Episode 447. Júlia Hamari in Song
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The rich-voiced and expressive Hungarian mezzo-soprano Júlia Hamari celebrated her 83rd birthday last November, and in honor of that event, I produced an episode which originally appeared only on Patreon, but which I bring to you today as a belated birthday tribute. I’ve put together a program that serves mostly as a tribute to her as a song recitalist (with a nod as well to her matchless accomplishment as a Bach singer). Drawing on both studio and live recordings made over the course of nearly 30 years, I feature Hamari singing the songs of Brahms, Beethoven, Haydn, Debussy, Mahler, Schubert, and Wolf, as well as the original songs and folk song arrangements of her compatriots Zoltán Kodály and Béla Bartók. Hamari’s rock-solid technique, maple-colored voice, and musical acuity reveal her as a true and humble servant of music.
RECORDINGS HEARD IN THIS EPISODE
Zoltán Kodály, Aranka Bálint: Nausikaa. Júlia Hamari, Emmy Varasdy [1965]
Béla Bartók, orchestrated Zoltán Kodály, unknown poet [possibly Klára Gombossy]: Színes álomban [In Vivid Dreams], Op. 15/4. Júlia Hamari, Jonas Kovács, Hungarian State Orchestra [1992]
Johannes Brahms, Ludwig Hölty: Die Mainacht, Op. 43/2. Júlia Hamari, Emmy Varasdy [1965]
Johann Sebastian Bach: Aria. Gott soll allein mein Herze haben (Gott soll allein mein Herze haben, Cantata BWV 169). Júlia Hamari, Gábor Lehotka, Frigyes Sándor, Orchestra of the Ferenc Liszt Academy of Music [1966]
Joseph Haydn, William Shakespeare: She never told her love (Twelfth Night). Júlia Hamari, Erik Werba [1969]
Traditional Welsh, arr. Ludwig Van Beethoven: To the Blackbird (26 Welsh Songs, WoO 155/20). Júlia Hamari, Karl Engel, Andreas Roehn, Georg Donderer [1970]
Traditional Hungarian, arranged Béla Bartók: Fekete főd, fehér az én zsebkendőm [Snow-white Handkerchief] (Eight Hungarian Folksongs [Nyolc magyar népdal], Sz. 64/1. Júlia Hamari, Ilona Prunyi [1992]
Traditional Hungarian, arranged and orchestrated Béla Bartók: A Tömlöcben [In Prison] (Five Hungarian Folk Songs [Öt Magyar Népdal], Sz. 101/1). Júlia Hamari, Jonas Kovács, Hungarian State Orchestra [1992]
Traditional Hungarian, arranged Zoltán Kodály: Mónár Anna (Hungarian Folk Music I [Magyar Népzene I]/1). Júlia Hamari, Emmi Varasdy [live Budapest 10.XI.79]
Claude Debussy, Pierre Louÿs: Le tombeau des naïades (Trois chansons de Bilitis, FL 97/3). Júlia Hamari, unknown pianist [live Germany [unknown venue, ca. 1979]
Gustav Mahler, text from Des Knaben Wunderhorn, collected and adapted Achim von Arnim, Clemens Brentano: Ich ging mit Lust durch einen grünen Wald (Lieder und Gesänge aus der Jugendzeit). Júlia Hamari, Giorgio Favaretto [unknown provenance, probably early 1960s]
Hugo Wolf, María do Ceo, translated and adapted Emanuel Geibel: Bedeckt mich mit Blumen (Spanisches Liederbuch). Júlia Hamari, Erik Werba [1969]
Johannes Brahms, Klaus Groth: Dein blaues Auge, Op. 59/8. Júlia Hamari, Emmi Varasdy [live Budapest 10.XI.79]
Franz Schubert, Johann Wolfgang von Goethe: Der Musensohn, D. 764. Júlia Hamari, Emmi Varasdy [live Budapest 10.XI.79]
Franz Schubert, Johann Wolfgang von Goethe: Erlkönig, D. 328. Júlia Hamari, Emmi Varasdy [live Budapest 10.XI.79]
Franz Schubert, Johann Wolfgang von Goethe: Ganymed, D. 544. Júlia Hamari, Erik Werba [1969]
Hugo Wolf, Johann Wolfgang von Goethe: Mignon [Kennst du das Land]. Júlia Hamari, Erik Werba [1969]
