Search - Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau, Samuel Barber, William Strickland :: Samuel Barber: Knoxville: Summer of 1915; Dover Beach; Hermit Songs; Andromache's Farewell

Essential!

Frank M. Hudson | Bowie, MD | 12/08/1999

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This fabulous collection is required listening for anyone who loves Barber's music and/or great singing. Naturally Leontyne Price is wonderful in the HERMIT SONGS, likewise Fischer-Dieskau in Dover Beach -- but don't overlook Steber's historic performance of KNOXVILLE, which she commissioned, nor Arroyo's dramatic tour-de-force in the powerful ANDROMACHE'S FAREWELL, a late work. The Samuel Barber Foundation website (samuelbarber.org) will soon be operating with news/reviews of new & reissued recordings of Barber's work."

Rocking gently, talking gently

J Scott Morrison | Middlebury VT, USA | 03/04/2000

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Essential Barber. Steber's "Knoxville" is the earliest recording. She commissioned it, if I'm not mistaken. Her feeling for the text, her phrasing of it is remarkable. Her diction is perfect. The rest of this collection is an American treasure. Too bad it doesn't include Samuel Barber's recording of himself singing "Dover Beach", but barring that DFD's is the best on records. Leontyne Price's "Hermit Songs" are the classic recording. How could you go wrong?"

But Fischer-Dieskau sings "French toast"!

Bradley P. Lehman | Dayton, VA USA | 03/23/2000

(5 out of 5 stars)

"These are all essential recordings, of course, for the reasons other reviewers mention. I'll simply point out that this recording of Dover Beach (also available in other issues) with the Juilliard and F-D is the notorious one where he gets the words wrong. Instead of singing, "On the French coast the light gleams and is gone..." he gives it as "...French toast..." Of course, he delivers this beautifully."