Irmgard Seefried sings Mahler

[Astradamors]

Seefried: honest, innocent, more concentrated on words and meaning than technique. She doesn't care about producing a big sound. She sings like she were speaking, very naturally and from the heart. Yes, her highs are often "calante" and forced. Yes, sometimes the pitch is not accurate. But who cares. Singing is about communicating, not about producing a perfect sound. Take Satchmo; have you ever heard a worse voice than that one? But who can put a smile on your face like him? No one.

[peter47ish]

Totally sincere and into the music and the song.

No ego ..no diva ...just a true musician doing her fabulous job !

With my greatest respect for Mrs, Seefried.

Peter S.

[KOCHKA1000]

great and soft voice in this very nice interpretation

[tkcolumbus]

Augezeichnet!

[GuidoKaiserBariton1]

Himmlisch!

[phoenix4165]

this is still and will probably remain my favourite rendition of my favourite Mahler song

[Melot50]

Ich habe noch nie jemanden gehoert der so charmant, lieb und auf kindische Art so schoen singen kan. Ich bin bewaeltigt.

I have never heard anybody who can sing so beautifully in such a charming, simple and childlike manner. I am speechless.

[MetroWestSinger]

(had to divide my comment due to space limit - sorry!) -- the world now thinks he is dead, and he might as well be - he can say nothing (gar nichts - absolutely nothing, with Viennese overtones of the (Rosenkavalier) Marschallin's colloquial "gar nix") against that view, as in fact he is "dead" to the world - alone in his own heaven of love and song. The quality of spiritual enlightenment at the end of the text (and its solitude yet lightness) is exquisitely expressed by the music.

[MetroWestSinger]

I'm surprised at these comments -- the text is much more in line with Seefried's interpretation than Karneus' (however lovely her performance) -- there is a gentle irony and tender detachment in a mature person's view of how involved one used to be with the "Getümmel" of the world --

[leoncioviolin]

precioso

[1psoas9]

you cannot lose with this song, so many wonderful interpretations. i LOVE Seefried's -- like that of a child who's had a vision, it's unaccountably happy, but you have to believe her...... ou HAVE to, the conviction is so powerful.

Rosenthal is wonderful, too. Him I'd never heard of before, but he's transfigured by the greatness of hte song, also, they all are, we all are.

[garfreed]

Exquisite!

[Doromir]

Who is the conductor?

[podkivanok]

@Doromir

Orchestre national de l' ORTF, Manuel Rosenthal, 1967

[JesseRiaseyfwi]

hmhey ho bin so einsam jemand lust zu chattn oder so

[Bubble1210]

I agree, normandevalois, although I do appreciate the Ferrier version. Seefried gets this childlike simplicity with a touch of heavenly angel mixed in. Perfection with a perfect orchestral accompaniment. Does anyone sing like this anymore?

[senesino83]

Am I the only one missing a certain pinch more feeling in the famous "und ruh'..."?

[retnopudjiastuti]

@senesino83 @senesino83 no, you're not the only one. the primeval pinch of feeling of "und ruh'.." is really not there here.. you hv to listen the same piece sun by Katarina Karneus. in my opinion she's the best. she doesn't only sing the piece outstandingly, but more importantly she sings it with such a great depth of feeling and emotion.. really heaven!

[normandevalois]

this is the best I've heard not too maudlin like the hooty Ferrier version. Christa Ludwig with Gerald Moore is good , too

[malibu64]

wow... this is fantastic in every way.

[marcap1000]

wunderschoen!

[suffisance]

Oh my GOODNESS, Thank You. Never heard it done so well ... never will again.

[ariastoteles]

Bellísimo!

[benj1008]

Excellent performance! Delightful to see how she really gets into the song. :)

[DAKLAN2377]

Best one!!

[heinrichtoll]

beautifull and sad. I feel nostalgic of paradise.

[billyguns2]

Who is the sensitive conductor? What orchestra is playing? I can't imagine this performance could have taken place without the conductor and orchestra!

[chrizosthemis]

One of the most beautiful songs of Mahler and wonderful singer. senk you

[budanbahuidl]

there are no singers like this anymore.... marvellous!

[bellevillemusique]

The time when parisian musicians played with feeling...

[wolkowy1]

Thanks for uploading this amazing Lied and voice. Brava!

[urherman]

I heard the young Seefried when she first came to NY and sang the most memorable lieder recitals-Mozart, Bartok, Wolf,Schubert Brahms Schumann. The young Seefried had the most incredible voice with a dark silver underpinning and the interpretations were so rich and moving. She was the greatest lieder singer --also a great Mozart singer. She sang Suzanna at the Metropolitan opera

[DivaDeb1234]

I am just getting to know this singer...

She's wonderful. 

Now, would she be classified as Mezzo or Soprano?

[VoyArrasando]

Soprano , a very bright feminine soprano at that

[lagnaha]

Imoteb777

I forgot to say the conductor is Manuel Rosenthal and the orchestra is Orchestre Nationale de l'ortf. The DVD is available under EMI classics

[lagnaha]

Despite the decline in vocal ability, this is my favourite interpretation of this one of my favourite lieder.

[normandevalois]

I thot she was in pretty good shape

[imoteb777]

Who is the director?

[yuperry]

This is an unconventional interpretation of this well-know song. An almost mocking commentary of death and fate. A departure with nothing to be sorrowful, but with a proud celebration of solitude and a brave new world of love and songs. The faster tempo helps to convey an uplifting spirit to the listener.

[voce29]

I remember Irmgard Seefried very well.She sang many delightful roles in the opera in Vienna and many moving performances in the beautiful Musikvereinssaal. She died at an early age from cancer.How sad it was!!!!

[agurfdv]

cette vidéo a été enregistrée à la maison de la radio à Paris le 1 juillet 1967 par l'orchestre national de l'Ortf sous la direction de Manuel Rosenthal. Au programme figuraient aussi les quatri canzoni de Werner Egk : surprenant et génial.

[villebaston]

document très intéressant en ce qu'il est sans fard, sans "glamour" aucun : juste le travail, le dur travail du chant. Et quel regard, en elle-même regardant !

qui est le chef ? ressemble à un chef français mais peu probable ? dp

[mrrk]

No one can touch Ferrier in this song.

[costep]

I agree with you although I appreciate Irmgard very much. But of course Ferrier had an extra touch to it because of the special situation.

And the Ferrier interpretation here on youtube is my alltime favorite.

[geddafan1]

Trivia bit - She had the same teacher as Nicolai Gedda, Hilde Gueden, Helen Donath and George London. Pretty good company, huh?

[yoshinagayozo]

This song is very good.　When I die,

my family will sing this song for me.

[Pathetikos]

the tempo is too fast for me, but she's great anyway, singing it as if she really were "abhanden", but without any sentimentality and pianissimo-legatissimos.

[wesleyan97]

I agree. It's poignant but doesn't wallow, which actually makes it even more poignant.

[ferzunkin]

looks as if she sang it just yesterday. what a outstanding musician!