Sad news with the passing of soprano Rachel Yakar a few days ago, at the age of 87. She was one of the foremost singers of the musical scene in the 1970s-1980s thanks to her magnificent voice, extremely wide and varied repertoire (from Monteverdi to contemporary music), and charming personality. She was closely associated with the Nikolaus Harnoncourt’s acts and became a very sought-after teacher at the end of her career, inspiring Patricia Petibon, among others.
We will release some iconic Rachel Yakar recordings in the coming weeks, starting with the beautiful version of Messiaen’s song cycle Harawi inspired by the Quechua poetry in which she is accompanied by the composer’s spouse Yvonne Loriod.