- Performer: John Shirley-Quirk
- Orchestra: London Symphony Orchestra, London Symphony Chorus
- Conductor: Sir Colin Davis
- Composer: Sir Michael Tippett
- Audio CD (8 Nov 1997)
- Number of Discs: 1
- Label: Conifer Classics
- ASIN: B000025N9O
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 247,861 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)
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Amazon.co.uk Review
The first performance of The Rose Lake, at London's Barbican Centre in 1995, was a memorable occasion. Although Tippett had already stated it would be his last major work, what might have been a nostalgic evening turned out to be anything but: here was a substantial (28 minutes) orchestral work to rank with the best the composer had written. Recorded by Davis and the LSO soon afterwards, it continues to fascinate and inspire. The scoring has the light, translucent quality of Tippett's last decade, percussion extensively but subtly employed, with a tangible sense of atmosphere: the light changes on the Thai lake which provided the initial inspiration are wonderfully evoked. There's also an absolute coherence and follow-through; evidence that the logical thinking of the symphonist had not deserted Tippett even in his 90s. The Vision of St Augustine is earlier (1965) and perhaps his most complex and visionary statement. Ably directed here by the composer, you'll need to give it time, whereas The Rose Lake will have you enthralled on first hearing. --Richard Whitehouse
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8 of 8 people found the following review helpful
Spectacuular Late Tippett Work
19 Aug 2002
Michael Tippett is a composer that people love to hate. Not radical enough for the post-war avant-garde and not conservative enough to elicit much love from the general public, dogged with snipes about his lack of formal training, and ridiculed for his operas, Tippett nevertheless carved out a career of startling originality, and in the process wrote some of the most wonderful works of his time.
This CD consists of two of Tippett's later works. (Tippett's periods are roughly divided by the opera The Midsummer Marriage. Works written before that piece tend toward the English Pastoral tradition. Works after that period are more adventurous, partaking of elements of Berg and the avant-garde, but always without systematic rigor.) The Vision of St. Augustine is a cantata for chorus and orchestra based on a fragment from Augustine's confessions. The musical style is from Tippett's most austere period in the early 60s. Most interesting in the piece is the treatment of the chorus, which is divided into two parts only and given vocal lines that stretch the limits of singability. Tippett new the voice. This isn't a sign of lack of craft, but rather an experiment, one that may not always be successful, judging by the strain in the chorus in this piece.
The reason to by the CD is The Rose Lake. This is one of Tippett's final pieces, one that finds him beautifully balanced between the harmonic richness of his later period and the ecstatic lyricism of his Midsummer Marriage period. The work is in one uninterupted movement and, like the Fourth Symphony, is a "birth to death piece" meaning in Tippett's mind that the work is cyclical, starting out with gentle undulating chords and finishing on those similar chords as the work fades out.
This is a magnificent recording. Colin Davis has a long history with the music of Tippett, having conducted the premiere of most of his operas and many other works as well. John Shirley Quirk sings the solo parts of the Vision with authority and passion. And the orchestra is beautifully balanced and recorded.
Tippett has seemed to fall out of favor in the last few years. (I notice the same happening to Peter Maxwell Davies. Wonder if it's an anti British composer thing.) It's a shame, because his work has the capacity to delight, stun, and move in equal measure. Get this CD mostly for the Rose Lake. It is a lovely closing work from the career of a British genius.
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