Release Date: 03 October 2025
Label: Eloquence
Packaging Type: Box Set
No of Units: 14
Barcode: 0028948421046
Genres: Classical  Choral  
Composer/Series: Aafje Heynis Edition
Release Date: 03 October 2025
Label: Eloquence
Packaging Type: Box Set
No of Units: 14
Barcode: 0028948421046
Genres: Classical  Choral  
Composer/Series: Aafje Heynis Edition
Description
A hymn to a sublime contralto: the complete Philips recordings of Aafje Heynis, remastered and compiled together, with original jackets, for the first time.
Aafje Heynis grew up as a church singer, and her faith and modesty radiate from her performances, which began to capture the ears of Dutch audiences after the war. A momentous debut with the Concertgebouw and Eduard van Beinum produced an account of the Alto Rhapsody by Brahms - it hardly betrays her nerves on the occasion, despite her misgivings, and launched her international career.
There followed a career path not dissimilar to her recent and eminent predecessor, Kathleen Ferrier, with Philips recording her in folk song and Lieder as well as sacred and spiritual repertoire. When Bernard Haitink made his first recording of the 'Resurrection' Symphony by Mahler, Heynis was the obvious choice to sing the pivotal 'Urlicht' movement, which she did with the grace, the nobility and gravity of expression she brought to all her performances. This Mahler Second has scarcely left the catalogue since its first issue. Much less familiar now are Heynis's albums of Bach cantatas, and her contributions to Dutch-made recordings of the Dettingen Te Deum and Dixit Dominus of Handel. Rarer still are the short 'EP' albums of sacred arias, accompanied by the organists Pierre Palla and Simon C. Jansen, which were primarily issued for the local Dutch market.
A Beethoven Ninth under Igor Markevitch, and a Lieder album with Irwin Gage, hint at what might have been. Likewise, we have a single record of Heynis in opera, singing the role of Orpheus in excerpts from Gluck's opera, recorded in 1973.
Compiled and remastered from rare sources and issued as an Original Covers collection with extensive photographic illustration as well as a new and moving tribute to the life and art of Heynis by Jean-Charles Hoffele, this set will attract all collectors of great singers. Heynis could touch the heart of the listener like few others, and her voice, once heard, is never forgotten
Tracklisting
Dmitri Hvorostovsky; Various
Alfredo Campoli
Antal Dorati, Minneapolis Symphony Orchestra
Deryck Cooke, Georg Solti; Vienna Philharmonic
Kenneth McKellar, Vera Lynn
Orson Welles; Bing Crosby; Charles Laughton
Academy & Chorus of St. Martin in the Fields
New Vienna Octet, Vienna Wind Soloists
Collegium Vocale Gent, Reinbert De Leeuw
Thomas Zehetmair; Camerata B
Thomanerchor Leipzig
Leipzig Radio Chorus; Horst Ne
Hansjorg Fink; Elmar Lehnen
La Petite Band & Sigiswald Kuijken
Cappella Pratensis & Stratton Bull
\uFEFFThe Choir of Christ's College, Cambridge/ David Rowland