Notes and Editorial Reviews
Miss Verrett...comes into her own in the Tchaikovsky and Rachmaninov songs. Her essentially lovely voice warms to these and I found them all most enjoyable... I hope Miss Verrett...will some day give us a recital of Russian songs, including some by Borodin and Mussorgsky, for she responds so sympathetically to those included on this disc...
-- Gramophone [6/1968]
reviewing the original LP release
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...I enjoyed hearing the immense sincerity she already brought to An die Musik and to Die Allmacht, a song calling for the dramatic power of an opera singer. The Russian items, sung in the original, are also deeply felt and here the unaffected style is very welcome. Needless to say the
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spirituals are superbly done, particularly Oh, Glory!, which I used, not long ago, for a radio profile of this artist. Witness shows off her excellent rhythmic sense and diction in English. Alleluia is technically secure, but the piece calls for a brighter voice. The accompanist is no great asset and as recorded sounds clangy. I do hope RCA will soon give us a new recital from this rich-voiced mezzo; she deserves as much.
-- Gramophone [6/1973]
reviewing an LP reissue of this recording
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“I believe in working and in being good.” - Shirley Verrett
"On stage Miss Verrett presents both a stunning physical appearance and a stunning voice. Vocally her range is large, and her voice is exceptionally expressive and memorable. She works on dramatics – conveying the meaning of the words – and strives equally hard, and equally successfully, to sustain a flowing musical line. She has mastered the subtlety of Schubert songs and the coloratura of Mozart’s “Alleluia.” The hymns and spirituals which she has been singing since childhood, and which she still loves to do, she obviously sings from the heart."
- Mary Campbell
quoted from the program notes for this album. 1965
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Works on This Recording
1.
An die Musik, D 547 by Franz Schubert
Performer:
Shirley Verrett (Mezzo Soprano),
Charles Wadsworth (Piano)
Period: Romantic
Written: 1817; Vienna, Austria
Language: German
2.
An Schwager Kronos, D 369/Op. 19 no 1 by Franz Schubert
Performer:
Shirley Verrett (Mezzo Soprano),
Charles Wadsworth (Piano)
Period: Romantic
Written: 1816; Vienna, Austria
Language: German
3.
Ständchen, D 889 by Franz Schubert
Performer:
Shirley Verrett (Mezzo Soprano),
Charles Wadsworth (Piano)
Period: Romantic
Written: 1826; Vienna, Austria
Language: German
4.
Die Allmacht, D 852 by Franz Schubert
Performer:
Shirley Verrett (Mezzo Soprano),
Charles Wadsworth (Piano)
Period: Romantic
Written: 1825; Vienna, Austria
Language: German
5.
Songs (7), Op. 47: no 7, Was I not a little blade of grass? by Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky
Performer:
Shirley Verrett (Mezzo Soprano),
Charles Wadsworth (Piano)
Period: Romantic
Written: 1880; Russia
Language: Russian
6.
Songs (6), Op. 73: no 6, Again, as before, alone by Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky
Performer:
Shirley Verrett (Mezzo Soprano),
Charles Wadsworth (Piano)
Period: Romantic
Written: 1893; Russia
Language: Russian
7.
Songs (6), Op. 4: no 5, Oh thou, my field by Sergei Rachmaninov
Performer:
Shirley Verrett (Mezzo Soprano),
Charles Wadsworth (Piano)
Period: Romantic
Written: 1893; Russia
Language: Russian
8.
Songs (12), Op. 14: no 11, Spring waters by Sergei Rachmaninov
Performer:
Shirley Verrett (Mezzo Soprano),
Charles Wadsworth (Piano)
Period: Romantic
Written: 1896; Russia
Language: Russian
9.
He’s Goin’ Away by Traditional
Performer:
Shirley Verrett (Mezzo Soprano),
Charles Wadsworth (Piano)
Language: English
Notes: Arrangement by John Jacob Niles.
10.
Old American Songs, Set 2: Zion's Walls by Aaron Copland
Performer:
Shirley Verrett (Mezzo Soprano),
Charles Wadsworth (Piano)
Period: 20th Century
Written: 1952; USA
Language: English
11.
Old American Songs, Set 2: At the River by Aaron Copland
Performer:
Shirley Verrett (Mezzo Soprano),
Charles Wadsworth (Piano)
Period: 20th Century
Language: English
12.
Honor, Honor by Traditional
Performer:
Shirley Verrett (Mezzo Soprano),
Charles Wadsworth (Piano)
Language: English
Notes: Arrangement by Hall Johnson.
13.
Oh, Glory! by Traditional
Performer:
Shirley Verrett (Mezzo Soprano),
Charles Wadsworth (Piano)
Language: English
Notes: Arrangement by Hall Johnson.
14.
Witness by Traditional
Performer:
Shirley Verrett (Mezzo Soprano),
Charles Wadsworth (Piano)
Written: USA
Language: English
Notes: Arrangement by Hall Johnson.
15.
Exsultate jubilate, K 165 (158a): Alleluia by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Performer:
Shirley Verrett (Mezzo Soprano),
Charles Wadsworth (Piano)
Period: Classical
Written: 1773; Milan, Italy
Language: Latin
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