Elisabeth Schumann’s large discography began with acoustical recordings in 1915 and ended with the present recordings, made in New York in 1950. Allegro Records, wanting to record her, obtained permission from HMV, which still had her under contract. The recordings were made at her apartment in Manhattan, the Mendelssohn and Franz in February and April, and the Wolf in December. For the first time, all of these intimate “swan song” sessions are available on one disc – along with a bonus track excerption Schumann presiding over a vocal master class. Newly remastered by Steven Smolian, the present release represents a substantial improvement over previous, incomplete and hard-to-find editions.
