back to Press/Media Page
April 22nd marks the 100th anniversary of the birth of English contralto Kathleen Ferrier (22 April 1912 – 8 October 1953). Beloved for her rich voice and generosity of spirit, she rose from obscurity to to become one of the most sought-after contraltos of the 20th century.
This 3CD set celebrates some of the finest recordings she ever made, including long excerpts of her singing Orfeo from Gluck’s Orfeo ed Euridice (the operatic role she is most closely associated with), Mahler’s Kindertotenlieder with Bruno Walter (including two previously unissued alternative takes) and a wide variety of songs and arias recorded with pianist Gerald Moore – considered one of the greatest accompanists of all time.
Her death from cancer was one of the great shocks to the musical world (she had concealed her illness and continued performing and recording until eight months before she passed away), and her legacy remains one of the shining jewels of singing history.
