Hearing this fabulously camp vocal interpretation of Saent-Saens' spooky orchestral number on BBC Radio 3 the other day just served to remind me just what a genius this lady really was:
[See here for another brilliant version.]A decade ago, I featured a tribute to Madame Cathy Berberian (for it is she) over at my other blog Give 'en the old Razzle Dazzle, and here it is again for your delectation:
Apart from being an accomplished mezzo-soprano, singing everything from Monteverdi to operetta, Lieder and Music Hall numbers - in 36 languages - she also recorded a ground-breaking vocal and electronic experimental album called "Visage" [one wondered where Steve Strange got the idea for his band name] as early as 1961, had music written specifically for her by Stravinsky and John Cage (among other avant-garde artists), translated Woody Allen into Italian with Umberto Eco, did comedic routines to accompany her eclectic cabaret evenings of which Anna Russell would be proud, and owned a collection of French pornographic porcelain to boot!We are proud possessors here at Dolores Delargo Towers of two albums by Madame Berberian, one a 1973 live concert from Edinburgh in which she tackles everything from Saint-Saens, Delibes and Purcell to such Victorian ditties as Father's a Drunkard and Mother is Dead and There Are Fairies At The Bottom Of Our Garden...
The other, even more superbly off-the wall and a definite favourite, is her classic 1967 album Revolution - 'An Operatic First', a collection of Beatles songs done in the Baroque operatic style, believe it or not.
And here, from that very collection, is the lady herself performing Ticket to Ride:
As Mark Swed, writing in the LA Times said, "She did it all. Check her out."
Read more about the splendid Cathy Berberian at the ever-wonderful Dangerous Minds website.
