Barber: Knoxville Summer of 1915 (Dawn Upshaw soprano)

My favorite Barber song sung with a great deal of beauty and feelings in Upshaw's clean soprano. She is supported very nicely by the Orchestra of St. Luke's with David Zinman directing.

Category:

Music

Tags:

• Samuel
• Barber
• Knoxville
• Summer
• of
• 1915
• Dawn
• Upshaw
• soprano
• Orchestra
• St.
• Luke's
• David
• Zinman

[ZepposNonno]

It's like Samuel Barber could see into the future and know that Dawn Upshaw would be born. This piece of music and this singer . . . no comparison IMHO. I love when it pops up on my iPod while I am out walking.

[yingdat]

@ZepposNonno Glad you enjoy it!

[TheGilbertjohn]

No one is as good as Dawn Upshaw. No one, male or female.

[yingdat]

@TheGilbertjohn Yes, she is fantastic.

[OperaBuff1935]

Dawn Upshaw's Grammy award winning singing of this poignant song is by far my favorite. I love Dawn Upshaw. I heard her sing this with the Philadelphia Orchestra led by Ricardo Muti (I believe) at the Mann Music Center in the "Summer of 1990 or '91 and chatted with her backstage at intermission of that concert. Dawn is a fantastic person as well as a great singer.

[yingdat]

@TrueBelievingAtheist Hm, it's almost as if you are obssessed... I like that attitude! :-)

[TrueBelievingAtheist]

she turns and smiles at us and then the woodwinds kick in. then she whispers this magical song into our ear. granted i'm a straight male but think about it! she's reminding us of our youth and being free and passionate. it's fucking lovemaking! omg it is so good!

[TrueBelievingAtheist]

lyrics don't always match with music. even dawn has problems with it! but what realy makes it shine is how so intimate she makes it. listen to the price or any other version. it's from the stage, beautifully done, but from the stage. not so with dawn. we are on that porch! "rock and rock" she is our girlfriend, lover etc. that comes and sits down next to us on the porchswing. 

[TrueBelievingAtheist]

that was the only criticism. now we go on why this is so fucking good. listen close. barber nailed it but it's a disjointed affair. it's awkward!

[TrueBelievingAtheist]

i have it! i have it! i have it! lordy it has posessed me for some time but i got it. first offi this recording is fucking atrocious. the clarity is awesome tonally but completely flat re space. no depth whatsoever. winds, horns, strings, and vocal are all right on top of each other. yuk!

[TrueBelievingAtheist]

glad someone finally uploaded this damn thing. don't get me wrong - i love all versions, especially price, but this one is special. i was a teenager the first time i encountered it. now i'm broken down and soldered, but upon listening to this masterpiece i am reborn again and again. well done!