 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: idahofats
Date: 2007-09-28 21:03
At the time of Ms. Sills' death, appreciation was expressed here with regard to her recording of Schubert's "Der Hirt auf dem Felsen," with Gervase de Peyer accompanying on clarinet. While surfing the Web today I noticed the following album from two vendors: "Beverly Sills and Friends", a two-disc set from Deutsche Grammophon (UPC: 028947763048 Product Id: 5984139.) Disc 1 contains her more standard repertoire, such as Lucia. Disc 2 has the Lincoln Center/Julius Rudel tracks that I remember from the 1970s, including "The Shepherd on the Rock" and "Lo! Here the Gentle Lark."
I can't vouch for the CD's quality, but as for the recording, I can still hear the purity of her voice and Mr. de Peyer's response in my head after nearly forty years.
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Author: Ken Shaw ★2017
Date: 2007-09-28 21:29
It's a wonderful performance. Sills is almost the only soprano with enough breath to take the long phrase with the high note in the first section without a break, and her musicianship is wonderful.
Sills and de Peyer are an odd couple. Her voice is quite bright, and de Peyer's tone is very English and mellow. Nevertheless, they listen hard and match each other perfectly. It's not the only Shepherd on the Rock recording I would have -- Valente/Wright/Serkin is essential, as is Shumann/Kell/Moore -- but it's one of the best.
The Sills/Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center LP has been reissued on CD and contains lots of great stuff.
Ken Shaw
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Author: Ken Shaw ★2017
Date: 2007-09-29 11:51
David -
GdP went through a bad patch when he wasn't paying his dues in the practice room. However, his early recordings are amazing (e.g., Weber #2 and Spohr #1, and his monaural Mozart Concerto with Anthony Collins). For whatever reason -- perhaps Sills inspired him -- he sucked it up, and their Shepherd on the Rock is one of the best.
Ken Shaw
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Author: idahofats
Date: 2007-09-29 15:13
Ken:
Thank you for the information regarding the Wright and Kell versions of Der Hirt---I've always loved Wright's work especially. I am now curious whether Marcellus ever recorded the piece---will search for it.
David:
In my opinion the all-time seminal number one recording of Der Hirt was on wax cylinder in 1931. Sydney Bechet on soprano sax backing up the incomparable coloratura of Margaret Hamilton: "I'll get you, my Liebling! You and your little Shepherd too! Von Unten, von Unten! Hah, hah, hah, hah!!!" A close second is the 1959 Shirley Bassey/Acker Bilk---nah, I won't go there. Hidden message: Things could be a whole lot woise. Nyuk-nyuk.
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Author: Ken Shaw ★2017
Date: 2007-09-30 13:18
idahofats -
Marcellus did not make a commercial recording of SotR, but there's an aircheck of a concert broadcast, with Benita Valente and Erich Leinsdorf playing piano, which many people have. It's very good. The energy of a live performance puts it in a different category from studio recordings.
Ken Shaw
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Author: Tom Piercy
Date: 2007-10-04 18:48
I, too, think the Beverly Sills recording of Shepherd on the Rock with De Peyer is a wonderful recording.
In response to comments made by D. Blumberg:
"I never saw de Peyer as being a good player at all. Gigantic ego without the great playing to ever back it up." Your comments make it sound as if you know him from more than "I just remember his crappy Concertino recording."
I think the recordings below can easily show what a "good" player he was in his prime. Yes, he may have had some less than stellar performances and recordings from the mid-80's, but most of his recordings and performances are first-rate.
I studied with him for many years and would never think of him as having a "gigantic ego without the great playing to back it up."
He was, and is, very generous with his knowledge of music, and has always been very helpful and encouraging to me as a teacher and friend. His lessons were lengthy and were always about my playing and making it better; they were never about him. His intellect, enthusiasm and curiosity about whatever I am playing, be it Mozart or a newly written piece, is inspiring.
In addition to many high quality orchestral performances recorded with the London Symphony Orchestra as Principal Clarinet, 1956 - 1973, below are some of De Peyer's better solo and chamber recordings (many of these are available on CD).
I think these are his better recordings they date from the 1950's to the 1980s.
Concerto:
Mozart, Concerto (LSO/Collins);
Mozart, Concerto (LSO/Maag)
Weber, Concerto No.2; Spohr, Concerto No.1 (LSO Colin Davis)
Debussy, Premiere Rhapsody (NPO/Boulez)
Copland and Crussel Concerto No. 2 (London Mozart Players/Bernard Jacobs)
Recital / Chamber:
Weber, Grand Duo Concertant; Schmitt, Andantino; Debussy, Petite Piece, Horovitz, Two Majorcan Pieces; Benjamin, Le Tombeau de Ravel; Martinu, Sonatina (with pianist Cyril Preedy)
Mozart, Brahms Weber and Bliss Quintets for Clarinet and Strings
Mozart and Beethoven, Quintets for Piano and Winds
Beethoven, Trio Op. 11 with Jacqueline du Pre and Daniel Barenboim
Mozart Clarinet Quintet K518 - Amadeus Quartet - Deutsche Gramophone
Brahms Sonatas Op. 120 with Daniel Barenboim
Messiaen, Quartet for the End of Time
With Lincoln Center Chamber Music Society:
Poulenc, Complete Chamber Music for Winds; Music Masters 1984.
Beverly Sills: Schubert, Shepherd on the Rock
Tom Piercy
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Author: DavidBlumberg
Date: 2007-10-04 19:00
Hi Tom!
The ego part was from a train ride next to the head of Lincoln Center's Fund Raising dept. She was complaining about him and the ego.
I just remember his Concertino recording as being very, very average. You studied with him so you know him really well personally, I only went on what I was told.
http://www.SkypeClarinetLessons.com
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Author: Tom Piercy
Date: 2007-10-04 19:15
Who knows what went on between a Lincoln Center fund raiser and a performing artist (those two situations/positions can often be at cross purposes). I can only go on how he treats me and how he treats those with whom I work.
Some of my most memorable musical moments have come from chamber music coachings with him over the years. He required lots of hard work and was demanding of both technical and musical elements in what he heard. There were, and are, also lots of laughs and wonderful stories from a personable and warm person.
I know my defense of him was personal. I think the best defense, if needed, is in his better recordings.
Take care.
Tom Piercy
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Author: S. Friedland
Date: 2007-10-05 19:44
One work Mr de Peyer did not know, but which he recorded was the Berg 'Vier Stucke'. I listened and that was the last time.
As far as Der Hirt is concerned, it all depends on what they did in the change of tempo to 2/4. If they kept the same tempo as the beginning, reaching the high B at the end is really difficult.It is also a wonderful cumulative effect, however most sopranos speed it up so they can get to the B at the end. If Madame Sills did it in the same tempo, terrific, if not she was still the greatest
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