British Contralto Clara Butt ~ Love's Old Sweet Song (1923)

For "raymo51" / British contralto Clara Butt (1872-1936) / Love's Old Sweet Song (Molloy) / Recorded: April 25, 1923 (take 4) / Dame Clara Butt Complete Discography : www.trevormidgley.com/ClaraButt --

Category:

Music

Tags:

• British
• Contralto
• Clara
• Butt
• 78
• rpm
• CurzonRoad

[65attila]

Doug

It always takes me a few seconds to adjust my ears that this is a female voice.

It is impressive and thanks

John

[CurzonRoad]

Hi John:

Can't say I don't know what you mean...  ... there's only one Clara Butt!

THANKS!

Doug --

[meltzerboy]

Despite one or two gear shifts--which slightly disrupt the spiritual quality of the piece--Dame Clara Butt turns in a beautiful and highly expressive performance of this once very popular song. Butt's tonal colors, in particular, are instrumental in creating the right mood. She also offers the second stanza, which puts the bittersweet theme into better perspective. This rendition is so different from Galli-Curci's, yet I love them both. Thank you for sharing it, Doug.

[CurzonRoad]

Hi Nate: The Model-T shifting of gears, evident in many of her recordings, can somehow be endearing, if that makes sense? The diminutive Galli-Curci, in the light (shadow?) of statuesque Dame Clara... two very different singers, both consummate artists. Thank you!

[genia106]

My Darling Douglasio,

I LOVE IT!

This is one of YOUR most Beautiful Posts!

One can feel her emotion whilst singing, she was Magnificent, and Beautiful and

if I may, I love her frock. Merci.

[CurzonRoad]

Genia:

To read your words....

... so very nice.

Merci!

Doug --

[ginnykaren]

Doug, this was simply beautiful...I love this song and this was an excellent rendition.

[MrGer2295]

DAME CLARA ELLEN BUTT (DBE) (1 February 1872 – 23 January 1936), sometimes called Clara Butt-Rumford after her marriage, was an English contralto with a remarkably imposing voice and a surprisingly agile singing technique. Her main career was as a recitalist and concert singer.

Molto Bello!!! Thank you for sharing this video.

[Ondrified]

@titmouse0hehehe: Plenty. A btw, this isn't just any ole song from the 1920s. In the 1920s it had already been popular for decades, from the 1880s probably. And having visited a number of Irish pubs, I can tell you that they sing a lot of old songs, older than from the 1920s. But no one knew this gem of a song - that's part of the most admired work of Irish literature. I would compare it to a situation where educated English people had never heard of Greensleeves.

[titmouse0hehehe]

@Ondrified How many Czech songs from the 20s do you know?

[Ondrified]

A couple of months ago I was in Ireland, and I asked some local people if they knew Love's Old Sweet Song. They didn't. That was sad. It's an Irish song and has a prominent place in James Joyce's Ulysses - and I know it though I am from Prague, Czech Republic.

[colw1983]

Dame Clara Butt was my mother's second cousin. Mum's name was Rosa Elizabeth Butt. I was born after Clara died and never knew her but I am so proud to have such a beautiful and well known person in my family. Shirley Williams.

[TheCourtwick]

Wonderful. Butt and Galli-Curci should be listened to. Both sincere renderings.