Kathleen FERRIER, contralto
Giorgio FAVARETTO, piano
ORCHESTRE SYMPHONIQUE DE VIENNE
Herbert Von KARAJAN, conductor
PHILHARMONIE DE VIENNE
Bruno WALTER, conductor

On 8 October 1953, the contralto Kathleen Ferrier died of breast cancer at the age of 41. Why does Ferrier, whose career lasted barely a dozen years, remain fixed in the public memory?
Her voice, completely devoid of artifice, always expressed the music through her genuine musicality and strong personality. She needed no recourse to the publicity and hype that are so vital in creating and sustaining a singer’s image and career today.
She remains "unique". For many years, various rumours, alleging the existence of a live recording of Das Lied von der Erde made during the public concerts of 17 and 18 May 1952 , had been circulating.
We confirm that Tahra 482 is the authentic recording of 17 May made by Rotweissrot. Thanks to the intervention of a producer of the French Radio who had the possibility of getting a copy of the master tapes (on condition that the recording would never be published!), we released that document that remained during twenty years in the private archives of a Bruno Walter's fan!
During the preparation of this CD, Tahra Label also discovered that the Austrian Radio ORF owned another unissued recording of das Lied von der Erde, taped at the Salzburg Festival on 21 August 1949, and a short interview of Ferrier. We publish that interview as well as two excerpts of that Lied von der Erdeand again, the moving sixth part ("Abschied") from the concert of 17 May 1952.