Frequently Bought Together
Product details
Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?
|
Track Listings
| 1. Lord! I Have Sinned - B. Britten | |||
| 2. Hymn to God the Father - B. Britten | |||
| 3. A Hymn On Divine Musick - B. Britten | |||
| 4. Evening - B. Britten | |||
| 5. Morning - B. Britten | |||
| 6. Night - B. Britten | |||
| 7. Night covers up the rigid land - B. Britten | |||
| 8. Fish the Unruffled Lakes - B. Britten | |||
| 9. To lie flat on the back with the knees flexed - B. Britten | |||
| 10. A Poison Tree - Benjamin Britten | |||
| 11. When you're feeling like expressing your affection - Benjamin Britten | |||
| 12. Not even summer yet - Benjamin Britten | |||
| 13. The Red Cockatoo - Benjamin Britten | |||
| 14. Wild with passion - Benjamin Britten | |||
| 15. If Thou Wilt Ease Thine Heart - Benjamin Britten | |||
| 16. Cradle song for Eleanor - Benjamin Britten | |||
| 17. Birthday song for Erwin - Benjamin Britten | |||
| 18. Um Mitternacht - Benjamin Britten | |||
| 19. Oh My Blacke Soule! - B. Britten | |||
| 20. Batter My Heart - B. Britten | |||
See all 27 tracks on this disc
| |||
Product Description
Review
GRAMOPHONE EDITOR'S CHOICE / CRITICS' CHOICE 'Bostridge is in the royal line of Britten's tenor interpreters ... heard here in a veritable cornucopia of, by and large, unfamiliar, and even unknown songs ... all performed with full understanding and innate beauty' --Gramophone
`Here is a tenor who possesses an exceptionally sweet and beautiful voice, and a fine musician and a thinker too … inspired performances' --The Guardian
`Here is a tenor who possesses an exceptionally sweet and beautiful voice, and a fine musician and a thinker too … inspired performances' --The Guardian
Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
3 of 4 people found the following review helpful
By enthusiast
TOP 500 REVIEWER
Format:Audio CD|Amazon Verified Purchase
This is special. I am not a huge lieder/song expert - my experience doesn't go much beyond the big established masterpieces - but this is surely a great record. Ian Bostridge's voice, of course, has great range and beauty and this is amply displayed in this recital of Britten songs. The programme is very varied, ranging from Purcell adaptations to cabaret to the dark and intense Donne Holy Sonnets cycle - a masterpiece from 1945 (written after a post-war visit to Belsen) - and much between these. Bostridge is well suited to Britten and brings out lots of character in each song. His voice is very different to that of Peter Pears - it is much smoother and tonal beauty is much more prominent. The Donne sonnets show what he is capable of in serious Britten and are very impressively and powerfully done. He is almost equally effective in much lighter fare - I say almost because I sometimes felt a need for a slightly rougher, less perfect sound than he produces in some of these songs but in many songs the sheer beauty of his voice pays big dividends. Graham Johnson's accompaniment is also impressive: very sympathetic and imaginative. All in all a really lovely record, one to cherish and revisit often. Don't hesitate!
Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta)
Amazon.com:
4.5 out of 5 stars
4 reviews
9 of 10 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
THE English Singer sings music by THE English Songwriter
28 Feb 2000
By Bryan S Page
- Published on Amazon.com
Format:Audio CD
This CD lets us know that not only was Britten the greatest of English composers since Purcell, but he is an absolute master at songwriting. His economic style is perfect for songs, his choice of text is truly sophisticated and his idiomatic writing for both piano and voice put the listener always on the edge of his or her seat. Bostridge's light but powerful voice suits these songs perfectly. And Graham Johnson's piano playing is unsurpassable. One of my favorite CDs!
4 of 5 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
A voice teacher and early music fan
6 Feb 2006
By George Peabody
- Published on Amazon.com
Format:Audio CD
OH HEARKEN ALL YE LOVERS OF GOOD MUSIC!
This album presents some of the most profoundly beautiful songs you will ever hear anywhere!!!It would be worthwhile even if you only enjoyed the first 3 songs on the disc: the 3 Realizations from Harmonia Sacra which are 'Lord! I have sinned','Hymn to God the Father' by Pelham Humfreys and 'A Hymn on Divine Music' (which is absolutely so meaningful to us who love the art of music) by William Croft all arranged by Britten for tenor and harp. And all sung by one of the most exquisitely beautiful tenor voices ever to come out of the UK; flawless diction,resonant and vibrant tone quality and highly emotional portraying every little nuance in the song.
I bought this album because the music of Britten has always intrigued me and I was not disappointed in the variety of songs included on this album. The nine Holy Sonnets of John Donne are profound religious meditations,all of which are concerned with death and repentance. The songs 'Evening','Morning', and 'Night', are taken from the incidental music for Ronald Duncan's Masque 'This Way to the Tomb'.There are songs with settings of W.H. Auden, and several other writers too numerous to mention, but suffice it to say that there is sufficient variety to keep all listeners interested throughout the disc. Some of the songs I found particularly interesting are:'The Red Cockatoo',Waley-'A Poison Tree',Blake-'Cradle Song for Eleanor',MacNeice-and 'Death be not Proud'.
When you have an Ian Bostridge available there is no need to look for anyone else. He has all the vocal skills and nuances to sing each song as an island in itself; simply marvelous interpretations, and he is fortunate to have Graham Johnson to accompany him.
This album presents some of the most profoundly beautiful songs you will ever hear anywhere!!!It would be worthwhile even if you only enjoyed the first 3 songs on the disc: the 3 Realizations from Harmonia Sacra which are 'Lord! I have sinned','Hymn to God the Father' by Pelham Humfreys and 'A Hymn on Divine Music' (which is absolutely so meaningful to us who love the art of music) by William Croft all arranged by Britten for tenor and harp. And all sung by one of the most exquisitely beautiful tenor voices ever to come out of the UK; flawless diction,resonant and vibrant tone quality and highly emotional portraying every little nuance in the song.
I bought this album because the music of Britten has always intrigued me and I was not disappointed in the variety of songs included on this album. The nine Holy Sonnets of John Donne are profound religious meditations,all of which are concerned with death and repentance. The songs 'Evening','Morning', and 'Night', are taken from the incidental music for Ronald Duncan's Masque 'This Way to the Tomb'.There are songs with settings of W.H. Auden, and several other writers too numerous to mention, but suffice it to say that there is sufficient variety to keep all listeners interested throughout the disc. Some of the songs I found particularly interesting are:'The Red Cockatoo',Waley-'A Poison Tree',Blake-'Cradle Song for Eleanor',MacNeice-and 'Death be not Proud'.
When you have an Ian Bostridge available there is no need to look for anyone else. He has all the vocal skills and nuances to sing each song as an island in itself; simply marvelous interpretations, and he is fortunate to have Graham Johnson to accompany him.
7 of 10 people found the following review helpful
3.0 out of 5 stars
Good, but could be much better...
1 Nov 2004
By Tenor man
- Published on Amazon.com
Format:Audio CD
While I do like some of what Bostridge does, his recorded performances to me seem to be filled more and more with musical gimmicks. His tone I find refreshing from so many English tenors who sound like they are in pain while singing, but Brostridge truly does lack a good legato line and he often uses a horrible strident quality for emphisis of text.
Peter Pears' recordings of many of these songs are still in many ways the difinitive performances, but I do like to hear other voices sing this repertoire and unfortunately very few options are out there. So, kudos to Bostridge for recording these songs, but lets not crown him THE new Britten singer of our time.
Peter Pears' recordings of many of these songs are still in many ways the difinitive performances, but I do like to hear other voices sing this repertoire and unfortunately very few options are out there. So, kudos to Bostridge for recording these songs, but lets not crown him THE new Britten singer of our time.
›
Go to Amazon.com to see all 4 reviews
4.5 out of 5 stars
Were these reviews helpful?
Let us know
Customer Discussions
|
This product's forum
Active discussions in related forums
Search Customer Discussions
|
Related forums
|
What Other Items Do Customers Buy After Viewing This Item?
Listmania!
Feedback
- Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?
|
