Britten: Les Illuminations/Nocturne/Serenade

1. Les illuminations, song cycle for high voice & strings, Op. 18 Fanfare
Composed by Benjamin Britten
Performed by Britten Sinfonia with John Mark Ainsley
Conducted by Nicholas Cleobury

2. Les illuminations, song cycle for high voice & strings, Op. 18 Villes
Composed by Benjamin Britten
Performed by Britten Sinfonia with John Mark Ainsley
Conducted by Nicholas Cleobury

3. Les illuminations, song cycle for high voice & strings, Op. 18 Phrase
Composed by Benjamin Britten
Performed by Britten Sinfonia with John Mark Ainsley
Conducted by Nicholas Cleobury

4. Les illuminations, song cycle for high voice & strings, Op. 18 Antique
Composed by Benjamin Britten
Performed by Britten Sinfonia with John Mark Ainsley
Conducted by Nicholas Cleobury

5. Les illuminations, song cycle for high voice & strings, Op. 18 Royauté
Composed by Benjamin Britten
Performed by Britten Sinfonia with John Mark Ainsley
Conducted by Nicholas Cleobury

6. Les illuminations, song cycle for high voice & strings, Op. 18 Marine
Composed by Benjamin Britten
Performed by Britten Sinfonia with John Mark Ainsley
Conducted by Nicholas Cleobury

7. Les illuminations, song cycle for high voice & strings, Op. 18 Interlude
Composed by Benjamin Britten
Performed by Britten Sinfonia with John Mark Ainsley
Conducted by Nicholas Cleobury

8. Les illuminations, song cycle for high voice & strings, Op. 18 Being Beauteous
Composed by Benjamin Britten
Performed by Britten Sinfonia with John Mark Ainsley
Conducted by Nicholas Cleobury

9. Les illuminations, song cycle for high voice & strings, Op. 18 Parade
Composed by Benjamin Britten
Performed by Britten Sinfonia with John Mark Ainsley
Conducted by Nicholas Cleobury

10. Les illuminations, song cycle for high voice & strings, Op. 18 Départ
Composed by Benjamin Britten
Performed by Britten Sinfonia with John Mark Ainsley
Conducted by Nicholas Cleobury

11. Nocturne, for tenor, 7 instruments & strings, Op. 60 On A Poet's Lips I Slept
Composed by Benjamin Britten
Performed by Britten Sinfonia with John Mark Ainsley
Conducted by Nicholas Cleobury

12. Nocturne, for tenor, 7 instruments & strings, Op. 60 Below the Thunders of the Upper Deep
Composed by Benjamin Britten
Performed by Britten Sinfonia with John Mark Ainsley
Conducted by Nicholas Cleobury

13. Nocturne, for tenor, 7 instruments & strings, Op. 60 Encinctured With A Twine of Leaves
Composed by Benjamin Britten
Performed by Britten Sinfonia with John Mark Ainsley
Conducted by Nicholas Cleobury

14. Nocturne, for tenor, 7 instruments & strings, Op. 60 Midnight's Bell Goes Ting, Ting, Ting, Ting, Ting
Composed by Benjamin Britten
Performed by Britten Sinfonia with John Mark Ainsley
Conducted by Nicholas Cleobury

15. Nocturne, for tenor, 7 instruments & strings, Op. 60 But That Night When On My Bed I lay
Composed by Benjamin Britten
Performed by Britten Sinfonia with John Mark Ainsley
Conducted by Nicholas Cleobury

16. Nocturne, for tenor, 7 instruments & strings, Op. 60 She Sleeps On Soft, Last Breaths
Composed by Benjamin Britten
Performed by Britten Sinfonia with John Mark Ainsley
Conducted by Nicholas Cleobury

17. Nocturne, for tenor, 7 instruments & strings, Op. 60 What Is More Gentle Than a Wind In Summer?
Composed by Benjamin Britten
Performed by Britten Sinfonia with John Mark Ainsley
Conducted by Nicholas Cleobury

18. Nocturne, for tenor, 7 instruments & strings, Op. 60 When Most I Wink, Then Do Mine Eyes Best See
Composed by Benjamin Britten
Performed by Britten Sinfonia with John Mark Ainsley
Conducted by Nicholas Cleobury

19. Serenade, for tenor, horn, & strings, Op. 31 Prologue
Composed by Benjamin Britten
Performed by Britten Sinfonia with John Mark Ainsley , David Pyatt
Conducted by Nicholas Cleobury

20. Serenade, for tenor, horn, & strings, Op. 31 Pastoral
Composed by Benjamin Britten
Performed by Britten Sinfonia with John Mark Ainsley , David Pyatt
Conducted by Nicholas Cleobury

21. Serenade, for tenor, horn, & strings, Op. 31 Nocturne
Composed by Benjamin Britten
Performed by Britten Sinfonia with John Mark Ainsley , David Pyatt
Conducted by Nicholas Cleobury

22. Serenade, for tenor, horn, & strings, Op. 31 Elegy
Composed by Benjamin Britten
Performed by Britten Sinfonia with John Mark Ainsley , David Pyatt
Conducted by Nicholas Cleobury

23. Serenade, for tenor, horn, & strings, Op. 31 Dirge
Composed by Benjamin Britten
Performed by Britten Sinfonia with John Mark Ainsley , David Pyatt
Conducted by Nicholas Cleobury

24. Serenade, for tenor, horn, & strings, Op. 31 Hymn
Composed by Benjamin Britten
Performed by Britten Sinfonia with John Mark Ainsley , David Pyatt
Conducted by Nicholas Cleobury

25. Serenade, for tenor, horn, & strings, Op. 31 Sonnet
Composed by Benjamin Britten
Performed by Britten Sinfonia with John Mark Ainsley , David Pyatt
Conducted by Nicholas Cleobury

26. Serenade, for tenor, horn, & strings, Op. 31 Epilogue
Composed by Benjamin Britten
Performed by Britten Sinfonia with John Mark Ainsley , David Pyatt
Conducted by Nicholas Cleobury

Britten: Les Illuminations/Nocturne/Serenade,Benjamin Britten,Nicholas Cleobury,David Pyatt,Britten Sinfonia,John Mark Ainsley,Angel Records,Classical,Classical Music,Solo Voice(s) and Small Ensemble,Song Cycle for Solo Voice and Orchestra,Vocal

Average customer rating: Comparing Britten's 'Serenade' from Bostridge and rivals Bostridge and Rattle Offer Definitive Britten EXCELLENT SINGING: OUSTANDING PLAYING

Britten: Serenade for Tenor, Horn & Strings; Les Illuminations; Nocturne Manufacturer: EMI Classics ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD All Works by Britten | Britten, Sir Benjamin | ( B ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music General Modern | Modern, 20th, & 21st Century | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra | ( B ) | Featured Performers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music Bostridge, Ian | ( B ) | Featured Performers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Similar Items: Britten: The Canticles; Ian Bostridge, David Daniels Britten: Holy Sonnets Op35 / Bostridge, Johnson Ian Bostridge - Songs of Faure, Debussy & Poulenc Die Schone Mullerin Music of Peter Lieberson: Rilke Songs, The Six Realms, Horn Concerto ASIN: B000AXZE3U Release Date: 2005-11-08

Tracks:

1. I. Fanfare
2. II. Villes
3. IIIa. Phrase
4. IIIb. Antique
5. IV. Royaute
6. V. Marine
7. VI. Interlude
8. VII. Being Beauteous
9. VIII. Parade
10. IX. Depart
11. Prologue
12. Pastoral
13. Nocturne
14. Elegy
15. Dirge
16. Hymn
17. Sonnet
18. Epilogue
19. On A Poet's Lips I Slept
20. Below The Thunders Of The Upper Deep
21. Encinctured With A Twine Of Leaves
22. Midnight's Bell Goes Ting, Ting, Ting
23. But That Night When On My Bed I Lay
24. She Sleeps On Soft, Last Breaths
25. What Is More Gentle Than A Wind In Summer?
26. When Most I Wink, Then Do Mine Eyes Best See

Amazon.com

This is a wonderful record, in substance and execution. As Ian Bostridge writes in his passionately involved program notes, these three song cycles represent a pinnacle of the all-too-sparse literature for tenor and orchestra. We owe them to Britten's long personal and professional partnership with the great tenor Peter Pears, for whom he wrote all his vocal music. Listeners who remember Pears' unique and unmistakable voice and style will be astounded at how thoroughly Bostridge has made these works his own. His voice is very different but no less unique, and intoxicatingly beautiful. He has at his command colors and nuances which he uses so masterfully that they become an integral part of the music, never sounding artificial. Giving equal weight to words and music, Bostridge captures the lush sensuousness of the French cycle, set to poems of Rimbaud, the lyricism, lightness, serenity, horror and triumph of the Serenade, and the declamatory drama of the Nocturne (the last two use poetry from Shakespeare to Wilfred Owen). The cycles trace the development of Britten's style, from the tonal orientation and direct expressiveness of the first, through the greater emotional depth and variety of the second, to the descriptive, sardonic, wild, passionate rhetoric of the third. The orchestra's principals are superb in their extensive solos. Unfortunately, they are nameless except for Radek Baborák, a worthy successor to Dennis Brain, the virtuoso hornist for whom the Serenade was written. --Edith Eisler

Customer Reviews:

Comparing Britten's 'Serenade' from Bostridge and rivals.......2006-06-26

In 1944, a year after it was composed, Britten's Serenade for Tenor, Horn, and Strings began a long streak of excellence on disc. Six decades later we have this acclaimed new one from Ian Bostridge, so it seems worthwhile to compare it to the best from the past. (I will name my personal favorites at the end.)

Pears 1944: The Gramophone calls this, the premiere recording, 'usurpassable,' and so it would seem with the unique combination of Peter Pears, the tenor voice for which the work was written, Dennis Brain, the young horn virtuoso whom Britten also had in mind, and Britten himself conducting. There are some drawbacks, though, principally the ugly wartime sonics, which are murky and boxed-in. Pears is not as dramatic as he would become later on, and although Brain is very musical and supple in tone, he doesn't extract the last ounce of intensity from his part.

Pears 1964: Pears' remake is the unsurpassable one, perhaps. We get excellent stereo from Decca, and Britten's conducting is more or less perfect. Barry Tuckwell sets a new standard in the horn part, taking hair-raising risks and underlining the darker side of the score. Pears has grown immensely in his interpretation of the poetry, but one can't escape that he is 20 years older--his voice is obviously under strain in the more difficult passages and at loud volume. Even so, his depth and artistry quickly make you forget anything but the music itself--a great recording.

Rolfe-Johnson 1991: The Gramophone loved this recording when it came out on Chandos. The outstanding performer here is the tenor, Anthony Rolfe-Johnson, who took up Pears' artistic manetle. Like Pears he has a sweet, focused tenor with a prominent head tone (R-J's sound is less idiosyncratic than Pears'), but more importantly Rolfe-Johnson does almost as much with the poetry as his great predecessor. The conducting by Bryden Thomson is fine, and so is the horn player, Michael Thompson, though he is too cautious to take the kind of risks Tuckwell did.

Langridge 1994: This recording, originally on Collins Clasics, is on Naxos now. Philip Langridge is the doppelganger to Rolfe-Johnson, both bieng Britten specialists who have recorded most of his major tenor roles. Langridge has a bigger voice, with an unusual but pleasant nasality. It's less focused than Rolfe-Johnson's or Pears', so the pitch can spead a little, and some wobble creeps in under pressure. On this CD Langridge gives a notably quiet, tender reading, with a lot of variaiton in tone and poetic sensitivity. He is aided by the excellent conducting of Britten's disciple, Steuart Bedford. The horn playing of Frank Lloyd matches the singer in tenderness, even if he isn't the daredevil that Tuckwell ws--Lloyd's suppleness is closer to Brain in approach.

Bostridge 1999: The latest generation of Pears' descendants is represented by Ian Bostridgee, who has attained more fame than the previous two tenors outside Britain. Bostridge's voice started out quite slender and cooing, so he can't attack the Serenade's more strenuous parts head on. His solution is to give a lighter, quicker version that is refreshingly different. His hornist, Marie-Luise Neunecker, is a true virtuoso, more at home in this music than any player since Tuckwell. She is also caught in vivid, clear sound by EMI. Ingo Metzmacher's condcuting sometimes lacks zest and impact, though it passes muster well enough.

Bostridge 2005: Bostridge got to remake the Serenade for EMI after only a few years, not the twenty that Pears waited. In the interim his voice has acquired more weight--it's still the lightest of any being considered here, however--and that extra heft helps him to deepen his interpretation, adding more darkness and mystery to the text (mystery being one of this singer's best modes). The presence of Simon Rattle and the Berlin Phil. strings certainly ups the ante, and the first horn of the orchestra, Radek Baborak, at last brings us Tuckwell's equal in daring and risk-taking. British critics have acclaimed this recording as the only modern one to stand beside Pears/Britten, but I think Rattle and Bostridge are both a little guilty of fussiness; every syllable and musical phrase is underlined to the point where we notice the performers more than the music at times.

I have owned Serenades by other singers like Martyn Hill and John Mark Ainsley, both on EMI and both in the boyish tenor vein of Bostridge, if without his notable intelligence and musical insight. I would be hapy to own either of Bostridge's efforts, but the ones that send chills down my spine are by Rolfe-Johnson and Pears 1964.

Bostridge and Rattle Offer Definitive Britten.......2005-11-30

Ian Bostridge continues to astound with the variety of his repertoire and the glowing beauty of his richly burnished tenor voice and his enormous musicality. Here he sings three of Benjamin Britten's finest works and with him in collaboration are Simon Rattle and the Berlin Philharmonic. An embarrassment of riches!

Each of the three cycles feels as though Bostridge and Rattle are in complete agreement with Britten's intentions. 'Les Illuminations', designated as a work 'for high voice and strings', here benefits greatly from the timbre of Bostridge's baritone-infused tenor voice. The poems by Rimbaud were written by a man for a man and thus it feels more appropriate to have the male voice singing (though the numerous performances by sopranos do hold a special glow). Supported by some of the most lush strings sound ever recorded, Bostridge sings the songs with more passion than most. These are heartfelt and not the cerebral exercise they often receive. Yes, there are moments when memories of other performances rise - such as during the downward glissando of 'et je danse' when other singers caress every note in the fall. But the overall effect is very dramatic and, well, luminous.

'Serenade for tenor, horn and strings' finds Radek Baborak in the horn role. Again the pulsing Berlin strings under Rattle are almost unbearably beautiful. Bostridge's perfect diction again demonstrates how Britten was the finest composer for the English language. The cycle is involving in its survey of an interesting variety of poems. Likewise the Nocturne 'for tenor, seven obbligato instruments an strings' is a mature work of Britten's and has echoes of phrases from what by the time of its composition were closely identified with the 'Britten sound'. Again Bostridge sings with such purity of line and intense communication. His voice and thinking are married in a perfect effect.

Perhaps it is the fact that Bostridge commits his concert time to demanding lieder recitals with piano that makes him one of the most sought after vocal artists of the day. When he steps in front of an orchestra, especially such as the Berlin ensemble with Rattle on the podium, he is wholly at home with these beautiful but technically difficult cycles, and the degree of communication of both the music and the poetry are extraordinary. An added bonus with this CD is the personal set of program notes written by Bostridge. Highly recommended. Grady Harp, November 05

EXCELLENT SINGING: OUSTANDING PLAYING.......2005-11-23

This is a marvellous disc of the most famous Britten orchestral Song Cycles - not so much for Bostridge's singing as for the stunning playing of the strings of the Berlin Philharmonic and the excellent conducting of Simon Rattle.

The very opening bars of Les Illuminations give a thrilling taste of excitements to come as the violins and violas throw the fanfares from side to side of the stereo spectrum. In the hands of the Berlin Phil, Les Illuminations reveals itself to be as big a compendium of string orchestra techniques as the Frank Bridge Variations. Here are wonderfully light harmonics, creepy harmonic glissandos, perfectly together full-bodied pizzicati, haunting cantilenas, rich thrumming accompaniments. Ensemble throughout is impressively immaculate. Antique is hauntingly beautiful, Being Beauteous achingly so. Bostridge's singing is also impressive in these Rimbaud settings, bringing to some of the songs a real baritonal quality to set beside his more familiar headtones - perhaps suggesting that a Pelleas from him might be an interesting proposition. For me, the sound of the original soprano voice works better in these songs (they were first done by Sophie Weiss): it rises freer and cleaner of the string accompaniments. But Bostridge is fine among the tenor versions, up there with Pears himself.

The Serenade fares a little less well after such an impressive opening. Maybe the horn player, Radek Baborak, is to blame. He seems a little cautious - the phrases of the Prologue and Epilogue seem a little disjointed, the keening sounds of Blake's Sick Rose lack the last ounce of passionate commitment, the scary glissandi in the Lyke Wake Dirge are barely touched in compared to the hair-raising whoops of a Tuckwell or even a Brain and Ben Jonson's Queen and Huntress doesn't have quite the lightness of step she should. Bostridge, too, seems to be straining a bit hard and Fischer-Dieskau-like to get the last ounce of meaning from the text. The plosive 't' at the end of 'elephant' in Cotton's Pastoral practically splashes the listener. He has recorded the Serenade before (also with a German orchestra) and despite the wonderful playing here of the Berlin strings - their splendour falls magnificently on Tennyson's castle walls - it's the earlier version I would prefer.

The horn player is better in his onomatopoeic Middleton song in the Nocturne. Indeed, all the soloists are excellent in this cycle and I would single out Stefan Schweigert's bassoon solo in The Kraken for particular praise. The Nocturne always seems to get rather short shrift in comparison to the Serenade or even Les Illuminations. For me it is the finest of the three cycles. It is a central piece among Britten's explorations of sleep around that time - the Dream, the guitar Nocturnal, the piano Notturno, 'Let us Sleep' in War Requiem and 'Dormi nunc' in the Cantata Misericordium are all roughly contemporaneous. It is also more of a cycle than the Serenade with its linking 'breathing' motif on the strings (which was actually rescued from a setting of Now Sleeps the Crimson Petal, written for but rejected from the Serenade). Bostridge is better here with a little less obvious pointing of words. He copes with the magical melismas of the Coleridge setting well. He holds nothing back in Wordsworth's nightmare recollections of the September Massacres with a full-bodied scream on the parlando 'Sleep no more'. Owen's Kind Ghosts sound more than ever like a precursor of the Owen settings in War Requiem and Rattle secures a wonderfully heavy tread from his string players. Perhaps only Pears had the secret of those magic Britten phrases that flow straight through the natural break in the voice (the arch of 'Thus I my best beloved's am' at the end of Canticle 1 or the rising Dona nobis pacem in War Requiem come to mind): Bostridge can't quite match him in the similar phrase for the last couplet of the Shakespeare Sonnet, but for the rest he does achieve a near perfect balance of melodic line with judicious pointing of Shakespeare's pun-fest.

The playing of the Berlin Philharmonic again is a joy to hear in this song. The voicing of the chord when all the obbligato instruments and the strings play together for the first time at the beginning of the Shakespeare is breathtaking and Rattle makes the climax of the Sonnet (and indeed the whole cycle) an overwhelming moment. The recording quality throughout this disc is superb - crystal clear but with true warmth and depth. Bostridge contributes a fascinating essay to the booklet and all the texts are there, too. All in all, an outstanding issue.

Average customer rating:

Britten: Serenade; Les Illuminations; Nocturne Manufacturer: Decca ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD All Works by Britten | Britten, Sir Benjamin | ( B ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music General Modern | Modern, 20th, & 21st Century | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music Pears, Sir Peter | ( P ) | Featured Performers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music The Decca Records Store | Specialty Stores | Music ASIN: B000FIHMH6 Release Date: 2006-05-08

Tracks:

1. Serenade For Tenor, Horn & Strings, Op. 31
2. Les Illuminations, Op. 18
3. Nocturne For Tenor, Seven Obbligato Instruments & Strings, Op. 60

Album Details

The Three Orchestral Song Cycles Collected Here Are Central to the Britten Canon of Recorded Repertoire and Whereas Pears' Other Recordings of the Serenade and Les Illuminations (With Boyd Neel and Benjamin Britten as Conductors) have Been in Circulation, this Mono Recording with Goossens Receives Its First and Much-anticipated Release on CD. All Three Recordings Date from the 1950s and Catch Pears in Full Vocal Flight.

Average customer rating:

A Portrait of Britten Manufacturer: Nimbus Records ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD All Works by Britten | Britten, Sir Benjamin | ( B ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music General | Concertos | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music Suites | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music Chamber Music | Forms & Genres | Modern, 20th, & 21st Century | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music Symphonies | Forms & Genres | Modern, 20th, & 21st Century | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music Variations | Forms & Genres | Modern, 20th, & 21st Century | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music General Contemporary | Modern, 20th, & 21st Century | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music Viola | Strings | Instruments | Classical | Styles | Music General | Strings | Instruments | Classical | Styles | Music General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music Modern & 20th Century | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music Hadley, Jerry | ( H ) | Featured Performers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music ASIN: B00000JCAX Release Date: 1999-06-15

Tracks:

1. Vars On A Theme Of Frank Bridge, Op.10: Intro And Theme - Roger Best
2. Vars On A Theme Of Frank Bridge, Op.10: Adagio - Roger Best
3. Vars On A Theme Of Frank Bridge, Op.10: March - Roger Best
4. Vars On A Theme Of Frank Bridge, Op.10: Romance - Roger Best
5. Vars On A Theme Of Frank Bridge, Op.10: Aria Italiana - Roger Best
6. Vars On A Theme Of Frank Bridge, Op.10: Bourree Classique - Roger Best
7. Vars On A Theme Of Frank Bridge, Op.10: Wiener Walzer - Roger Best
8. Vars On A Theme Of Frank Bridge, Op.10: Moto Perpetuo - Roger Best
9. Vars On A Theme Of Frank Bridge, Op.10: Funeral March - Roger Best
10. Vars On A Theme Of Frank Bridge, Op.10: Chant - Roger Best
11. Vars On A Theme Of Frank Bridge, Op.10: Fugue And Finale - Roger Best
12. Simple Sym, Op.4: Boisterous Bourree - Roger Best
13. Simple Sym, Op.4: Playful Pizzicato - Roger Best
14. Simple Sym, Op.4: Sentimental Saraband - Roger Best
15. Simple Sym, Op.4: Frolicsome Finale - Roger Best
16. Lachrymae-Reflections On A Song Of Dowland: Lento-Allegretto, Andante Molto-Animato-Tranquillo... - Roger Best
17. Plrd And Fugue, Op.29: Prld: Grave - Roger Best
18. Plrd And Fugue, Op.29: Fugue: Allegro Energico - Roger Best

Tracks:

1. Four Sea Interludes from Peter Grimes, Op.33a: I. Dawn - Michael Bochmann
2. Four Sea Interludes from Peter Grimes, Op.33a: II. Sunday Morning - Michael Bochmann
3. Four Sea Interludes from Peter Grimes, Op.33a: III. Moonlight - Michael Bochmann
4. Four Sea Interludes from Peter Grimes, Op.33a: IV. Storm - Michael Bochmann
5. Ste On English Folk Tunes 'A Time There Was...', Op.90: I. Cakes And Ale - Michael Bochmann
6. Ste On English Folk Tunes 'A Time There Was...', Op.90: II. Bitter Withy - Michael Bochmann
7. Ste On English Folk Tunes 'A Time There Was...', Op.90: III. Hankin Booby - Michael Bochmann
8. Ste On English Folk Tunes 'A Time There Was...', Op.90: IV. Hunt The Squirrel - Michael Bochmann
9. Ste On English Folk Tunes 'A Time There Was...', Op.90: V. Lord Melbourne - Michael Bochmann
10. Gloriana: The Courtly Dances, Op.53a - Michael Bochmann
11. The Young Person's Guide To The Orch, Op.34: Vars And Fugue On A Theme Of Purcell - Michael Bochmann

Tracks:

1. Les Illuminations, Op.18: Fanfare - Jerry Hadley/Anthony Halstead
2. Les Illuminations, Op.18: Villes - Jerry Hadley/Anthony Halstead
3. Les Illuminations, Op.18: Phrase - Jerry Hadley/Anthony Halstead
4. Les Illuminations, Op.18: Antique - Jerry Hadley/Anthony Halstead
5. Les Illuminations, Op.18: Royaute - Jerry Hadley/Anthony Halstead
6. Les Illuminations, Op.18: Marine - Jerry Hadley/Anthony Halstead
7. Les Illuminations, Op.18: Interlude - Jerry Hadley/Anthony Halstead
8. Les Illuminations, Op.18: Being Beauteous - Jerry Hadley/Anthony Halstead
9. Les Illuminations, Op.18: Parade - Jerry Hadley/Anthony Halstead
10. Les Illuminations, Op.18: Depart - Jerry Hadley/Anthony Halstead
11. Ser, Op.31: Prologue - Jerry Hadley/Anthony Halstead
12. Ser, Op.31: Pastoral - Jerry Hadley/Anthony Halstead
13. Ser, Op.31: Nocturne - Jerry Hadley/Anthony Halstead
14. Ser, Op.31: Elegy - Jerry Hadley/Anthony Halstead
15. Ser, Op.31: Dirge - Jerry Hadley/Anthony Halstead
16. Ser, Op.31: Hymn - Jerry Hadley/Anthony Halstead
17. Ser, Op.31: Sonnet - Jerry Hadley/Anthony Halstead
18. Ser, Op.31: Epilogue - Jerry Hadley/Anthony Halstead
19. Nocturne, Op.60 - Jerry Hadley/Anthony Halstead/Michael Hirst/Paul Arden Taylor/David Campbell/Keith Rubach...

Average customer rating: Jerry Hadley: Ave Atque Vale Almost as good as Pears

Britten: Serenade/Les Illuminations/Nocturne Manufacturer: Nimbus Records ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD All Works by Britten | Britten, Sir Benjamin | ( B ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music General Modern | Modern, 20th, & 21st Century | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music Hadley, Jerry | ( H ) | Featured Performers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music ASIN: B00005YBAF Release Date: 1992-12-02

Customer Reviews:

Jerry Hadley: Ave Atque Vale.......2007-07-18

The musical world has lost yet another great singer with the death of Jerry Hadley. Not only will his fine opera and recital performances be greatly missed, we must attempt to understand the personal pain that would result in his choice of passing.

Jerry Hadley was another American product, born in the US, trained here and under the tutelage of Joan Sutherland and Richard Bonynge, and made it to the stages of the New York City Opera, the Metropolitan Opera, Glyndebourne, Covent Garden etc, and recorded not only superb performances of Mozart operas and others but also gave a bow to operetta and musical theater. His voice was rich, full, dark when necessary and thrillingly bel canto in roles too infrequently heard. His stage presence was that of a handsome, dashing leading man and audiences loved him.

For this listener this very special recording of the works of Benjamin Britten is one of his finest and while it is variably available, perhaps now it will be re-mastered for wider distribution. In each of the three works on this very well produced CD - 'Les illuminations' Op. 18, 'Serenade, for tenor, horn & strings' Op. 31, and Nocturne, for tenor, 7 instruments & strings, Op. 60 - Hadley's concept of the poetry is sincere and unlike many other recordings of these works his diction is flawless. One wonders why orchestral concerts across the country did not utilize Jerry Hadley more frequently for these works.

The recording is well balanced with fine collaboration from the English String Orchestra as conducted by William Boughton. Anthony Halstead provides the gentle and technically superb French Horn performance in the Serenade. Many still prefer the initial Peter Pears recordings of these works for sentimental reasons and there have been other excellent recordings by both women (in the 'Les illuminations') and other tenors, but Jerry Hadley approached these vocally demanding little jewels with a profound respect of the composer's intentions. It is a recording that will always be a fitting tribute to a very fine tenor whose career was tragically foreshortened. Recommendation: add this CD to your collection - it IS available! Grady Harp, July 07

Almost as good as Pears.......2003-05-30

The British tenor Peter Pears recorded two of these works (Serenade and Les Illuminations) in his prime, somewhere in the late 60's or early 70's. (To my knowledge that LP has not been remastered to CD...) His close friend Benjamin Britten wrote these works for Pears; Serenade was written for Pears and Dennis Brain, the brilliant French horn player whose life was tragically cut short by an auto accident.

Jerry Hadley doesn't quite match the intensity that Pears' performances had, but they are fine nonetheless. The differences are most notable in the middle sections of the Serenade, which Pears made absolutely electrifying. But it certainly is good to have these neglected works in up-to-date digital recordings.

Average customer rating: Comparing Pears' acclaimed "Serenade" to the best that followed Amazing! (a very brief review)

Serenade/Les Illuminations/Nocturne Britten , Pears , Lso , and Eco Manufacturer: Polygram Int'l ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Classical | Styles | Music Classical | Imports | Stores | Music Similar Items: Britten: Cello Symphony, op. 68; Sinfonia da Requiem, op. 20; Cantata misericordium, op. 69 Britten: The Canticles; Ian Bostridge, David Daniels Cello Suites Ian Bostridge Sings Britten Britten - War Requiem / Vishnievskaya · Pears · Fischer-Dieskau · LSO · Britten ASIN: B00000IO61 Release Date: 1993-05-10

Tracks:

1. Ser: Prologue - Peter Pears/Barry Tuckwell/Osian Ellis
2. Ser: Pastoral - Peter Pears/Barry Tuckwell/Osian Ellis
3. Ser: Nocturne - Peter Pears/Barry Tuckwell/Osian Ellis
4. Ser: Elegy - Peter Pears/Barry Tuckwell/Osian Ellis
5. Ser: Dirge - Peter Pears/Barry Tuckwell/Osian Ellis
6. Ser: Hymn - Peter Pears/Barry Tuckwell/Osian Ellis
7. Ser: Sonnet - Peter Pears/Barry Tuckwell/Osian Ellis
8. Ser: Epilogue - Peter Pears/Barry Tuckwell/Osian Ellis
9. Les Illuminations: Fanfare - Peter Pears/Osian Ellis
10. Les Illuminations: Villes - Peter Pears/Osian Ellis
11. Les Illuminations: Phrase - Peter Pears/Osian Ellis
12. Les Illuminations: Antique - Peter Pears/Osian Ellis
13. Les Illuminations: Royaute - Peter Pears/Osian Ellis
14. Les Illuminations: Marine - Peter Pears/Osian Ellis
15. Les Illuminations: Interlude - Peter Pears/Osian Ellis
16. Les Illuminations: Being Beauteous - Peter Pears/Osian Ellis
17. Les Illuminations: Parade - Peter Pears/Osian Ellis
18. Les Illuminations: Depart - Peter Pears/Osian Ellis
19. Nocturne: On A Poet's Lips I Slept - Peter Pears/Barry Tuckwell/William Waterhouse/Osian Ellis/Denis Blyth/Roger Lord/Alexander Murray...
20. Nocturne: Below The Thunders Of The Upper Deep - Peter Pears/Barry Tuckwell/William Waterhouse/Osian Ellis/Denis Blyth/Roger Lord/Alexander Murray...
21. Nocturne: Encinctured With A Twine Of Leaves - Peter Pears/Barry Tuckwell/William Waterhouse/Osian Ellis/Denis Blyth/Roger Lord/Alexander Murray...
22. Nocturne: Midnight's Bell Goes Ting, Ting, Ting... - Peter Pears/Barry Tuckwell/William Waterhouse/Osian Ellis/Denis Blyth/Roger Lord/Alexander Murray...
23. Nocturne: But That Night When On My Bed I Lay - Peter Pears/Barry Tuckwell/William Waterhouse/Osian Ellis/Denis Blyth/Roger Lord/Alexander Murray...
24. Nocturne: She Sleeps On Soft, Last Breaths - Peter Pears/Barry Tuckwell/William Waterhouse/Osian Ellis/Denis Blyth/Roger Lord/Alexander Murray...
25. Nocturne: What Is More Gentle Than A Wind In Summer? - Peter Pears/Barry Tuckwell/William Waterhouse/Osian Ellis/Denis Blyth/Roger Lord/Alexander Murray...
26. Nocturne: When Most I Wink, Then Do Mine Eyes Best See - Peter Pears/Barry Tuckwell/William Waterhouse/Osian Ellis/Denis Blyth/Roger Lord/Alexander Murray...

Customer Reviews:

Comparing Pears' acclaimed "Serenade" to the best that followed.......2006-06-26

In 1944, a year after it was composed, Britten's Serenade for Tenor, Horn, and Strings began a long streak of excellence on disc. Six decades later we have an acclaimed new one from Ian Bostridge, so it seems worthwhile to compare it to the best from the past and to Pears' own wonderful interpretations. (I will name my personal favorites known at the end.)

Pears 1944: The Gramophone calls this, the premiere recording, 'usurpassable,' and so it would seem with the unique combination of Peter Pears, the tenor voice for which the work was written, Dennis Brain, the young horn virtuoso whom Britten also had in mind, and Britten himself conducting. There are some drawbacks, though, principally the ugly wartime sonics, which are murky and boxed-in. Pears is not as dramatic as he would become later on, and although Brain is very musical and supple in tone, he doesn't extract the last ounce of intensity from his part.

Pears 1964: Pears' remake is the unsurpassable one, perhaps. We get excellent stereo from Decca, and Britten's conducting is more or less perfect. Barry Tuckwell sets a new standard in the horn part, taking hair-raising risks and underlining the darker side of the score. Pears has grown immensely in his interpretation of the poetry, but one can't escape that he is 20 years older--his voice is obviously under strain in the more difficult passages and at loud volume. Even so, his depth and artistry quickly make you forget anything but the music itself--a great recording.

Rolfe-Johnson (1991): The Gramophone loved this recording when it came out on Chandos. The outstanding performer here is the tenor, Anthony Rolfe-Johnson, who took up Pears' artistic manetle. Like Pears he has a sweet, focused tenor with a prominent head tone (R-J's sound is less idiosyncratic than Pears'), but more importantly Rolfe-Johnson does almost as much with the poetry as his great predecessor. The conducting by Bryden Thomson is fine, and so is the horn player, Michael Thompson, though he is too cautious to take the kind of risks Tuckwell did.

Langridge 1994: This recording, originally on Collins Clasics, is also on Naxos now. Philip Langridge is the doppelganger to Rolfe-Johnson, both bieng Britten specialists who have recorded most of his major tenor roles. Langridge has a bigger voice, with an unusual but pleasant nasality. It's less focused than Rolfe-Johnson's or Pears', so the pitch can spead a little, and some wobble creep in. On this CD Langridge gives a notably quiet, tender reading, with a lot of variaiton in tone and poetic sensitivity. He is aided by the excellent conducting of Britten's disciple, Steuart Bedford. The horn playing of Frank Lloyd matches the singer in tenderness, even if he isn't the daredevil that Tuckwell ws--Lloyd's suppleness is closer to Brain in approach.

Bostridge 1999: The latest generation of Pears' descendants is represented by Ian Bostridgee, who has attained more fame than the previous two tenors outside Britain. Bostridge's voice started out quite slender and cooing, so he can't attack the Serenade's more strenuous parts head on. His solution is to give a lighter, quicker version that is refreshingly different. His hornist, Marie-Luise Neunecker, is a true virtuoso, more at home in this music than any player since Tuckwell. She is also caught in spectacular sound by EMI. Ingo Metzmacher's condcuting lacks zest and impact, though it passes muster well enough.

Bostridge 2005: Bostridge got to remake the Serenade for EMI after only a few years, not the twenty that Pears waited. In the interim his voice has acquired more weight--it's still the lightest of any being considered here, however--and that extra heft helps him to deepen his interpretation, adding more darkness and mystery to the text (mystery being one of this singer's best modes). The presence of Simon Rattle and the Berlin Phil. strings certainly ups the ante, and the first horn of the orchestra, Radek Baborak, at last brings us Tuckwell's equal in daring and risk-taking. British critics have acclaimed this recording as the only modern one to stand beside Pears/Britten, but I think Rattle and Bostridge are both a little guilty of fussiness; every syllable and musical phrase is underlined to the point where we notice the performers more than the music at times.

I have owned Serenades by other singers like Martyn Hill and John Mark Ainsley, both on EMI and both in the boyish tenor vein of Bostridge, if without his notable intelligence and musical insight. I would be hapy to own either of Bostridge's efforts, but the ones that send chills down my spine are by Rolfe-Johnson and Pears 1964.

Amazing! (a very brief review).......2005-10-09

Britten's astounding gift for setting words to music is as evident as ever on this disc. The Serenade for tenor, horn, and strings is one of Britten's more well-known works, and rightfully so. For people unfamiliar with Britten's music, this is a good place to start.

Les Illuminations, set to the French poetry of Rimbaud, is an earlier work. It's perhaps not as "deep" or motivically connected as the Nocturne, but it includes some gorgeous songs ("Antique", "Being Beauteous") which are not to be missed.

The Nocturne, without a doubt a masterpiece and my personal favorite of the set, was written almost as a sequel to the Serenade. It's constructed around a rocking "sleep" motif in the strings, which connects all of the movements, and culminates in a mindboggling setting of Shakespeare, "When most I wink, then do mine eyes best see".

Peter Pears, Britten's lifelong partner whose voice Britten had in mind when he wrote these works, is at his best here. His voice has a uniquely beautiful quality and his musicianship is stunning. Listen and be entranced to his first words in the Pastoral of the Serenade: "The day's grown old..."

This CD includes some of the most beautiful and intelligent music ever written. Buy it!

Average customer rating:

Britten: Serenade for tenor, horn & strings; Les Illuminations; Nocturne Manufacturer: Class. for Pleas. Us ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD All Works by Britten | Britten, Sir Benjamin | ( B ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music ASIN: B000069DPK Release Date: 2002-10-01

Tracks:

1. I. Fanfare
2. II. Villes
3. IIIa. Phrase
4. IIIb. Antique
5. IV. Royauta
6. V. Marine
7. VI. Interlude
8. VII. Being Beauteous
9. VIII. Parade
10. IX. Dapart
11. On A Poet's Lips I Slept (Shelley)
12. Below The Thunders Of The Upper Deep (Tennyson) (J
13. Encinctured With A Twine Of Leaves (Coleridge) (Hu
14. Midnight's Bell Goes Ting, Ting, Ting, Ting, Ting
15. But That Night When On My Bed I Lay (Wordsworth) (
16. She Sleeps On Soft, Last Breaths (Owen) (Nicholas
17. What Is More Gentle Than A Wind In Summer? (Keats)
18. When Most I Wink, Then Do Mine Eyes Best See (Shak
19. Prologue (Horn Solo) - David Pyatt
20. 1. Pastoral: The Day's Grown Old (Charles Cotton)
21. 2. Nocturne: The Splendour Falls On Castle Walls - CLEOBURY/AINSLEY
22. 3. Elegy: O Rose, Thou Art Sick (William Blake) - CLEOBURY/AINSLEY
23. 4. Dirge: This Ae Nighte (Anon. 15th Century) - CLEOBURY/AINSLEY
24. 5. Hymn: Queen And Huntress (Ben Jonson) - CLEOBURY/AINSLEY
25. 6. Sonnet: O Soft Embalmer Of The Still Midnight - CLEOBURY/AINSLEY
26. Epilogue (Horn Solo) - CLEOBURY/AINSLEY

Average customer rating:

Britten: Les Illuminations/Nocturne/Serenade Manufacturer: Angel Records ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD All Works by Britten | Britten, Sir Benjamin | ( B ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music General Modern | Modern, 20th, & 21st Century | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music ASIN: B000002S71 Release Date: 1996-09-10

Tracks:

1. Les Illuminations, Op.18: I. Fanfare - John Mark Ainsley
2. Les Illuminations, Op.18: II. Villes - John Mark Ainsley
3. Les Illuminations, Op.18: IIIa. Phrase - John Mark Ainsley
4. Les Illuminations, Op.18: IIIb. Antique - John Mark Ainsley
5. Les Illuminations, Op.18: IV. Royaute - John Mark Ainsley
6. Les Illuminations, Op.18: V. Marine - John Mark Ainsley
7. Les Illuminations, Op.18: VI. Interlude - John Mark Ainsley
8. Les Illuminations, Op.18: VII. Being Beauteous - John Mark Ainsley
9. Les Illuminations, Op.18: Parade - John Mark Ainsley
10. Les Illuminations, Op.18: Depart - John Mark Ainsley
11. Nocturne, Op.60: On A Poet's Lips I Slept- - John Mark Ainsley
12. Nocturne, Op.60: Below The Thunders Of The Upper Deep - John Mark Ainsley/Julie Andrews
13. Nocturne, Op.60: Encinctured With A Twine Of Leaves - John Mark Ainsley/Hugh Webb
14. Nocturne, Op.60: Midnight's Bell Goes Ting, Ting, Ting, Ting, Ting - John Mark Ainsley/Stephen Bell
15. Nocturne, Op.60: But That Night When On My Bed I Lay - John Mark Ainsley/David Hockings
16. Nocturne, Op.60: She Sleeps On Soft, Last Breaths - John Mark Ainsley/Nicolas Daniel
17. Nocturne, Op.60: What Is More Gentle Than A Wind In Summer? - John Mark Ainsley/Kate Hill/Julian Farrell
18. Nocturne, Op.60: When Most I Wink, Then Do Mine Eyes Best See - John Mark Ainsley
19. Ser, Op.31: Prologue - John Mark Ainsley/David Pyatt
20. Ser, Op.31: 1. Pastoral - John Mark Ainsley/David Pyatt
21. Ser, Op.31: 2. Nocturne - John Mark Ainsley/David Pyatt
22. Ser, Op.31: 3. Elegy - John Mark Ainsley/David Pyatt
23. Ser, Op.31: 4. Dirge - John Mark Ainsley/David Pyatt
24. Ser, Op.31: 5. Hymn - John Mark Ainsley/David Pyatt
25. Ser, Op.31: 6. Sonnet - John Mark Ainsley/David Pyatt
26. Ser, Op.31: Epilogue - John Mark Ainsley/David Pyatt

Average customer rating:

A Britten Serenade Benjamin Britten , Simon Streatfeild , Benjamin Butterfield , James Sommerville , and Henriette Schellenberg Manufacturer: Cbc ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD All Works by Britten | Britten, Sir Benjamin | ( B ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music General Modern | Modern, 20th, & 21st Century | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music ASIN: B00000DCRA Release Date: 1998-10-20

Tracks:

1. Ser, Op.31: I. Prologue - Benjamin Butterfield/James Sommerville
2. Ser, Op.31: II. Pastoral - Benjamin Butterfield/James Sommerville
3. Ser, Op.31: III. Nocturne - Benjamin Butterfield/James Sommerville
4. Ser, Op.31: IV. Elegy - Benjamin Butterfield/James Sommerville
5. Ser, Op.31: V. Dirge - Benjamin Butterfield/James Sommerville
6. Ser, Op.31: VI. Hymn - Benjamin Butterfield/James Sommerville
7. Ser, Op.31: VII. Sonnet - Benjamin Butterfield/James Sommerville
8. Ser, Op.31: VIII. Epilogue - Benjamin Butterfield/James Sommerville
9. Les Illuminations, Op.18: I. Fanfare - Henriette Schellenberg
10. Les Illuminations, Op.18: II. Villes - Henriette Schellenberg
11. Les Illuminations, Op.18: III. Phrase - Henriette Schellenberg
12. Les Illuminations, Op.18: III. Antique - Henriette Schellenberg
13. Les Illuminations, Op.18: IV. Royaute - Henriette Schellenberg
14. Les Illuminations, Op.18: V. Marine - Henriette Schellenberg
15. Les Illuminations, Op.18: VI. Interlude - Henriette Schellenberg
16. Les Illuminations, Op.18: VII. Being Beauteous - Henriette Schellenberg
17. Les Illuminations, Op.18: VIII. Parade - Henriette Schellenberg
18. Les Illuminations, Op.18: IX. Depart - Henriette Schellenberg
19. Nocturne, Op.60: I. On A Poet's Lips I Slept - Vincent Ellin
20. Nocturne, Op.60: II. Below The Thunders Of The Upper Deep - Vincent Ellin
21. Nocturne, Op.60: III. Encinctured With A Twine Of Leaves - Richard Turner
22. Nocturne, Op.60: IV. Midnight's Bell Goes Ting - Lawrence Vine
23. Nocturne, Op.60: V. But That Night - Gregory Hodgson
24. Nocturne, Op.60: VI. She Sleeps On Soft Last Breaths - Douglas Bairstow
25. Nocturne, Op.60: VII. What Is More Gentle Than A Wind In Summer? - Martha Durkin/Connie Gitlin
26. Nocturne, Op.60: VIII. When Most I Wink, Then Do Mine Eyes Best See - Benjamin Butterfield

Average customer rating:

Britten: Les Illuminations; Serenade; Nocturne Benjamin Britten , Barbara Hendricks , and Martyn Hill Manufacturer: Virgin Classics ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD All Works by Britten | Britten, Sir Benjamin | ( B ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music ASIN: B00005MO1D Release Date: 2002-01-29

Tracks:

1. Les Illuminations, Op.18: 1. Fanfare
2. Les Illuminations, Op.18: 2. Villes
3. Les Illuminations, Op.18: 3a. Phrase
4. Les Illuminations, Op.18: 3b. Antique
5. Les Illuminations, Op.18: 4. Royaute
6. Les Illuminations, Op.18: 5. Marine
7. Les Illuminations, Op.18: 6. Interlude
8. Les Illuminations, Op.18: 7. Being Beauteous
9. Les Illuminations, Op.18: 8. Parade
10. Les Illuminations, Op.18: 9. Depart
11. Ser, Op.31: Prologue
12. Ser, Op.31: Pastoral
13. Ser, Op.31: Nocturne
14. Ser, Op.31: Elegy
15. Ser, Op.31: Dirge
16. Ser, Op.31: Hymn
17. Ser, Op.31: Sonnet
18. Ser, Op.31: Epilogue
19. Nocturne, Op.60: On A Poet's Lips I Slept
20. Nocturne, Op.60: Below The Thunders Of The Upper Deep - Martyn Hill/Frank Lloyd/Robert Jordan
21. Nocturne, Op.60: Encinctured With A Twine Of Leaves - Martyn Hill/Frank Lloyd/Rachel Masters
22. Nocturne, Op.60: Midnight's Bell Goes Ting, Ting, TIng - Martyn Hill/Frank Lloyd/Anthony Halstead
23. Nocturne, Op.60: But That Night When On My Bed I Lay - Martyn Hill/Frank Lloyd/Janos Keszei
24. Nocturne, Op.60: She Sleeps On Soft, Last Breaths - Martyn Hill/Frank Lloyd/Helen McQueen
25. Nocturne, Op.60: What Is More Gentle Than A Wind In Summer? - Martyn Hill/Frank LloydDuke Dobing/Michael Pearce
26. Nocturne, Op.60: When Most I Wink, Then Do Mine Eyes Best See - Martyn Hill/Frank Lloyd/

Average customer rating: Historically and Artistically Significant CD A Tenor Voice of Awe

Britten: Serenade Op31; Illuminations Op18 Peter Pears [tenor] , Barry Tuckwell [horn] , Benjamin Britten [conductor] , Alexander Murrey [flute] , English Chamber Orchestra , Roger Lord [English honr] , Osian Ellis [harp] , London Symphony Orchestra , and Gervase de Payer [clarinet] Manufacturer: Polygram Records ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD All Works by Britten | Britten, Sir Benjamin | ( B ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music General Modern | Modern, 20th, & 21st Century | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music ASIN: B0000041RD Release Date: 1990-10-25

Tracks:

1. Ser, Op.31: Prologue - Peter Pears/Barry Tuckwell/Osian Ellis
2. Ser, Op.31: Pastoral - Peter Pears/Barry Tuckwell/Osian Ellis
3. Ser, Op.31: Nocturne - Peter Pears/Barry Tuckwell/Osian Ellis
4. Ser, Op.31: Elegy - Peter Pears/Barry Tuckwell/Osian Ellis
5. Ser, Op.31: Dirge - Peter Pears/Barry Tuckwell/Osian Ellis
6. Ser, Op.31: Hymn - Peter Pears/Barry Tuckwell/Osian Ellis
7. Ser, Op.31: Sonnet - Peter Pears/Barry Tuckwell/Osian Ellis
8. Ser, Op.31: Epilogue - Peter Pears/Barry Tuckwell/Osian Ellis
9. Les Illuminations, Op.18: Fanfare - Peter Pears/Osian Ellis
10. Les Illuminations, Op.18: Villes - Peter Pears/Osian Ellis
11. Les Illuminations, Op.18: Phrase - Peter Pears/Osian Ellis
12. Les Illuminations, Op.18: Antique - Peter Pears/Osian Ellis
13. Les Illuminations, Op.18: Royaute - Peter Pears/Osian Ellis
14. Les Illuminations, Op.18: Marine - Peter Pears/Osian Ellis
15. Les Illuminations, Op.18: Interlude - Peter Pears/Osian Ellis
16. Les Illuminations, Op.18: Being Beauteous - Peter Pears/Osian Ellis
17. Les Illuminations, Op.18: Parade - Peter Pears/Osian Ellis
18. Les Illuminations, Op.18: Depart - Peter Pears/Osian Ellis
19. Nocturne, Op.60: On A Poet's Lips I Slept - Peter Pears/Barry Tuckwell/Alexander Murrey/Roger Lord/Gervase De Peyer/Osian Ellis...
20. Nocturne, Op.60: Below The Thunders Of The Upper Deep - Peter Pears/Barry Tuckwell/Alexander Murrey/Roger Lord/Gervase De Peyer/Osian Ellis...
21. Nocturne, Op.60: Encinctur'd With A Twine Of Leaves - Peter Pears/Barry Tuckwell/Alexander Murrey/Roger Lord/Gervase De Peyer/Osian Ellis...
22. Nocturne, Op.60: Midnight's Bell Goes Ting, Ting, Ting... - Peter Pears/Barry Tuckwell/Alexander Murrey/Roger Lord/Gervase De Peyer/Osian Ellis...
23. Nocturne, Op.60: But That Night - Peter Pears/Barry Tuckwell/Alexander Murrey/Roger Lord/Gervase De Peyer/Osian Ellis...
24. Nocturne, Op.60: She Sleeps In Soft, Last Breaths - Peter Pears/Barry Tuckwell/Alexander Murrey/Roger Lord/Gervase De Peyer/Osian Ellis...
25. Nocturne, Op.60: What Is More Gentle Than a Wind In Summer? - Peter Pears/Barry Tuckwell/Alexander Murrey/Roger Lord/Gervase De Peyer/Osian Ellis...
26. Nocturne, Op.60: When Most I Wink, Then Do Mine Eyes Best See - Peter Pears/Barry Tuckwell/Alexander Murrey/Roger Lord/Gervase De Peyer/Osian Ellis...

Amazon.com

The Serenade and the Nocturne were both composed for Britten's lover, Peter Pears, although "Les Illuminations" was originally written for female voice. Since its premiere, however, it too has become a tenor standard, particularly since it rounds out CDs like this one, which feature the other song cycles as well. Pears was the archetypal English tenor. He had a thin, very agile voice, capable of a surprising volume of tone when necessary. He knew that he wasn't cut out for Italian opera, and when you're sleeping with one of the century's greatest composers, who cares? All of the music written for him was tailored to his special abilities, and he always made the most of the many opportunities that Britten offered to sound like the greatest singer in the world. --David Hurwitz

Amazon.com

Although Peter Pears and Benjamin Britten made an earlier recording of the Serenade with its original horn player, Dennis Brain, this one is sonically superior and, most important, musically more mature. In a word, it's absolutely radiant. The Serenade is among the greatest masterpieces in all of music. It stands as a monument to Britten's genius--there is no other piece anything like it--as well as to the creative inspiration provided by his relationship with Pears, and to Britten's unrelenting quest for personal expression through music. The disc's other works, also written for tenor and strings (the Nocturne adds seven obbligato instruments), feature Pears in his prime, musically insightful and vocally assured. We are fortunate to have such a shining example of one of the most fascinating and productive artistic collaborations of this or any other century. --David Vernier

Customer Reviews:

Historically and Artistically Significant CD.......2006-11-12

Time has been kind to the works of Benjamin Britten. A composer once thought to be so idiosyncratically British that his music would likely not survive his time has proven to be one of our more enduring artists in music. His song cycles - Les Illuminations for tenor and strings Opus 18, Serenade for tenor, horn and strings Opus 31, and Nocturne for tenor seven obbligato instruments and strings opus 60 - appear on every significant concert stage throughout the world and the number of recordings of all three cycles is rather staggering (so very often the tenor is replaced by some of our most sensitive sopranos for the Les Illuminations).

And yet for the essence of these collaborative works (Britten wrote them for his life partner Peter Pears) it is always refreshing to return to the original statements. These recordings of the three works benefit from Britten's fine conducting of the London Symphony Orchestra and the English Chamber Orchestra and the presence of Barry Tuckwell as the horn soloist. But the glory goes to Peter Pears for his innate sensitivity to the texts. His voice was never one to be termed 'beautiful' but the sensitivity to words and phrasing and drama have yet to be surpassed in this repertoire.

This is one of those Great Recordings of the Century that belongs in every music lover's library. Highly recommended. Grady Harp, November 06

A Tenor Voice of Awe.......2003-04-24

Peter Pears has the most interesting singing voice: almost counter-tenor, pure, but scary. These songs written by his companion Benjamin Britten fit Peter's voice perfectly. The highlight of this CD is "Serenade, for tenor, horn, & strings, Op. 31" which are from famous English poems, some from Shakespeare. The style of the music is almost operatic, or acting out, meaning: the words are expressed with extreme emotion to fit each word or sentence. "Les illuminations, song cycle for high voice & strings, Op. 18" are songs written for French poems that are very interesting but miss the clarity or unity of the 1st set of songs. Maybe its because I am so used to hearing Peter Pears sing English & love the emotional expressions of the words, while only knowing the basics of French, the meaning is lost. The expressions are still there, but lack the universality. In other words; I listen to a lot of non-English singing, some singers can sing any language & still cause the communication of an emotion to come across, while with these set of poems, it's not there. "Nocturne, for tenor, 7 instruments & strings, Op. 60" is my 2nd favorite section specially the last song "When Most I Wink, Then Do Mine Eyes Best See" which comes to the pare of the 1st section because of the hauntingness of Peter's voice. This is a historical recording not to be missed.

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