Andrew Staples - Britten: Les Illuminations Serenade Nocturne - Import CD

Credits:

Andrew Staples

Description:

Harding's precise and fantastic sounding collection of Britten's Lieder for solo voice and instrumental music! Harding, a tenor with a noble and delicate tenor voice, has recorded Britten's Lieder for solo voice and orchestra with a delicate and transparent instrumental sound. Harding is well known not only for his symphonic works, but also for his orchestral works with voices and operas (including Britten's screw turn). Here, too, he brings out 120% of the charm of the works of his hometown composers, making full use of the diverse timbres of his hand-picked Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra. The singer is tenor Andrew Staples, born in London in 1979. After making his debut at the Royal Opera House, he has performed with the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra and the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra under Rattle, and is active in concerts, operas, and recitals. In addition, he is also a photographer who has taken many tasteful photographs. ≪The "Illuminations" is based on a poem by Rimbaud (sung in the original French).Britten describes the poem as "visions of heaven," and the world it contains is brilliantly articulated with masterful calligraphy. The tones that Harding draws from the instrumental music are just as colorful and precise as ever. It is a wonderful work of art. ≪In the "Serenade," the solo of Christopher Parks on horn shines. Christopher Parkes was born in 1981 in Doncaster, England. After first learning cornet, he started playing the alto horn (tenor horn in England) at the age of 7 and switched to the French horn at 15. After playing horn with the London Philharmonic Orchestra, he became the principal horn player of the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra in 2007, and has been the principal horn player of the Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra since 2010. ≪The "Nocturne" consists of eight pieces, each of which features a poem by a leading British poet (or writer). The poems are wonderful, but the obbligato instruments of bassoon, harp, horn, timpani, chor anglais, flute, and clarinet also play an important role in each piece. Here you will enjoy the wonderful ensemble of the members of the Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra.This is an excellent performance that shows Harding, who was born in 1975, to be even more well-rounded here, and at the same time, the sound really conveys that he has a clear vision of the work. King International

Tracklisting:

1.Les illuminations, Op. 18 for high voice and string orchestra~I. Fanfare
2.Les illuminations, Op. 18 for high voice and string orchestra~II. Villes
3.Les illuminations, Op. 18 for high voice and string orchestra~III a. Phrase
4.Les illuminations, Op. 18 for high voice and string orchestra~III b. Antique
5.Les illuminations, Op. 18 for high voice and string orchestra~IV. Royaute
6.Les illuminations, Op. 18 for high voice and string orchestra~V. Marine
7.Les illuminations, Op. 18 for high voice and string orchestra~VI. Interlude
8.Les illuminations, Op. 18 for high voice and string orchestra~VII. Being Beauteous
9.Les illuminations, Op. 18 for high voice and string orchestra~VIII. Parade
10.Les illuminations, Op. 18 for high voice and string orchestra~IX. Depart
11.Serenade, Op. 31 for horn, tenor and strings~I. Prologue
12.Serenade, Op. 31 for horn, tenor and strings~II. Pastoral
13.Serenade, Op. 31 for horn, tenor and strings~III. Nocturne
14.Serenade, Op. 31 for horn, tenor and strings~IV. Elegy
15.Serenade, Op. 31 for horn, tenor and strings~V. Dirge
16.Serenade, Op. 31 for horn, tenor and strings~VI. Hymn
17.Serenade, Op. 31 for horn, tenor and strings~VII. Sonnet
18.Serenade, Op. 31 for horn, tenor and strings~VIII. Epilogue
19.Nocturne Op. 60 for tenor, 7 obbligato instruments and strings~On a poet's lips I slept
20.Nocturne Op. 60 for tenor, 7 obbligato instruments and strings~Below the thunders of the upper deep
21.Nocturne Op. 60 for tenor, 7 obbligato instruments and strings~Encinctured with a twine of leaves
22.Nocturne Op. 60 for tenor, 7 obbligato instruments and strings~Midnight's bell goes ting, ting, ting
23.Nocturne Op. 60 for tenor, 7 obbligato instruments and strings~But that night when on my bed I lay
24.Nocturne Op. 60 for tenor, 7 obbligato instruments and strings~She sleeps on soft, last breaths
25.Nocturne Op. 60 for tenor, 7 obbligato instruments and strings~What is more gentle than a wind in summer?
26.Nocturne Op. 60 for tenor, 7 obbligato instruments and strings~When most I wink, then do mine eyes best see