Jon Vickers in recital, New York 1967

A good part of the point of Music Preserved is to present curiosities and striking examples of music-making very different from today’s norms.  This recording does both.  Jon Vickers was one of the outstanding tenors of his day, most famous for the big, heroic roles, such as Tristan, Radames, Florestan, Aeneas and Grimes.  It is difficult to think of a tenor singing these roles today who would undertake a recital including songs by Scarlatti, Purcell and Handel, and if he did so he certainly would not sing them in the way that Vickers does here!

But listening to different styles is instructive and Vickers brings much that is unexpected to his interpretations and throughout his extraordinary intensity and attention to text are highly illuminating.  His personal and deep faith light up the two items from The Messiah, while his training in Italian opera brings a wonderful lyricism and delicacy to the Scarlatti songs. There is a refreshing swagger to the Purcell songs, while Not all the torments has a deeply moving intensity and sense of drama.  His interpretation of Dichterliebe is highly personal and idiosyncratic and is unlikely to be anyone’s idea of a definitive reading, but he makes each song into a mini-drama and the whole experience is compelling.

Vaut le détour!

Richard Jarman
July 2024

Track 1:

George Frideric Handel (1685 –1759)

The Messiah, Part II

1. Recit: Thy rebuke hath broken His heart/Aria: Behold and see if there be any sorrow
2. Recit: He was cut off out of the land/Aria: But Thou didst not leave His soul in hell

Track 2:

Alessandro Scarlatti (1660 – 1725)

1. Cara e dolce
2. Difesa non ha
3. O dolcissima speranza
4. La speranza
5. Toglietemi la vita ancor

Track 3:

Henry Purcell (1659 – 1695)

1. Sweeter than roses
2. There’s not a swain of the plain
3. Not all my torments
4. Man is for woman made

Track 4:

Robert Schumann (1810 – 1856)

Dichterliebe

1. Im wunderschönen Monat Mai
2. Aus meinen Tränen spriessen
3. Die Rose, die Lilie, die Taube
4. Wenn ich in deine Augen seh’
5. Ich will meine Seele tauchen
6. Im Rhein, im heiligen Strome
7. Ich grolle nicht
8. Und wüssten’s die Blumen, die kleinen
9. Das ist ein Flöten und Geigen
10. Hör’ ich das Liedchen klingen
11. Ein Jüngling liebt ein Mädchen
12. Am leuchtenden Sommermorgen
13. Ich hab’ im Traum geweinet
14. Allnächtlich im Traume seh’ ich dich
15. Aus alten Märchen winkt es hervor
16. Die alten, bösen Lieder

Track 5:

1. My song resounds, my song of love
2. Yon lies the moon, so far, so still
3. Dark in flowing linen
4. Soaring ever upward

This recording was made privately at a recital at Carnegie Hall on April 30 1967.

It is in the Harewood Collection at Music Preserved.

Remastering by Roger Beardsley.

• Jon Vickers
  Tenor
• Richard Woitach
  Piano