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Kathleen Ferrier - The World of a Rare Singer
Kathleen Ferrier
Dir.: Diane Perelsztejn | 54 minutes

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In the middle of the 20th century, an anonymous contralto singer took the music world by storm. Who was she and what was her secret? What made her one of the important voices of her time?

Lecture by: Shimrit Carmi

Concert performed by: Katya Semenisty soprano, Nika Yankelevich soprano, Shimrit Carmi piano

Program: Works by Bach, Handel, Brahms, Mahler and more

Australia, Belgium 2012 | 54 minutes | English, French | Hebrew subtitles

For music lovers, Kathleen Ferrier is truly unique. Her international career spanned just eight years between 1946 and 1953, but it was enough to place her among the greatest singers of all time, a singer with an extraordinary career and a tragic destiny. Born in 1912, Ferrier discovered the potential of her voice relatively late, at age 31. An exceptional voice of contralto – the rarest tessitura for a woman. She gained immediate success, as she was supported by some of the greatest artists of her time, such as Herbert von Karajan, John Barbirolli and Bruno Walter. Unfortunately, the young diva quickly developed a malignant tumor, that put a premature end to her unique career at the age of 41.