# Xmas Contest: Silent Night: Ferrier, Schumann-Heink, Farrell, Tebaldi



## Seattleoperafan (Mar 24, 2013)

This is my family clock decorated for Xmas. I LOVE Rubens by the way! One of my most popular Youtube talks was on Rubens. I think many of you will enjoy the variety of our Xmas eve songbirds I've picked for you. Farrell was close to 70 when she recorded this. Schumann - Heink recorded this in 1908. I predict a winner will be hard to pick. Merry Christmas friends!


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## Rogerx (Apr 27, 2018)

Leontyne Price, I know, she's not in the list but should haven been there.


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## Seattleoperafan (Mar 24, 2013)

Rogerx said:


> Leontyne Price, I know, she's not in the list but should haven been there.


I agree, but historically she has not done well in contests on this forum, so I skipped her beautiful version. Forgive me.


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## Rogerx (Apr 27, 2018)

Seattleoperafan said:


> I agree, but historically she has not done well in contests on this forum, so I skipped her beautiful version. Forgive me.


Always, Merry Christmas.


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## Woodduck (Mar 17, 2014)

If I were a baby and could choose a mother to sing me to sleep with this, I'd choose Ferrier. Momma sings different words than the ones baby's used to, but baby don't care.


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## BachIsBest (Feb 17, 2018)

BachIsBest said:


> Make sure to include Schwarzkopf's earlier German rendition of Stille Nacht! Definitely my favourite performance.





Woodduck said:


> Mine too. ...................


Unbelievable. It's almost as if when I post something on the internet the entire world doesn't stop to read my thoughts and immediately be enlightened by my great wisdom. And to think the world is also so unreceptive to Woodduck's wisdom (it even alliterates) just leaves one devoid of Christmas cheer.

I voted for Ernestine Schumann-Heink as, to my ears, her phrasing was the prettiest. But I would have voted for Schwarzkopf, had she been available.

Merry Christmas to you too Seattleoperafan and thanks for putting these competitions on, even if you are Schwarzkopf-snubber (more alliteration! Boy BachIsBest bakes bountiful bouts of alliteration!).

As a final note, numerologically speaking, the letters of Schwarzkopf-snubber add up to 216. The only other numerological number I can think to associate with a Schwarzkopf-snubber is 666, due to the sheer evil and malice that must go into a Schwarzkopf-snub. This is interesting because if you subtract 666-216=450 you get 450, which is the year metal horseshoes came into common use in Europe according to Wikipedia. Properly-shoed horses being just the thing a Schwarzkopf-snubber needs to get away from the angry mob of Schwarzkopf fans. So it all makes sense and we see numerology is legitimate science.


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## MAS (Apr 15, 2015)

I wonder why this carol is performed at such a funereal tempo. The original German (Stille Nacht, Heilige Nacht) was much jauntier, with guitar.

I love Ferrier’s voice, such a wonderfully warm ductile sound. The tempo in her version, though, is too slow. Like a lullaby that Woodduck invoked. 

Schumann-Heink doesn’t do it for me, despite a lovely voice. Tebaldi, whom I thought was going to sing in German, doesn’t. Of course, she sings in Italian.

I must say that, if Farrell was indeed 70 when she recorded this, she sounds very good indeed. As usual, in popular music she sounds better and warmer.


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## Woodduck (Mar 17, 2014)

MAS said:


> Tebaldi, whom I thought was going to sing in German, doesn't. Of course, she sings in Italian.


Can you keep a secret? Tebaldi sings it in Italian, Spanish, French and English. I'm about 95% percent certain of this (allowing a 5% chance that one of those languages is Portuguese, Catalan, Aragonese or Haitian).


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## Seattleoperafan (Mar 24, 2013)

BachIsBest said:


> Unbelievable. It's almost as if when I post something on the internet the entire world doesn't stop to read my thoughts and immediately be enlightened by my great wisdom. And to think the world is also so unreceptive to Woodduck's wisdom (it even alliterates) just leaves one devoid of Christmas cheer.
> 
> I voted for Ernestine Schumann-Heink as, to my ears, her phrasing was the prettiest. But I would have voted for Schwarzkopf, had she been available.
> 
> ...


NO, I love Schwartzkopf! I just didn't want her to be the Christmas Callas and win everything since she won the last Xmas contest so I gave her backup singers a chance as it were! LOL. I played her Panis for my car riding buddy last night to gasps and ooos and ahs. Can you forgive me for the reason given?? If she gets enough write in's we'll pronounce her winner. I'll count you and Woodduck as a default for her.


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## Woodduck (Mar 17, 2014)

Seattleoperafan said:


> View attachment 162324
> 
> This is my family clock decorated for Xmas. I LOVE Rubens by the way! One of my most popular Youtube talks was on Rubens.


Rubens' women are a bit bulky for my taste. I prefer the Botticelli sort, especially when she arrives on the half-shell. I expect a Rubens Venus would arrive on a barge.


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## Seattleoperafan (Mar 24, 2013)

Woodduck said:


> Can you keep a secret? Tebaldi sings it in Italian, Spanish, French and English. I'm about 95% percent certain of this (allowing a 5% chance that one of those languages is Portuguese, Catalan, Aragonese or Haitian).


Tebaldi has many fans, just not on this forum. Joan and Leontyne are not alone LOL


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## Seattleoperafan (Mar 24, 2013)

Woodduck said:


> Rubens' women are a bit bulky for my taste. I prefer the Botticelli sort, especially when she arrives on the half-shell. I expect a Rubens Venus would arrive on a barge.


As usual with you I bemoan the lack of a laughter reaction when it comes to your posts. I hope you hold off on your venomous tongue for the baby Jesus's birthday;-)


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## Woodduck (Mar 17, 2014)

Seattleoperafan said:


> NO, I love Schwartzkopf! I just didn't want her to be the Christmas Callas and win everything since she won the last Xmas contest so I gave her backup singers a chance as it were! LOL. I played her Panis for my car riding buddy last night to gasps and ooos and ahs. Can you forgive me for the reason given?? If she gets enough write in's we'll pronounce her winner. I'll count you and Woodduck as a default for her.


Ostensibly I'm responding to you to express my approval of your democratic approach, which shows your generosity and fairness. Actually, though, I'm responding to the cruelty of your bragging about having a car-riding buddy from whom you can elicit gasps, oohs and ahs. And all you have to do is play him Schwarzkopf!

May you find coal in your stocking.


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## MAS (Apr 15, 2015)

Woodduck said:


> Can you keep a secret? Tebaldi sings it in Italian, Spanish, French and English. I'm about 95% percent certain of this (allowing a 5% chance that one of those languages is Portuguese, Catalan, Aragonese or Haitian).


I thought I'd detected a Spanishy word in there, but it's difficult to glean what she's singing. I'll have to listen again, thanks for the tip!


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## Seattleoperafan (Mar 24, 2013)

MAS said:


> I thought I'd detected a Spanishy word in there, but it's difficult to glean what she's singing. I'll have to listen again, thanks for the tip!


I don't know languages, but could she be pronouncing Italian in her native dialect since this is a non opera role and many have childhood recollections about Christmas. I believe Italian dialects vary considerably. Her gorgeous legato singing may favor sound over meaning, but then again I don't know Italian.


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## The Conte (May 31, 2015)

I adore Ferrier (possibly more than most other people here) and I was expecting it to be my favourite. However, Farrell (who I can take or leave as a singer) sounds so natural and generous that I voted for her.

So thank you again SeattleOperaFan for introducing me to a recording I would never have listened to without these contests.

Merry Christmas everyone!

N.


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## Tsaraslondon (Nov 7, 2013)

BachIsBest said:


> Unbelievable. It's almost as if when I post something on the internet the entire world doesn't stop to read my thoughts and immediately be enlightened by my great wisdom. And to think the world is also so unreceptive to Woodduck's wisdom (it even alliterates) just leaves one devoid of Christmas cheer.
> 
> I voted for Ernestine Schumann-Heink as, to my ears, her phrasing was the prettiest. But I would have voted for Schwarzkopf, had she been available.
> 
> ...


Incidentally, the Schwarzkopf version included on what is now known as _The Elisabeth Schwarzkopf Christmas Album_ is a bit different from the ones we hear normally. She and Legge went back to the arrangement that was used for the very first performance of the carol. The organ at the church had broken down and therefore the song was perfomred to a simple accompaniment of guitar and French horn. Furthermore it was performed as a duet, and Schwarzkopf is double-tracked on the recording, a bit of (for that time) technical wizardry that she later regretted. The tune is also slightly different from the one we've come to know. Schwarzkopf is hardly associated with the HIP movement, but this could, I suppose, be considered an early example.






PS I also rather like the Leontyne Price version with Karajan and the VPO.


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## Tsaraslondon (Nov 7, 2013)

Oh I don't know. It's between Ferrier, Farrell and Tebaldi for me, but I can't really make up my mind. I can't vote for Schwarzkopf or Price, can I? 

I love Ferrier, but her version is awfully slow. 

How about Streisand? I like her version.

No? Then I guess I'll vote for Ferrier, but I wish she'd taken it a bit faster.


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## Seattleoperafan (Mar 24, 2013)

Tsaraslondon said:


> Oh I don't know. It's between Ferrier, Farrell and Tebaldi for me, but I can't really make up my mind. I can't votw for Schwarzkopf or Price, can I?
> 
> I love Ferrier, but her version is awfully slow.
> 
> ...


I wish you lived here and could be a music listening car buddy, too. I agree about the Ferrier one. I PREDICTED that the votes would be all over the map and they were. Streisand's is my favorite version but I am saving her for a surprise later. My favorite Christmas carol is Eileen Farrell's Coventry Carol but no one else sings it who we would know. It is of unearthly beauty.


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## Seattleoperafan (Mar 24, 2013)

By the way, if anyone would like to do a Xmas video chat with me private message me. I will be out only mid day PST. I love video chatting and will be doing it with friends in Madeira. My siblings are old and too old fashioned LOL. I can do different formats but love Zoom.


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## Seattleoperafan (Mar 24, 2013)

Tsaraslondon said:


> Incidentally, the Schwarzkopf version included on what is now known as _The Elisabeth Schwarzkopf Christmas Album_ is a bit different from the ones we hear normally. She and Legge went back to the arrangement that was used for the very first performance of the carol. The organ at the church had broken down and therefore the song was perfomred to a simple accompaniment of guitar and French horn. Furthermore it was performed as a duet, and Schwarzkopf is double-tracked on the recording, a bit of (for that time) technical wizardry that she later regretted. The tune is also slightly different from the one we've come to know. Schwarzkopf is hardly associated with the HIP movement, but this could, I suppose, be considered an early example.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


I was going to post it but was unsure which version you meant.


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## MAS (Apr 15, 2015)

Seattleoperafan said:


> I don't know languages, but could she be pronouncing Italian in her native dialect since this is a non opera role and many have childhood recollections about Christmas. I believe Italian dialects vary considerably. Her gorgeous legato singing may favor sound over meaning, but then again I don't know Italian.


I think Tebaldi is from Pesaro and the dialect is probably not like Venetian or Neapolitan, which are very different from the "normal" Italian. I can kick myself for just assuming she was singing in Italian and not paying attention to the words, which were kind of unintelligible to me, surprisingly, as her diction was usually very good.

P.S. I looked it up and Pesaro does have its own dialect, but it is close to Standard Italian so is intelligible to most.


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## Barbebleu (May 17, 2015)

Woodduck said:


> Rubens' women are a bit bulky for my taste. I prefer the Botticelli sort, especially when she arrives on the half-shell. I expect a Rubens Venus would arrive on a barge.


It would be a hell of a barge!:lol:


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## BachIsBest (Feb 17, 2018)

Tsaraslondon said:


> Incidentally, the Schwarzkopf version included on what is now known as _The Elisabeth Schwarzkopf Christmas Album_ is a bit different from the ones we hear normally. She and Legge went back to the arrangement that was used for the very first performance of the carol. The organ at the church had broken down and therefore the song was perfomred to a simple accompaniment of guitar and French horn. Furthermore it was performed as a duet, and Schwarzkopf is double-tracked on the recording, a bit of (for that time) technical wizardry that she later regretted. The tune is also slightly different from the one we've come to know. Schwarzkopf is hardly associated with the HIP movement, but this could, I suppose, be considered an early example.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


For specificity, I was referring to this one:






However, I do like the simplicity of the posted rendition. She also did another one in English.


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## nina foresti (Mar 11, 2014)

It will be interesting to read others' choices.
It was a close one for me between Ferrier and Farrell but Eileen wins the day. Hers was a bit more touching -- especially the last few words.


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## Woodduck (Mar 17, 2014)

Seattleoperafan said:


> My favorite Christmas carol is Eileen Farrell's Coventry Carol but no one else sings it who we would know. It is of unearthly beauty.


I had this LP fifty-some years ago. I didn't know the carol then. Farrell owns it forever.


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