Kathleen Battle enraptured opera audiences of the 1980s and 1990s. Here was a lyric soprano combining unsurpassable beauty of tone with a keen musical intelligence, a way with words and a communicative warmth that drew listeners to Strauss and spirituals alike. She has the easy phrasing of a great jazz singer combined with the breath, breadth and precise projection of a trained voice.
James Levine coached her at the Metropolitan Opera, and when he accompanied her at the 1984 Salzburg Festival and DG recorded the recital as Battle’s debut solo album, nothing less than a phenomenon was launched. She had been admired as a gifted singer since the age of eight, and a 1985 article in Time magazine declared that she was ‘the greatest lyric coloratura soprano in the world’.
Her performances at the Met of Susanna, Despina, Pamina and other lyric roles in the great Mozart operas, conducted by Levine, established her as one of the world’s leading interpreters of this repertoire. Recorded near the end of her DG association, Battle and Levine recorded arias from those roles for an album which became a radiantly beautiful souvenir of an era when they formed an artistic team as celebrated and accomplished in their way as Schwarzkopf and Karajan or Nilsson and Solti.
However, Battle had already recorded for several labels, and this Eloquence box uniquely brings together selected albums she made for Angel (the US branch of EMI – those which have repatriated to Universal Music Group) with the DG recitals. They include an imaginatively programmed guitar recital with Christopher Parkening and excerpts from a Messiah led by Sir Andrew Davis in Toronto.
These Handel arias feature on a new compilation within the album, ‘Kathleen Battle sings Sacred Music’, which also features excerpts from her appearances in Levine’s DG recordings of The Creation by Haydn and the C minor Mass by Mozart, as well as Poulenc’s Gloria and the ‘Pie Jesu’ from Fauré’s Requiem.
Two further albums showcase excerpts from more complete albums: one of Handel and Mozart arias, including the celebrated Semele recording with John Nelson, and another of operatic and concert arias, including a staggering ‘Grossmächtige Prinzessin’ (Ariadne, with Levine) and the touching songs from the Ozawa recording of Mendelssohn’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream.
Featuring a new essay on the soprano and the background to her meteoric career by David Patrick Stearns, the set will be an essential acquisition for all lovers of lyric soprano artistry.
CD 1
J.S. BACH Arias
Itzhak Perlman
John Nelson
CD 2
MOZART Opera Arias
James Levine
CD 3
Bel Canto – Italian Opera Arias
Bruno Campanella
CD 4
French Opera Arias
Myung-Whun Chung
CD 5
Honey and Rue
André Previn
CD 6
Live in Tokyo 1988
Plácido Domingo
James Levine
CD 7
Kathleen Battle at Carnegie Hall
Margo Garrett
CD 8
Salzburg Recital
James Levine
CD 9
SCHUBERT Lieder
James Levine
CD 10
Spirituals in Concert
Jessye Norman
James Levine
CD 11
Pleasures of their Company
Christopher Parkening
CD 12
A Christmas Celebration
Leonard Slatkin
CD 13
Kathleen Battle sings Sacred Music
Mozart · Haydn · Handel · Poulenc · Fauré
James Levine ∙ Andrew Davis
Seiji Ozawa ∙ Carlo Maria Giulini
CD 14
Kathleen Battle sings Handel and Mozart
John Nelson · Sir Georg Solti · Herbert von Karajan · Alain Lombard
CD 15
Kathleen Battle sings Opera and Concert Arias
Rossini ∙ Donizetti ∙ Verdi ∙ J. Strauss II · R. Strauss ∙ Wagner ∙ Mendelssohn
Claudio Abbado ∙ Ion Marin ∙ James Levine · Sir Georg Solti ∙ Herbert Von Karajan ∙ Seiji Ozawa
CD 1
Executive Producer: Dr. Steven Paul
Recording Producer: Thomas Frost
Balance Engineer: Tom Lazarus
Editors: Bejun Mehta, Tom Lazarus
Recording Location: RCA, Studio A, New York, USA, 2–3 August 1989 (2, 3, 7, 8, 9, 10), 14–15 December 1989 (4, 6, 11), 13–16 August 1990 (1, 5, 8, 9, 12, 13)
Original Deutsche Grammophon Releases: 429 737-2: January 1992
P 1992 Deutsche Grammophon GmbH, Berlin
CD 2
Executive Producer: Pål Christian Moe
Recording Producer: Christopher Alder
Balance Engineer: Gregor Zielinsky
Recording Engineer: Jobst Eberhardt
Editors: Jobst Eberhardt, Ingmat Haas
Recording Location: Abyssinian Baptist Church, New York, USA, 16–26 April 1993
Original Deutsche Grammophon Release: 439 949-2: August 1997
P 1997 Deutsche Grammophon GmbH, Berlin
CD 3
Executive Producer: Pål Christian Moe
Recording Producer: Christopher Alder
Balance Engineer: Rainer Maillard
Recording Engineers: Rainer Hebborn, Hans-Rudolf Müller
Recording Location: St. John’s, Smith Square, London, UK, 1–10 August 1991
Original Deutsche Grammophon Release: 435 866-2: August 1993
P 1993 Deutsche Grammophon GmbH, Berlin
CD 4
Executive Producer: Pål Christian Moe
Recording Producers: Christopher Alder, Lennart Dehn
Balance Engineer: Wolfgang Mitlehner
Recording Engineers: Hans-Rudolf Müller, Jobst Eberhardt
Editor: Claudia Pohl
Recording Location: Salle Gounod, Opéra de Paris-Bastille, Paris, France, 12–23 November 1993 (1, 3, 4, 6, 8, 9), 28–29 June 1994 (2, 5, 7, 10)
Original Deutsche Grammophon Release: 447 114-2: April 1996
P 1996 Deutsche Grammophon GmbH, Berlin
CD 5
(1-9)
Executive Producers: Alison Ames, Pål Christian Moe
Recording Producer: Christopher Alder
Balance Engineer: Gregor Zielinsky
Recorded by: Wolf-Dieter Karwatky, Reinhild Schmidt
Recording Location: Performing Arts Center, State University of New York, Purchase, USA, 14–22 July 1992
Original Deutsche Grammophon Release: 437 787-2: October 1995
P 1995 Deutsche Grammophon GmbH, Berlin
(10)
Executive Producers: Herbie Hancock, David Passick
Recording Producer: Robert Sadin
Mixed by: Bruce Swedien (Sony Music Studios)
Recording Location: New York, USA, 1998
Original Verve Records Release: 557 797-2: October 1998
P 1998 Poylgram Records, Inc.
CD 6
Executive Producer: Günther Breest
Recording Producer: Cord Garben
Balance Engineer: Wolfgang Mitlehner
Recorded by Rainer Höpfner
Editor: Andrew Wedman
Recording Location: Bunka Kaikan, Tokyo, Japan, 3–4 June 1988
Original Deutsche Grammophon Release: 427 686-2: April 1989
P 1989 Deutsche Grammophon GmbH, Berlin
LIVE RECORDING
CD 7
Executive Producer: Cord Garben
Recording Producer: Cord Garben
Balance Engineer: Wolfgang Mitlehner
Recording Engineers: Wolf-Dieter Karwatky, Jobst Eberhardt
Recording Location: Carnegie Hall, New York City, USA, 25 April–1 May 1991 (with retakes at BMG Recording Studio B)
Original Deutsche Grammophon Release: 435 440-2: April 1992
P 1992 Deutsche Grammophon GmbH, Berlin
LIVE RECORDING
CD 8
Executive Producer: Dr. Steven Paul
Recording Producer and Balance Engineer: Wolfgang Mitlehner
Recording Engineers: Klaus Behrens, Volker Martin
Coordination: Claudia Hamann
Recording Location: Kleines Festspielhaus, Salzburg, Austria, 23–27 August 1984
Original Deutsche Grammophon Release: 415 361-2: May 1986
P 1986 Deutsche Grammophon GmbH, Berlin
LIVE RECORDING – SALZBURGER FESTSPIELE, 1984
CD 9
Executive Producer: Dr. Steven Paul
Recording Producers: Wolfgang Mitlehner (Salzburg sessions), Cord Garben (Aula sessions)
Balance Engineer: Karl-August Naegler
Recording Engineers: Klaus Behrens (Salzburg sessions), Ulrich Vette, Volker Martin (Aula sessions)
Coordination: Claudia Hamann
Recording Locations: Kleines Festspielhaus, Salzburg, Austria, 21–24 August 1985, Universität, Aula, Oslo, Norway, 16, 20, 22, 27 & 28 August 1987
Original Deutsche Grammophon Release: 419 237-2: August 1988
P 1988 Deutsche Grammophon GmbH, Berlin
CD 10
Audio Producer: Thomas Frost
Audio Engineer: Tom Lazarus
Editing: Master Sound Astoria; Classic Sound
Music Consultants: Sylvia Olden Lee, Willis Patterson
Recording Location: Carnegie Hall, New York, USA, 18 March 1990
Remote Recording Services: Effanel Music
Original Deutsche Grammophon Release: 429 790-2: March 1991
P 1991 Deutsche Grammophon GmbH, Berlin
LIVE RECORDING
The Executive Producer of the telecast, produced for television by Cami Video, was Peter Gelb. Deutsche Grammophon made the sound recording.
CD 11
Recording Producer: Patti Laursen
Recording Engineers: Robert Norberg, Ron Streicher
Recording Location: Wiltshire United Methodist Church, Los Angeles, USA, September 1985
Original Angel Records Release: DS-37351: 1986
P 1986 Angel Records
CD 12
Executive Producer: Anthony Caronia
Recording Producer: Patti Laursen
Recording Engineer: John Newton
Engineers: Edward Abbott, Robert Norberg
Music Consultant: Robert Sadin
Recording Location: St. George’s Episcopal Church, New York, USA, 1985
Original Angel Records Release: CDC-7 475875: 1986
P 1986 Angel Records
CD 13
(1-2)
Recording Producer: Cord Garben
Balance Engineer: Hans-Peter Schweigmann
Recording Location: Grosser Saal, Musikverein, Vienna, Austria, December 1987
Original Deutsche Grammophon Release: 423 664-2: 1989
P 1989 Deutsche Grammophon GmbH, Berlin
(3-7)
Recording Producer: Cord Garben
Balance Engineer: Wolfgang Mitlehner
Recording Engineers: Jobst Eberhardt, Rainer Hoepfner
Recording Location: Jesus-Christus-Kirche, Berlin, Germany, 14–20 December 1987
Original Deutsche Grammophon Release: 427 630-2: February 1991
P 1991 Deutsche Grammophon GmbH, Berlin
(8-11)
Recording Producer and Balance Engineer: Anton Kwiatkowski
Assistant Engineer: Malcolm Harris
Recording Location: The Centre in the Square, Kitchener, Ontario, Canada, 22–23 December 1986
Original Angel Records Release: DSB-49027
P 1987 Angel Records
LIVE RECORDING
(12-13)
Recording Producer: Cord Garben
Balance Engineer: Hans-Peter Schweigmann
Recording Location: Symphony Hall, Boston, USA, November 1987
Original Deutsche Grammophon Release: 427 304-2: 1989
P 1989 Deutsche Grammophon GmbH, Berlin
(14)
Recording Producer: Günther Breest
Balance Engineer: Klaus Scheibe
Recording Location: Watford Town Hall, London, UK, 12–14 March 1986
Original Deutsche Grammophon Release: 419 243-2: November 1986
P 1986 Deutsche Grammophon GmbH, Berlin
CD 14
(1-6)
Recording Producer: Dr. Steven Paul
Balance Engineer: Helmut Burk
Recording Location: Abbey Road, Studio 1, London, UK, May 1990
Original Deutsche Grammophon Release: 435 785-2: May 1993
P 1993 Deutsche Grammophon GmbH, Berlin
(7-8)
Recording Producers: Christopher Raeburn, Michael Haas
Balance Engineers: James Lock, John Pellowe
Recording Location: Sofiensaal, Vienna, Austria, November & December 1985
Original Decca Release: 417 402-1: April 1987
P 1987 Decca Music Group Limited
(9-11)
Recording Producer: Günther Breest
Balance Engineer: Günter Hermanns
Recording Location: Philharmonie, Berlin, Germany, 21–28 January 1985
Original Deutsche Grammophon Release: 419 181-2: 1986
P 1986 Deutsche Grammophon GmbH, Berlin
(12)
Recording Producer: Jean-Pierre Brossmann
Recording Engineer: Peter Willemoes
Editor: Reinhild Schmidt
Recording Location: Palais de la musique et des Congres, Strasbourg, France, 28 May–7 June 1978
Original Barclay Release: 960 012/014: 1978
P 1978 Decca Records France
CD 15
(1-2)
Recording Producers: Christopher Alder, Pål Christian Moe
Balance Engineer: Gernot von Schultzendorff
Recording Location: Teatro Comunale, Ferrara, Italy, February 1992
Original Deutsche Grammophon Release: 435 765-2: October 1992
P 1992 Deutsche Grammophon GmbH, Berlin
(3)
Recording Producers: Dr. Steven Paul, Cord Garben
Balance Engineer: Gernot Von Schultzendorff
Recording Location: Henry Wood Hall, London, UK, May 1991
Original Deutsche Grammophon Release: 435 865-2: August 1993
P 1993 Deutsche Grammophon GmbH, Berlin
(4-5)
Recording Producer: Cord Garben
Balance Engineer: Wolfgang Mitlehner
Recording Engineers: Wolf-Dieter Karwatky, Jobst Eberhardt, Andrew Wedman
Recording Location: Manhattan Center, New York, USA, September 1989
Original Deutsche Grammophon Release: 429 745-2: 1990
P 1990 Deutsche Grammophon GmbH, Berlin
(6-7)
Recording Producers: Christopher Raeburn, Andrew Cornall
Balance Engineers: James Lock, Stanley Goodall
Recording Location: Kingsway Hall, London, UK, May–June 1982
Original Decca Release: 410 211-1: September 1985
P 1985 Decca Music Group Limited
(8)
Recording Producer: Günther Breest
Balance Engineer: Günter Hermanns
Recording Location: Grosser Saal, Musikverein, Vienna, Austria, December 1986–January 1987
Original Deutsche Grammophon Release: 419 616-2: April 1987
P 1987 Deutsche Grammophon GmbH, Berlin
LIVE RECORDING
(9)
Recording Producer: Cord Garben
Balance Engineer: Klaus Scheibe
Recording Location: Grosser Saal, Musikverein, Vienna, Austria, January 1986
Original Deutsche Grammophon Release: 419 227-2: 1987
P 1987 Deutsche Grammophon GmbH, Berlin
(10)
Recording Producer: Cord Garben
Balance Engineer: Wolfgang Mitlehner
Recording Location: Manhattan Center, New York, USA, May 1988
Original Deutsche Grammophon Release: 429 410-2: February 1992
P 1992 Deutsche Grammophon GmbH, Berlin
(11-12)
Recording Producers: Christian Gansch
Balance Engineer: Hans-Peter Schweigmann
Recording Location: Symphony Hall, Boston, USA, October 1992
Original Deutsche Grammophon Release: 439 897-2: August 1994
P 1994 Deutsche Grammophon GmbH, Berlin
“A radiant and joyous experience for performers and listeners alike. The Fauré songs are so seductively coloured, and the spirituals convey at once such animation and so much unassuming dignity.” Stereo Review, April 1987 (Carnegie Hall Recital)
“There’s something about Battle’s singing which disarms me completely. In the long-lined numbers especially, she is so poised, pure, and breathtakingly lovely that I hang, ensorcelled, on every phrase.” Fanfare, March 1989 (Schubert: Lieder)
“The singing is con amore throughout the programme, with just the right touch of humour or tenderness or whatever each selection calls for.” Stereo Review, October 1989 (‘Live in Tokyo’)
“The scene from L’elisir d’amore … is graceful in character, wholly delightful, and the Romeo and Juliet nuptial duet combines passion and musical sensitivity… Warmly recommended.” Opera, December 1989 (‘Live in Tokyo’)
“This disc should please virtually everyone … Kathleen Battle and Jessye Norman, in splendid vocal form, give unstintingly of themselves.” Stereo Review, August 1991 (‘Spirituals in Concert’)
“It’s inspiriting to hear beauty and, yes, voluptuousness restored to Bach’s music … she brings to ‘Ich traue seiner Gnaden’ a silken smoothness far beyond the capacity of most of today’s Bach specialists.” Fanfare, July 1992 (‘The Bach Album’)
“Her encores include ‘Depuis le jour’, a lovely, intimate dream of a performance.” Gramophone, July 1992 (Carnegie Hall Recital)
“I am not a religious person, but I recall sitting in the opera house one afternoon and silently thanking whatever gods might be for letting me live long enough to hear Kathleen Battle … For sheer singing, this is one of the most exciting records to come my way in a long time.” Fanfare, September 1991 (Spirituals)
“A joyous collaboration, the sort of thing that happens when two superior talents that have much in common join in common cause… [Battle and Previn] touch this record with the special magic that could bring it a cult of admirers. My only regret is that it is all over much too soon.” Fanfare, March 1996 (‘Honey and Rue’)
“Kathleen Battle is a voice, but she is also an artist. When she opens her mouth, most of the rest doesn’t matter… Knoxville: Summer of 1915 is a knockout.” Stereo Review, March 1996 (‘Honey and Rue’)
“‘Ruhe sanft’ is ideally suited to Battle’s golden voice, which soars with the ease of a bird in flight across a cloudless sky.” Stereo Review, December 1997 (Mozart: Opera Arias)
“Even better are her adorable Zerlina and Susanna, roles she really brings to life. Her ‘Batti, batti’ in particular has an affecting personal warmth… Levine is a knowing and authoritative accompanist, and his orchestra plays expertly.” Fanfare, January 1998 (Mozart: Opera Arias)
“An intrinsically lovely light lyric soprano of seductively plangent timbre … Among the added attractions are the luscious sound of the Met orchestra and a plush DG recording.” Opera, March 1998 (Mozart: Opera Arias)
“One could offer superlatives about every aspect of her art … Singing in English, Italian, French, and German, Battle had seemingly mastered every composer on the programme.” Fanfare, May 2022 (Salzburg Recital)