Ever since her very first recital in the Salle Gaveau, Paris, nearly 40 years ago, Barbara Hendricks’ journey has been exceptional. Who would have thought that the little girl born in 1948 “with her feet in the mud of Arkansas” (to quote herself) would become one of the most emblematic singers of her generation and one of the most beloved by the general public? And yet that is what she did, traversing this half-century of history with an iron will and uncommon artistic purpose.

In this ‘Musical Portrait’ we begin with her childhood: the music she heard and sang in her father’s church. Barbara Hendricks has bestrode the world’s great stages for years, accompanied by some of the greatest chamber musicians, orchestras or conductors (Karajan, Giulini, Muti, Salonen, Barenboim). Sha has also lived through History with a capital H. As a girl she experienced the end of segregation in the southern United States, was one of the first black people to be admitted to the university, she obtained a degree in mathematics, before taking up singing as a professional. In 1987, as an ambassador of the High Commissioner for Refugees, she was one of the first artistes to put herself at the service of a humanitarian cause, taking advantage of her celebrity to spread the message of the suffering of refugees throughout the world.

This 2-CD compilation, released as a 'Musical Portrait', reflects the entirety of Barbara Hendricks’ recording history. All its musical facets are represented here with sincerity and excellence: opera, oratorio, song, negro spirituals and jazz, accompanied by some of the greatest, and with a few new releases as a surprise bonus.

“I have conceived a program that spans my entire recording history from my first solo recording of French Opera Arias with Philips to my latest recordings for my label Arte Verum. I am very pleased to be able to include also works from my recordings with Deutsche Grammophon, Erato, Telarc and Sony. A special treat is the Beethoven 9th Symphony in my very first performance with Herbert von Karajan.” Barbara Hendricks