''Frederica von Stade Live!'' is a 46-minute live album of arias, art songs and folk songs from America,

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...

, Ireland and Italy, performed by von Stade with piano accompaniment by Martin Katz. It was released in 1982.''Frederica von Stade: The Complete Columbia Recital Albums'', Sony CD, 88875183412, 2016

Recording

The album was compiled from

digital recording In digital recording, an audio or video signal is converted into a stream of discrete numbers representing the changes over time in air pressure for audio, or chroma and luminance values for video. This number stream is saved to a storage de ...

s of a recital programme performed on 5 and 8 April 1981 at the

Alice Tully Hall Alice Tully Hall is a concert hall at the Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts in the Upper West Side neighborhood of Manhattan in New York City. The hall is named for Alice Tully, a New York performer and philanthropist whose donations assist ...

, New York City. The engineers used Neumann U-87 and KM-84 microphones, a Sony UMATIC recorder and a Sony PCM 1600 system. The album was mastered using CBS's DisComputer system.

Cover art

The LP and cassette versions of the album share the same cover art, designed by Peter A. Alfieri, featuring a photograph of von Stade taken by Valerie Clement.

Critical reception

Reviews

J. B. Steane John Barry Steane (12 April 1928 – 17 March 2011) was an English music critic, musicologist, literary scholar and teacher, with a particular interest in singing and the human voice. His 36-year career as a schoolmaster overlapped with his caree ...

reviewed the album on LP in ''

Gramophone A phonograph, in its later forms also called a gramophone (as a trademark since 1887, as a generic name in the UK since 1910) or since the 1940s called a record player, or more recently a turntable, is a device for the mechanical and analogu ...

'' in June 1982. It was, he thought, an engaging, vivacious recital, but rather like a sandwich that was missing its proper slice of ham. The last track on the A side of the disc was "Tanti affetti" from Rossini's ''La donna del lago''. It was a climactic end to the first half of the record in that it showed off Frederica von Stade's virtuoso technique, but, although not a shallow composition, it was not the substantial kind of piece that a recitalist should programme before her interval.Steane, J. B.: ''

'', June 1982, p. 72 The B side of the disc began with Maurice Ravel's ''Cinq mélodies populaires grecques'', "the nearest we come to the provision of a major work". The absence of more ambitious music was not the only reason that the disc felt slightly disappointing. "Good song recitals", Steane wrote, "have some meat, and then... jam!" Nothing in von Stade's album quite supplied the requisite sugar rush. Maurice Ravel 1925

Her American songs did not have a particularly high glycaemic index, and even her encore somehow failed to hit the mark. With its refrain of "the fairy was laughing too", "The leprechaun" had merely "the kind of charm that coaxes smiles and a somewhat cautious laugh". Von Stade's American songs evoked "an interest, a curiosity, an expectation of pleasure", but none of them was truly thrilling. Aaron Copland's "Why do they shut me out of heaven?", Richard Hundley's "The astronomers" and Virgil Thomson's "A prayer to St Catherine" were too quirky to be really exciting, and Hundley's "Come ready and see me", although engaging, was too gentle to be the right kind of song with which to bring down the curtain. That the programming of the disc was not as well judged as it might have been did not mean that the album was lacking in delectable ingredients. Durante's "Danza, danza, fanciulla gentile", taken at a very sprightly pace, had a "gaiety

hat was A hat is a head covering which is worn for various reasons, including protection against weather conditions, ceremonial reasons such as university graduation, religious reasons, safety, or as a fashion accessory. Hats which incorporate mecha ...

delightful and infectious". The Rossini aria had "brilliant flourishes". Joseph Canteloube's "Brezairola" had a "dreamy beauty". Ravel's "Chanson de cueilleuses de lentisques" had a "quiet joy". Most cherishable of all were those songs that drew upon von Stade's special gift of wistfulness. Alessandro Scarlatti's "Se tu della mia morte" had an "indrawn sadness", and in Hundley's "Come ready and see me", "she has a song that might have been written for her, so well does it suit her voice and art." Aaron Copland 1970

The album was well engineered, with "clear, natural and well-balanced" sound. Applause was included, but the LP was mercifully free from the type of intrusions perpetrated by audiences on some other live recordings. In sum, it was regrettable that the disc lacked "a particular sense of occasion" - the author of its sleeve notes had not even thought to mention where or when it had been recorded. But the album nevertheless deserved a warm welcome. It was one to be dipped into "for this song and that, rather than for the recital s a whole be it never so 'Live!'."

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 interv ...

reviewed the album on LP in ''

Stereo Review ''Sound & Vision'' is 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 November 1982. Frederica von Stade's rendition of Rossini's "Tanti affetti in tal momento", he wrote, was somewhat put in the shade by the "unforgettable bravura" of the version of the aria recorded by

Marilyn Horne Marilyn 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 of the Natio ...

. It suffered, too, from being accompanied by a piano instead of by a chorus and orchestra. But there was nothing negative that could be said about her recital's other selections.Jellinek, George: ''

'', November 1982, p. 99 Virgil Thomson by Carl Van Vechten

It was refreshing that, as was her wont, she had sought out music that many listeners would be unfamiliar with. Even when choosing from the well-thumbed scores of Italian ''arie antiche'', she mad managed to find some that few of us would have heard before. And her twentieth-century American songs were "all worth knowing" too. Her performances were "wonderful ... in her own exquisite style". She brought "her customary and much-praised musicality, lovely tone and sensitive control of dynamics to just about everything in this latest programme". Her American songs in particular were sung with "great charm and excellent diction". In some of her earlier records, the sheer beauty of her vocalism had not always been matched by the quality of her interpretations. But there was now "a certain intensity in her singing that is most welcome". As usual, Martin Katz was an excellent partner at the piano, and the audio quality of CBS's digital recording was exceptionally good. David Shengold wrote about the album in ''

Opera News ''Opera News'' is an American classical music magazine. It has been published since 1936 by the Metropolitan Opera Guild, a non-profit organization located at Lincoln Center which was founded to engender the appreciation of opera and also support ...

'' in 2016, reviewing a box set of von Stade CDs in which it was included. He praised her performance of Alessandro Scarlatti's "Se tu della mia morte" as "particularly exquisite" and her version of Ravel's ''Cinq mélodies populaires grecques'' as "affectingly done". The album was also reviewed in ''The complete Penguin stereo record and cassette guide'', which described it as "taken from a live recital with von Stade vivacious and characterful in generally lightweight repertory". Its sound quality, the book said, was "kind to the voice and naturally balanced".

Accolade

The album was nominated for a

Grammy Award The Grammy Awards (stylized as GRAMMY), or simply known as the Grammys, are awards presented by the Recording Academy of the United States to recognize "outstanding" achievements in the music industry. They are regarded by many as the most pres ...

for the best classical solo vocal performance of 1982.

CD track listing

Antonio Vivaldi Antonio Lucio Vivaldi (4 March 1678 – 28 July 1741) was an Italian composer, virtuoso violinist and impresario of Baroque music. Regarded as one of the greatest Baroque composers, Vivaldi's influence during his lifetime was widespread a ...

(1678-1741) Cantata, RV 672 * 1 (3:07) "Filli di gioia vuoi farmi morir"

Francesco Durante Francesco Durante (31 March 1684 – 30 September 1755) was a Neapolitan composer. Biography He was born at Frattamaggiore, in the Kingdom of Naples, and at an early age he entered the '' Conservatorio dei poveri di Gesù Cristo'', in Naples, ...

(1684-1755), arranged by Martin Katz ''Solfèges d'Italie'' * 2 (1:02) No. 137: "Danza, danza, fanciulla gentile"

Alessandro Scarlatti Pietro Alessandro Gaspare Scarlatti (2 May 1660 – 22 October 1725) was an Italian Baroque composer, known especially for his operas and chamber cantatas. He is considered the most important representative of the Neapolitan school of opera. ...

(1660-1725) ' ("The fall of the decemvirs", Naples, 1697, R345.33) * 3 (5:14) "Se tu della mia morte"

Benedetto Marcello Benedetto Giacomo Marcello (; 31 July or 1 August 1686 – 24 July 1739) was an Italian composer, writer, advocate, magistrate, and teacher. Life Born in Venice, Benedetto Marcello was a member of a noble family and in his compositions he is f ...

(1686-1739), arranged by Martin Katz * 4 (4:32) "Il mio bel foco"

Gioachino Rossini Gioachino Antonio Rossini (29 February 1792 – 13 November 1868) was an Italian composer who gained fame for his 39 operas, although he also wrote many songs, some chamber music and piano pieces, and some sacred music. He set new standards f ...

(1792-1868) ''

La donna del lago ''La donna del lago'' (English: ''The Lady of the Lake'') is an opera composed by Gioachino Rossini with a libretto by Andrea Leone Tottola (whose verses are described as "limpid" by one critic) based on the French translationOsborne, Charles 19 ...

'' ("The lady of the lake", Naples, 1819, with a libretto by

Andrea Leone Tottola Andrea Leone Tottola (died 15 September 1831) was a prolific Italian librettist, best known for his work with Gaetano Donizetti and Gioachino Rossini. It is not known when or where he was born. He became the official poet to the royal theatres ...

(?-1831) after

The Lady of the Lake The Lady of the Lake (french: Dame du Lac, Demoiselle du Lac, cy, Arglwyddes y Llyn, kw, Arloedhes an Lynn, br, Itron al Lenn, it, Dama del Lago) is a name or a title used by several either fairy or fairy-like but human enchantresses in the ...

(1810) by

Sir Walter Scott Sir Walter Scott, 1st Baronet (15 August 1771 – 21 September 1832), was a Scottish novelist, poet, playwright and historian. Many of his works remain classics of European and Scottish literature, notably the novels '' Ivanhoe'', '' Rob Roy' ...

(1771-1832)) * 5 (7:19) "Tanti affetti in tal momento"

Maurice Ravel Joseph Maurice Ravel (7 March 1875 – 28 December 1937) was a French composer, pianist and conductor. He is often associated with Impressionism along with his elder contemporary Claude Debussy, although both composers rejected the term. In ...

(1875-1937) ''Cinq mélodies populaires grecques'' (1904-1906, from traditional texts, translated by

Michel-Dimitri Calvocoressi Michel-Dimitri Calvocoressi (2 October 1877 – 1 February 1944) was a French-born music critic and musicologist of Greek descent who was an English citizen and resident from 1914 onwards. He often promoted Russian composers, particularly Modes ...

(1877-1944)) * 6 (1:25) "Chanson de la mariée" * 7 (1:37) "Là-bas, vers l'église" * 8 (1:01) "Quel galant m'est comparable" * 9 (3:07) "Chanson de cueilleuses de lentisques" *10 (0:57) "Tout gai!"

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 region, ''Chants d'Auvergne''. Biography Canteloube ...

(1879-1957), collector and arranger ''

Chants d'Auvergne ''Chants d'Auvergne'' (; en, italic=yes, Songs from the Auvergne) is a collection of folk songs from the Auvergne region of France arranged for soprano voice and orchestra or piano by Joseph Canteloube between 1923 and 1930. The 27 songs, collected ...

'' (1923-1930) *11 (3:38) "Brezairola" (Vol. 3, No. 4) *12 (1:14) "L'aïo dè rotso" (Vol. 1, No. 3a)

Aaron Copland Aaron Copland (, ; November 14, 1900December 2, 1990) was an American composer, composition teacher, writer, and later a conductor of his own and other American music. Copland was referred to by his peers and critics as "the Dean of American Com ...

(1900-1990) ''

Twelve Poems of Emily Dickinson ''Twelve Poems of Emily Dickinson'' is a song cycle for medium voice and piano by the American composer Aaron Copland. Completed in 1950 and lasting for just under half an hour, it represents Copland's longest work for solo voice. He assigned the ...

'' (1950) *13 (1:55) No. 3: "Why do they shut me out of Heaven?" (dedicated to

Ingolf Dahl Ingolf Dahl (June 9, 1912 – August 6, 1970) was a German-born American composer, pianist, conductor, and educator. Biography Dahl was born Walter Ingolf Marcus in Hamburg, Germany, to a German Jewish father, attorney Paul Marcus, and his Swed ...

(1912-1970))

Richard Hundley Richard Albert Hundley (September 1, 1931 – February 25, 2018) was an American pianist and composer of art songs for voice and piano. Early life Hundley was born in Cincinnati, Ohio. When he was seven years old he moved to his paternal grand ...

(1931-2018) *14 (2:04) "The astronomers" (1959)

Virgil Thomson Virgil Thomson (November 25, 1896 – September 30, 1989) was an American composer and critic. He was instrumental in the development of the "American Sound" in classical music. He has been described as a modernist, a neoromantic, a neoclassic ...

(1896-1989) ''Mostly About Love: Four Songs for Alice Estey '' (1959, texts by

Kenneth Koch Kenneth Koch ( ; 27 February 1925 – 6 July 2002) was an American poet, playwright, and professor, active from the 1950s until his death at age 77. He was a prominent poet of the New York School of poetry. This was a loose group of poets includ ...

(1925-2002)) *15 (3:26) No. 4: "A prayer to St Catherine"

*16 (2:41) "Come ready and see me" (1971, with a text by

James Purdy James Otis Purdy (July 17, 1914 March 13, 2009) was an American novelist, short-story writer, poet, and playwright who, from his debut in 1956, published over a dozen novels, and many collections of poetry, short stories, and plays. His work ha ...

(1924-2009)) Traditional, arranged by Herbert Hughes (1882-1937) *17 (2:01) "The leprechaun" (encore)

Personnel

Musical

Frederica von Stade Frederica von Stade OAL (born June 1, 1945) is a semi-retired American opera singer. Since her Metropolitan Opera debut in 1970, she has performed in operas, musicals, concerts and recitals in venues throughout the world, including La Scala, th ...

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

Other

* David Mottley, producer * Bud Graham, engineer

Release history

On 4 February 1982, CBS Masterworks released the album on LP (catalogue numbers M-37231 in Britain, IM-37231 in the US), with sleeve notes by Peter G. Davis and an insert with texts and translations. It was also issued on cassette (catalogue numbers 40-37231 in Britain, HMT-37231 in the US). In 2016, Sony released the album on CD (in a miniature replica of its original LP sleeve) with a 52-page booklet in their 18-CD compilation ''Frederica von Stade: The Complete Columbia Recital Albums'' (catalogue number 88875183412). The album has never been issued on CD otherwise.

References

{{reflist Frederica von Stade albums 1980s classical albums 1982 live albums Live classical albums