[William Warfield (1920-2002)]
On May 27, 2011 AfriClassical posted: “John Malveaux: 'Aaron Copland also accompanied legendary Baritone William Warfield on the 1953 Columbia Records recording.'” Today we were pleased to receive additional details on William Warfield's performances from Byron Hanson, Archivist of the Interlochen Center for the Arts in Interlochen, Michigan. The website Interlochen.org says:
“Byron Hanson has served Interlochen since 1965 as conductor of band or orchestra; as coach-accompanist for individual students in lessons, competitions, auditions and recitals; and in administrative roles. In 2009 he began his new position as Interlochen's archivist.”
Byron Hanson tells us:
“I have enjoyed keeping up with AfriClassical postings and getting news about a number of our former students thereby. In response to John Malveaux's appreciation for the Copland/Warfield collaboration in the 1953 recording of the second set of Old American Songs, I would add that they also recorded the first set together exactly two years earlier, in August of 1951. Mr. Warfield is justifiably identified with his fine performances of these American songs, but he made outstanding recordings of German repertoire as well. Five of Carl Loewe's ballads and the Vier ernste gesange of Brahms with pianist Otto Herz are wonderful to hear. Toward the end of Mr. Warfield's life I was privileged to conduct a program at Interlochen that included his stirring narrration of Copland's A Lincoln Portrait, a work he also narrated in French and German in the post-war years.
Byron Hanson
Archivist
Interlochen Center for the Arts"
