Sunday Brunch – Arleen Auger sings Brahms

Last Thursday, blogger dehggial at opera, innit? posted a clip of Arleen Auger as Alcina. At the conclusion of that wonderful performance, YouTube (being the great time-sink of the interwebz that it is) offered me another Auger clip. This is from a performance of the Brahms Requiem under the direction of Sergiu Celibidache. 

This has got to be the slowest performance on record. But rather than sounding static, it gave me a sense of being suspended in time. At some points, it almost threatens to go backwards. It's gorgeous. And best of all, soprano Arleen Auger is undaunted by the slow tempo. Kudos also to the chorus and orchestra for keeping the line moving. Exquisite!  

You now have sorrow; 

but I shall see you again 

and your heart shall rejoice 

and your joy no one shall take from you.

Behold me:I have had for a little time toil and torment, 

and now have found great consolation. 

I will console you, 

as one is consoled by his mother.

Sunday Brunch – Auger and von Otter Sing Bach

Helmut Rilling's recording of Bach's B-minor Mass is a good representation of the state of  the modern-instrument/HIP hybrid of the 80s (We can tell it's the 80s from ASvO's haircut, and because Arlene Auger is still singing.) I think if you search diligently, you can find the entire mass on YT, in bits and pieces. This is sublime music making.

Someone is Watching Me Watch Arleen Auger

Now don't feel paranoid...but we are being watched. It seems coincidental, but we know it's not. This video website knows I looked at some clips of Arleen Auger, and then checked out some Mahler Knaben Wunderhorn clips. Therefore, they suggested I watch this clip of Arleen Auger singing—you guessed it—Mahler. And what a fine suggestion it is.

It's a fun, wonderful, characterful performance. And it makes one a bit sad knowing that only a few short years later she died as a result of a brain tumor. Ms. Auger was only 53—still in her vocal prime. So here is a bit of Mahler, followed by Mozart, from the same recital. There are more clips over there from this same program. Ms. Auger's death was a big loss to the vocal world. We are fortunate to have so many recordings with which to remember her.

Mozart Requiem for Mozart

Stephansdom

I recently rediscovered a lovely performance of Mozart's Requiem—sung as part of a full Mass almost 20 years ago to celebrate Mozart—It contains some striking contrasts, performer-wise. And it’s a performance I will enjoy watching and listening to again.

This is the last Mozart performance of the lovely and tragically short-lived soprano Arleen Auger—a quintessential Mozart singer who succumbed to cancer in the prime of her career. It's also one of the last performances of the elderly Sir Georg Solti (and I hope I don’t sound unkind if I say he probably should have stopped conducting sooner.) The always-slightly-under-the-radar Vinson Cole was early-mid career; and Cecelia Bartoli and Rene Pape were just getting their feet wet (RP was not yet thirty!).