Kathleen Ferrier

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Kathleen Ferrier (1951)

Kathleen Ferrier (born April 22, 1912 in Higher Walton near Preston , Lancashire , England , † October 8, 1953 in London ) was an English opera singer ( contralto ). The main focus of their repertoire , however, was on lieder and oratorio singing .

Life

Kathleen Ferrier received piano lessons in addition to her school education at an early age. Due to lack of family money, she had to leave school at fourteen. However, she was able to complete her piano training at the Royal Academy of Music . For the next fourteen years she worked on the telephone at the post office. In addition, she sang in many choirs, successfully took part in various piano competitions, earned a gold medal at the age of eighteen and a teaching diploma in 1931.

In 1935 she married the bank director Bert Wilson and moved with him to Carlisle . Their marriage ended in divorce in 1947. In 1937 Ferrier took part in the Carlisle Festival as a pianist and singer. Here she won the first prize as the best singer of the festival. It was also the turning point for her musical career. Her first radio recording was made two years later. In 1941 Ferrier sang for the Council for the Encouragement of Music and the Arts . She toured across the UK bringing music to the people of factories and villages during the war years. The conductor Malcolm Sargent predicted a great future for her and recommended her professional lessons. In 1942, Kathleen Ferrier went to London with the help of her sister to train her voice with Roy Henderson .

In 1948 Ferrier performed for the first time in New York with great success. This was followed by tours through America, Canada, Holland and Scandinavia. In 1951 she underwent an operation to remove a tumor in her breast. The procedure seemed successful and soon afterwards she returned to her concert life with many tours at home and abroad. She had a deep friendship with the then highly acclaimed conductor Bruno Walter . By working with him, which began in 1947 on the occasion of a joint performance of Gustav Mahler's Lied von der Erde at the Edinburgh International Festival, she brought Mahler's work to the attention of a wider audience. Despite another operation, her health deteriorated more and more. In 1953, she died of breast cancer at the age of forty-two . It was in the Golders Green Crematorium in London cremated , where her ashes is located.

The Kathleen Ferrier Memorial Competition is named after Kathleen Ferrier .

Career

In her short career she sang under the most famous conductors of her time, including John Barbirolli , Eduard van Beinum , Adrian Boult , Benjamin Britten , Herbert von Karajan , Clemens Krauss and Malcolm Sargent and often together with colleagues such as Isobel Baillie or Peter Pears . Benjamin Britten wrote his second opera The Rape of Lucretia for Kathleen Ferrier, who was to sing the lead role in it:

"An alto as a heroine is uncommon, but the opera in Kathleen Ferrier had a carrier of the plot who knew how to shape the tragedy effortlessly, with splendid vocal materials and noble play."

- Review in the world press on July 25, 1946

Her repertoire included songs by Mahler, Brahms, Schubert and Schumann as well as the oratorios by Handel and Elgar . Despite its brevity, Kathleen Ferrier's life was not tragic. In the ten years of her fame, she achieved more than any other singer in her entire life. Bruno Walter is said to have said that his greatest privileges in his life were the acquaintance and collaboration with Kathleen Ferrier and Gustav Mahler.

Discography

The first recordings with Kathleen Ferrier were made in London in 1944 for EMI at Abbey Road Studios . These recordings were intended as tests and not for sale. It would take another 35 years before they came on the market as a record. Three more recording sessions for EMI followed, including music by Handel, Greene , Purcell and Mendelssohn . In 1946 Ferrier moved to Decca . Her most important projects were created here, such as Pergolesi's Stabat mater , Bach's St. Matthew Passion , Gluck's Orfeo ed Euridice , as well as a selection of British songs. Her greatest successes include the recordings of Mahler's symphony Das Lied von der Erde with Bruno Walter in 1952. In addition to her recordings, many radio recordings have been preserved. Some of them were released on vinyl years later.

literature

Movie

  • Kathleen Ferrier. A song from the earth. (OT: Kathleen Ferrier. Le Chant de la Terre. ) Documentary, France, 2011, 53 min., Script and director: Diane Perelsztejn, production: arte France, Idéale Audience, Les Films de la Mémoire, Diane Perelsztejn & Co., German first broadcast: February 9, 2014 at arte, table of contents by arte.

Web links

Wikiquote: Kathleen Ferrier  - Quotes
Commons : Kathleen Ferrier  - Collection of images, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ fembio
  2. ↑ a b c Kathleen Ferrier Society
  3. ↑ "The Rape of Lucretia". In:  Weltpresse. Independent news and voices from all over the world / world press , July 25, 1946, p. 6 (online at ANNO ).Template: ANNO / Maintenance / dwp
personal data
SURNAME Ferrier, Kathleen
BRIEF DESCRIPTION English opera singer (contralto)
DATE OF BIRTH April 22, 1912
PLACE OF BIRTH Higher Walton at Preston , Lancashire, England
DATE OF DEATH October 8, 1953
PLACE OF DEATH London