velona: Music to Watch Girls By. Andy Williams. Columbia Records 4-44065 (1967 single).

Leon Redbone

Sam H. Stept, Sidney Clare: Please Don’t Talk About Me When I’m Gone. Leon Redbone (1949-2019). From Champagne Charlie, Warner Bros. Records BSK 3165 (1978).



The glorious Heather Harper

Alban Berg: Die Nachtigall (Sieben frühe Lieder). Heather Harper, soprano (1930-2019); Pierre Boulez (1925-2016) conducting the London Symphony Orchestra. From Boulez Conducts Berg, Columbia Masterworks Records M 32162 (1973).

Jörg Demus

Theo Adam

Hugo Wolf. Eduard Mörike: Fußreise. Theo Adam, bass-baritone (1926-2019); Jörg Demus, pianist (1928-2019). Eterna Records 8 27 396 (1980).

Margaret Lewis

Margaret Lewis, Mira Smith: Reconsider Me. Margaret Lewis [AKA Maggie Warwick (1941-1929)]. Recorded ca. 1969, reissued on ACE Records CDCHD1557 as Reconsider Me: The RAM Singles & More Southern Gems.

Joshua Hecht

Brenda Lewis

Marc Blitzstein: I’m sick of you, I’m sick of this house (Regina). Joshua Hecht, bass-baritone (1928-2019); Brenda Lewis, soprano (1921-2017), Samuel Krachmalnick conducting the New York City Opera Orchestra. From the complete recording on Columbia Records O3S 202 (1958).

Scott Walker

Scott Walker: The Old Man’s Back Again (Dedicated to the Neo-Stalinist Regime). From Scott 4, Philip’s SBL 7913 (1969).

Jean-Christophe Benoît

Maurice Ravel, Stéphane Mallarmé: Sainte. Jean-Christophe Benoît, baritone (1925-2019), Aldo Ciccolini, pianist (1925-2015). From Maurice Ravel Mélodies, HMV/La voix de son maître CVB 2175 (1969). Reissued on the mammoth Aldo Ciccolini: Enregistrements EMI 1950-1991 box of 56 CDs (50999 685824 2 5, 2009).

Hilde Zadek

Ludwig Van Beethoven: Komm, Hoffnung (Leonore). Hilde Zadek, soprano (1917-2019), Ferdinand Leitner conducting the Wiener Symphoniker. Live recording, Bregenz Festival 14 July 1960. Cast includes Anton Dermota, Paul Schöffler, Otto von Rohr, Gerda Scheyrer and Alfred Poell.

Ekkehard Wlaschiha as Don Pizarro in Fidelio

Giueeppe Verdi: Credo (Otello). Ekkehard Wlaschiha, bass-baritone (1938-2019); Wolfgang Rennert conducting the Orchester der Berliner Staatsoper. Live performance 25 December 1982. Cast includes Spas Wenkoff and Celestina Casapietra.

Dominick Argento

Janet Baker: My goddess

Dominick Argento, Virginia Woolf: Parents (The Diary of Virginia Woolf). Janet Baker, mezzo-soprano; Martin Isepp, pianist. World premiere performance, Minneapolis, 05 January 1975. Issued on d’Note Classics Records 1019.

Ethel Ennis

Fred E. Alert, Edgar Leslie: The Moon Was Yellow. Ethel Ennis (1932-2019), Arranged and conducted by Sid Bass. From This Is Ethel Ennis, RCA Records LPM/LSC-2786 (1964).

Sanford Sylvan

Samuel Barber: The Crucifixion (Hermit Songs) Sanford Sylvan, baritone (1953-2019); David Breitman, pianist. From Beloved That Pilgrimage [Chanler, Barber, Copland song cycles] Nonesuch Records 9 79259-2 (1991).

Michel Legrand and friend

Michel Legrand (1932-2019), Marilyn and Alan Bergman: What Are You Doing the Rest of Your Life? Daniel Gundlach, countertenor; Sean Barker, pianist. Live recording, Berlin, 2 November 2014.

Carol Channing

Charles Gaynor: The Inside Story. Carol Channing (1921-2019). From Show Girl (Original Cast Recording). Roulette Records S/R 80001 (1961).

Clydie King

Bobbie Gentry: Ode to Billie Joe. Clyde King (1943-2019). 1968 recording for Capitol Records, belatedly issued in 2007 on Stateside Records 5099950958122 as Clydie King: The Imperial and Minit Years.

The Captain and Tennille

Neal Sedaka, Howard Greenfield: Love Will Keep Us Together. The Captain [Daryl Dragon (1942-2019)] and [Toni] Tennille. From Love Will Keep Us Together (A&M Records SP-4552, 1975).

Wilma Lipp

Johann Strauss II: Frühlingsstimmen. Wilma Lipp, soprano (1925-2019); Ferenc Fricsay conducting the Berliner Philharmoniker. (1952 Deutsche Grammophon recording issued as Strauss Waltzes Volume 2 on American Decca DL 4041

Allee Willis

Dusty and the Pet Shop Boys

Allee Willis (1947-2019), Neil Tennant, Chris Lowe: What Have I Done To Deserve This? Pet Shop Boys, Dusty Springfield. Parlophone Records R6163, 1987.









Jerry Herman. Photo by Jack Robinson

Jerry Herman (1931-2019): Before the Parade Passes By (Hello, Dolly!). Victoria Clark. From Fifteen Seconds of Grace, PS Classics, PS 755 (2007)