King Oedipus (After Sophocles)

On this CD:

1. König Oedipus, Bühnenmusik zur Tragödie des Sophokles
Composed by Franz Paul Lachner
Performed by Peter Fricke
Conducted by Jorg-Peter Weigle

Tracks:

O Solitude - Nancy Argenta/Nigel North
Ah! How Sweet It Is To Love - Nancy Argenta/Richard Boothby/Paul Nicholson
Not All My Torments - Nancy Argenta/Nigel North/Paul Nicholson
Stripp'd Of Their Green - Nancy Argenta/Nigel North/Richard Boothby/Paul Nicholson
Tell Me, Some Pitying Angel - Nancy Argenta/Nigel North/Richard Boothby/Paul Nicholson
If Music Be The Food Of Love - Nancy Argenta/Richard Boothby/Paul Nicholson
Hark! Hark! The Echoing Air - Nancy Argenta/Nigel North/Richard Boothby/Paul Nicholson
The Fatal Hour Comes On Apace - Nancy Argenta/Nigel North
Incassum, Lesbia - Nancy Argenta/Nigel North/Paul Nicholson
Sweeter Than Roses - Nancy Argenta/Nigel North/Richard Boothby
Cupid, The Slyest Rogue Alive - Nancy Argenta/Nigel North/Richard Boothby/Paul Nicholson
From Silent Shades - Nancy Argenta/Nigel North/Richard Boothby/Paul Nicholson
Dear Pretty Youth - Nancy Argenta/Nigel North/Richard Boothby
From Rosy Bow'rs - Nancy Argenta/Nigel North/Richard Boothby/Paul Nicholson
Now That The Sun Hath Veil'd His Light - Nancy Argenta/Paul Nicholson
Beneath A Poplar's Shadow - Nancy Argenta/Nigel North/Richard Boothby
I Attempt From Love's Sickness To Fly - Nancy Argenta/Paul Nicholson
Let Us Dance - Nancy Argenta/Nigel North/Richard Boothby/Paul Nicholson
Fairest Isle - Nancy Argenta/Nigel North
O Solitude - Nancy Argenta/Richard Boothby

Tracks:

Nymphs And Shepherds - Nancy Argenta/Nicholas Robinson/Fiona Huggett/Trevor Jones/Richard Boothby/Nigel North/John Toll
Amidst The Shades And Cool Refreshing Streams - Nancy Argenta/Nigel North
Love In Their Little Veins Inspires - Nancy Argenta/Rachel Becket/Marion Scott/Richard Boothby/Nigel North
Fly Swift, Ye Hours - Nancy Argenta/Richard Boothby/Nigel North/John Toll
They Tell Us That Your Mighty Powers - Nancy Argenta/Nicholas Robinson/Fiona Huggett/Trevor Jones/Richard Boothby/Nigel North/John Toll
The Plaint: O Let Me Weep - Nancy Argenta/Pauline Nobes/Richard Boothby/Nigel North/John Toll
In The Black, Dismal Dungeon Of Despair - Nancy Argenta/Nigel North/John Toll
See, Even Night Herself Is Here - Nancy Argenta/Nicholas Robinson/Fiona Huggett/Trevor Jones
Why Should Men Quarrel? - Nancy Argenta/Rachel Becket/Marion Scott/Richard Boothby/John Toll
Seek Not To Know - Nancy Argenta/Paul Goodwin/Sophia McKenna/Richard Boothby/Nigel North/John Toll
Retir'd From Mortals' Sight - Nancy Argenta/Nigel North
To Arms, Heoric Prince - Nancy Argenta/Mark Bennett/Richard Boothby/Nigel North/John Toll
O Lead Me To Some Peaceful Gloom - Nancy Argenta/Richard Boothby/Nigel North/John Toll
Halcyon Days - Nancy Argenta/Paul Goodwin/Pauline Nobes/Richard Boothby/Nigel North/John Toll
Bid The Virtues - Nancy Argenta/Paul Goodwin/Richard Boothby/Nigel North/John Toll
Lord, What Is Man? (A Divine Hymn) - Nancy Argenta/Richard Boothby/Nigel North/John Toll
Music For A While - Nancy Argenta/John Toll
If Music Be The Food Of Love (1st Setting) - Nancy Argenta/Richard Boothby/John Toll
Sawney Is A Bonny Lad (A Scotch Song) - Nancy Argenta/Nigel North
When I Have Often Heard Young Maids Complaining - Nancy Argenta/Nicholas Robinson/Fiona Huggett/Richard Boothby/Nigel North/John Toll
Ah! Cruel, Bloody Fate - Nancy Argenta/Nigel North/John Toll
Thy Hand, Belinda... When I Am Laid In Earth - Nancy Argenta/Nicholas Robinson/Fiona Huggett/Trevor Jones/Richard Boothby/Nigel North

Customer Reviews:

Nice Collection.......2007-03-05

I have many collections of Purcell's Music. This collection stands up to them at half the price. Solid buy.

PERFECT!.......2006-10-26

There is only a word with which I can describe this set of discs: perfect!
The only flaw there is, is not related to the singing or playing: no text enclosed.

Great singing and excellent value for money.......2004-09-19

This is probably one of the best anthologies of Purcell songs around, and not just because it's two-for-one pricing means it contains twice as much music (CD1:74'24" & CD2: 77'41")! Nancy Argenta has an irrepressible sense of style and crystal clear diction. But unlike Emma Kirby, whose vocal purity can become tiresome, these renditions radiate warmth. She is also, I have found, more consistently involving than any one of the singers in Hyperion's three disc survey of Complete Secular Songs (recently reissued as a single set). One marvels at how she judiciously balances restraint and emotional forthrightness. The accompaniments (archlute, viola da gamba, harpsichord, and organ) are well judged and blend with the voice, all helped by an excellently defined recording acoustic. This is an absolute winner at any price!

More than two hours of beautiful 17th century 'ayres'.......2001-08-02

Two CDs, totaling more than 150 minutes of sparsely-arranged (never more than 3-5 instruments at a time), sweetly-sung, 350 year old 'ayres' (a typically English form of secular music). Nancy Argenta's soprano voice is lovely, silvery indeed as her name implies. The instruments are a discreet but friendly accompaniment to her solo voice. Perhaps the instruments are a little too discreet -- there are times when I wish they were a touch more prominent. But that is a very, very minor complaint. A beautiful collection, and quite well worth the money.

Average customer rating:

Fine reissue of a classic set

Purcell: Theatre Music

Manufacturer: Decca
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Cantatas for Solo Countertenor
Purcell: The Fairy Queen
Purcell: Songs & Airs / Argenta, North, Boothby, Nicholson, Toll
Monteverdi - Madrigali guerrieri ed amorosi / Concerto Köln, Jacobs
Lute Music, Vol. 2

ASIN: B0001Y4JHA
Release Date: 2004-10-12

Customer Reviews:

Fine reissue of a classic set.......2006-05-24

Think about the stupidest, most formulaic Hollywood movies you can think of: cheesy action pictures, fluffy, unfunny comedies, big but stiff epics. Now imagine that one of the greatest living composers was working in Hollywood, turning out astonishing, hauntingly beautiful and stirring musical scores for these throwaway movies. That's what you get with this set: music Henry Purcell composed for some two dozen often utterly forgettable plays (trust me--I've read a number of them!) Occasionally, when he teams up with a playwright worthy of his stature, such as John Dryden, Aphra Behn, or William Congreve, the results are even better, but for the most part you can enjoy the music here without knowing anything about the original plays.

This set originally appeared as separate LPs in the 70s and 80s, and has been long out of print. That's a pity, since Purcell spent a good deal of his short professional life in the theatre, either writing the incidental music contained on these CDs, or the music for his larger works, the semi-operas (King Arthur, The Fairy Queen, and the like). Almost all of these works are enjoyable gems; certainly, they represent a pinnacle of English 17th century music. Purcell had a genius for spinning musical gold out of the most leaden lyrics (check out his Odes and Welcome Songs on Hyperion if you don't believe me), and he does the same with the song texts in these plays.

Hogwood and the AAM offer clean, listenable performances, and the sound on these old analog discs has been cleaned up and brightened--although they were pretty good, even in the late 70s. As with most Hogwood, emotional extremes are kept to a minimum, so the "otherworldly" nature of late 17th century music, so often emphasised in more recent Baroque performances, doesn't come across here. It would be interesting to see what a group like The King's Consort would do with this music, but this set fills the major gap in the Purcell canon quite nicely.

My only beef with the reissue, as with many reissues, is that the liner notes are rather thin for a 6-cd set--the lyrics to the songs, for example, are especially missed. Still, it's a worthwhile set, and a must for fans of Purcell, English Baroque music, or anyone who just wants to experience a taste of the last days of the Restoration stage.

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Enclosure Five: Harry Partch

Manufacturer: INNOVA
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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The Harry Partch Collection, Volume 1
The Harry Partch Collection, Volume 2

ASIN: B00000F1TT
Release Date: 1998-10-27

Tracks:

Ulysses Departs From The Edge Of The World
Revelation In The Courthouse Park After The Bacchae Of Euripides: Chorus One
Revelation In The Courthouse Park After The Bacchae Of Euripides: Chorus Three, In Part
Revelation In The Courthouse Park After The Bacchae Of Euripides: From Scene One: Hymn To Dionysus: Holy Joy And Get Religion
Revelation In The Courthouse Park After The Bacchae Of Euripides: From Scene Two: Hymn To Dionysus: What The Majority Believes
Revelation In The Courthouse Park After The Bacchae Of Euripides: From Scene Two: Hymn To Dionysus: Glory To The Male Womb
Revelation In The Courthouse Park After The Bacchae Of Euripides: End Of Scene Three And All Of Chorus Four
Revelation In The Courthouse Park After The Bacchae Of Euripides: End Of Scene Four And Coda
Introduction Of King Oedipus
King Oedipus: King Oedipus: Introduction
King Oedipus: King Oedipus: Opening Scene
King Oedipus: King Oedipus: First Chorus
King Oedipus: King Oedipus: Tirsesias Scene (Beginning)

Tracks:

King Oedipus: Tiresias Scene
King Oedipus: Second Chorus
King Oedipus: Creon Scene
King Oedipus: Jocasta Scene
King Oedipus: Incidental Music
King Oedipus: Third Chorus
King Oedipus: Messenger Scene
King Oedipus: Fourth Chorus
King Oedipus: Herdsman Scene
King Oedipus: Oedipus Scene
King Oedipus: Fifth Chorus
King Oedipus: Instrumental Commentary
King Oedipus: Antiphony
King Oedipus: Exit Oedipus - Pantomime
King Oedipus: Final Chorus And Coda
Partita In G: Menuet
Come Away, Death
Come away, Death
By The Rivers Of Babylon (137th Psalm)
The Bewitched: Introduction To The Bewitched

Tracks:

The Bewitched: Prologue
The Bewitched: Scene 1: Background For The Transfiguration Of American Undergrads In A Hong Kong Music Hall
The Bewitched: Scene 2: Background For The Permutation Of Excercises In Harmony And Counterpoint
The Bewitched: Scene 3: Background For The Inspired Romancing Of A Pathological Liar
The Bewitched: Scene 4: Background For The Alchemy Of A Soul Tormented By Contemporary Music
The Bewitched: Scene 5: Background For The Visions Of A Defeated Basketball Team In The Shower Room
The Bewitched: Scene 6: Background For The Euphoria On A Sausalito Stairway
The Bewitched: Scene 7: Background For The Transmutation Of Detectives On The Trail Of A Culprit
The Bewitched: Scene 8: Background For The Apotheosis Of A Court In Its Own Contempt
The Bewitched: Scene Nine: Background for a Political Soul Lost Among the Voteless Women of Paradise
The Bewitched: Scene 10: Background For The Demonic Descent Of The Cognoscenti While Shouting Over Cocktails
The Bewitched: Epilogue

Aria: The Finest Sacred & Secular Arias from 1600 to 1800

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Aria: The Finest Sacred & Secular Arias from 1600 to 1800

Manufacturer: Harmonia Mundi Fr.
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Cecilia Bartoli ~ Opera Proibita (Handel · Scarlatti · Caldara) / Les Musiciens du Louvre · Minkowski
Boccherini: Clavier Quintets (Complete)
Vivaldi: Bajazet [Includes Bonus DVD]
Arias for Farinelli
Peter Lieberson: Neruda Songs

ASIN: B00066K14S
Release Date: 2005-02-08

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A Purcell Sampler, or a Greatest Hits disk, if you prefer.

The Glory of Purcell

Manufacturer: Polygram Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

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Anthems | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

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Tracks:

The Douple Dealer: Overture/Hornpipe - Academy of Ancient Music/Christopher Hogwood
Come Ye Sons of Art/Sound the Trumpet - Alfred Deller/John Whitworth/St Anthony Singers
The Old Bachlor: Rondeau/Menuet/Boree/March/Jig - Academy of Ancient Music/Chrostopher Hogwood
Birthday Song For Queen Mary: Crown the Altar, deck the Shrine - Emma Kirkby/Anthony Rooley
Oedious: Music for a while - James Bowman
Amphitryon: Hornpipe/Scotch Tune - Academy of Ancient Music/Christopher Hogwood
King Arthur: Fairest Isle - Catherine Bott/Paula Chateauneuf
Divine Andate, president of war... - James Bowman/Martyn Hill/Christopher Keyte/Taverner Choir/Parrott
The Fairy Queen: O, o let me weep - Emma Kirkby/Catherine Mackintosh/Anthony Rooley/Richard Campbell.
Son No.9 in F (Ten Sonatas in Four Parts) - Catherine Mackintosh/Monica Huggett/Christophe Coin/Christopher Hogwood
Dido and Aeneas: Thy hand, Belinda....When I am laid in earth... - Catherine Bott/Orch And Chorus of the Achedemy of Ancient Music/Christopher Hogwood
Abdelazer: Overture-Rondeau - Academy of Ancient Music/Christopher Hogwood
Bess of Bedlam - Emma Kirby/Anthony Rooley/Richard Campbell/Christopher Hogwood
The Married Beau: Trumpet Air-March-Hornpipe on a Ground - Academy of Ancient Music/Christopher Hogwood
Hear My Prayer, O Lord - Winchester Cathedral Choir/David Hill
Rejoice In The Lord Alway - Stephen Roberts/Christopher Robson/Winchester cathedral Choir/Brandenburg Consort/David Hill

Customer Reviews:

A Purcell Sampler, or a Greatest Hits disk, if you prefer........2006-02-05

This is a compilation disk of Greatest Hits, as it were, of Henry Purcell recorded by various artists from 1953 (the Alfred Deller track) through the 1970s through 1994. The point of the disk was part of the celebration of the 300th anniversary of the much to early death of this great composer and one of the great geniuses of music that England or Britain has ever produced. I have always been a devotee of his music and absolutely adore the way he set English. It is absolutely unique to him and so full of wonderful effects that create a greater whole than the music or words alone.

1995 was a year when we got to revel in everything Purcell. I was able to see a very delightful staging of "The Indian Queene" in London at the Barbican. It had narration, dancing, the singing, and wonderful playing. At the other portion of the concert, I enjoyed a performance of "Come, Ye Sons of Art" and other works by Hogwood et al. I was hoping to hear Kirkby, and she was billed. However, she was ill. Catherine Bott did a fine job as did John Bowman (both on this disk). Another counter-tenor I was so impressed with was Robin Blaze. I haven't heard much of him since, but he was terrific that night.

There are selections from his works for stage such as "King Arthur", "The Fairy Queen", Did and Aneas, and more. The disk also provides a selection of instrumental works, some sacred selections, and all the works are a delight. The track of "Come, Ye Sons of Art" is from 1953 and recorded by Alfred Deller. If you love the movement of historically informed performance, you do owe some debt to Deller. He was an early reviver of the counter-tenor voice and trying to create a style of performance that might be more appropriate and true to the music of earlier times. He helped bring about new interest in madricals, and other early music forms.

That Emma Kirkby sings on the disk is, of course, a delight for me. I have been captivated by her singing since I first heard her live in December 1980. We also get to delight in the singing of soprano Catherine Bott and counter-tenor John Bowman. All are led by the great Christopher Hogwood (except for the Deller track, obviously).

Sylvia McNair - The Echoing Air ~ The Music of Henry Purcell / AAM, Hogwood

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Wonderful Surprise
One of my favorite CDs

Sylvia McNair - The Echoing Air ~ The Music of Henry Purcell / AAM, Hogwood
Henry Purcell , The Academy of Ancient Music , Sylvia McNair , Christopher Hogwood , Laurence Dreyfus , and Paul O'Dette
Manufacturer: Polygram Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Sylvia McNair: Love's Sweet Surrender (Mozart Arias)
Rêveries

ASIN: B0000041BF
Release Date: 1995-03-14

Tracks:

Part I: Staircase: Overture
Part I: If Music Be The Food Of Love
Part I: Cebell
Part I: To Arms, To Arms, Heroic Prince
Part I: To Arms
Part I: Tell Me, Some Pitying Angel
Part I: Slow Air
Part II: We Come To Sing
Part II: Oh! Lead Me To Some Peaceful Gloom
Part II: O Solitude
Part II: Hark! Hark! The Echoing Air
Part II: Trumpet Tune
Part III: Sweeter Than Roses
Part III: Fairest Isle
Part III: She That Would Gain A Faithful Lover
Part III: Cupid, The Slyest Rogue Alive
Part III: I Attempt From Love's Sickness To Fly
Part III: Jig
Part IV: Music For A While
Part IV: The Fatal Hour Comes On Apace
Part IV: Hear, Mighty Love
Part IV: Plainte: O, Let Me Weep
Part IV: Chacony In G Minor

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The stars of this recording are Christopher Hogwood and the Academy of Ancient Music, entertaining us with rarely-heard instrumental pieces receiving their first modern performances with the endearing poignancy inherent in Purcell's music. McNair's gracile voice and accurate, easy-going coloratura capture the lyricism of Purcell's songs, but none of the subtext's vibrant passion. Emotional variety and vocal color are lacking when she repeatedly calls for Gabriel in "Tell Me, Some Pitying Angel." Still, McNair's light and pure soprano is enjoyable in small doses. When three or four plaintiff songs are programmed back to back, however, the monotony presents a fabulous opportunity to lull insomniacs back to sleep. --Barbara Eisner Bayer

Customer Reviews:

Wonderful Surprise.......2006-01-01

Normally I run in the opposite direction of any baroque music - thought I had heard it all and had enough, but I love Slyvia McNair and I wanted to hear more of her recordings. This recording was such a wonderful surprise, not only interms of McNair's performance but interms of the overall presentation (organization of the pieces) and the energy of the performances by the AAM. I have new-found appreciation of Purcell's music!

One of my favorite CDs.......2003-01-12

When I listened to this CD, I fell in love with Sylvia McNair's artistic and beautiful voice along with Henry Purcell's music. This CD offers a style of music that I love to listen to and sing with. There is a mixture of instrumental only and vocal pieces. When I listen to this CD I feel like I have been transported to the late 1600s. The title "The Echoing Air" appropriately describes the beauty of this music.

Stravinsky - Oedipus Rex (Opera-Oratorio in 2 Acts) / Babel (Cantata) / A Sermon, A Narrative and A Prayer (Cantata) / Zvezdolikiy (Cantata) - Robert Craft (conductor)

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Robert Craft is "The (Stravinsky) Man".

Stravinsky - Oedipus Rex (Opera-Oratorio in 2 Acts) / Babel (Cantata) / A Sermon, A Narrative and A Prayer (Cantata) / Zvezdolikiy (Cantata) - Robert Craft (conductor)

Manufacturer: Koch Int'l Classics
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music
ASIN: B00006SM93
Release Date: 2002-11-26

Tracks:

Prologue
Introducing Creon
Introducing Tiresias
Introducing Jocasta
Introducing The Messenger
Epilogue
Babel: Cantata For Narrator, Male Chorus, And Orchestra
A Sermon - David Wilson-Johnson
A Narrative - David Wilson-Johnson
A Prayer - David Wilson-Johnson
Zvezdolikiy - The Simon Joly Male Chorus

Customer Reviews:

Robert Craft is "The (Stravinsky) Man"........2006-03-09

If one is going to absorb Stravinsky, it's best to go with the winner, Robert Craft, who was his close associate and even his biographer. Craft has conducted Stravinsky all over the planet and with various orchestras. No doubt, he received close instruction from the Old Master as to exactly how to render the numerous tricky note and meter passages. In any case, on this recording, Craft keeps it nice and tight and one is treated to the great pleasure of hearing not-often heard Stravinsky compositions: "Oedipus Rex" (which Stravinsky insisted be pronounced "Eee'-di-pyss"); "Babel"; "A Sermon, A Narrative, and A Prayer," and; "Zvezdolikiy." The singer-performers on this recording are, to a person, masters of the first water and The Philharmonia seems to achieve near-perfection under Craft's astute baton. There are a couple of spots where the listener will come out of his or her chair if unprepared for the work --- but then, that is pure Stravinsky, shock and awe. Perhaps that is even the best feature of this CD -- one has the impression of being at the actual performance, the sound quality is so bright and clear. The two narrators are equally well-polished. For the collector of Stravinsky, this CD is surely a must and a bargain to boot. You won't get hurt on this one.

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Ultimate purcell songs !!
Deller's final offering
A few points...
A bit past his best?
Unique Deller

Henry Purcell: Music For A While

Manufacturer: Harmonia Mundi Fr.
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B000027NRW
Release Date: 1992-10-16

Tracks:

The Plaint - Alfred Deller/Wieland Kuijken/William Christie/Roderick Skeaping
If Music Be The Food Of Love
I Attempt From Love's Sickness
Fairest Isle
Sweeter Than Roses
Not All My Torments
Thrice Happy Lovers
An Evening Hymn
From Rosy Bow'rs
O Lead Me To Some Peaceful Gloom
Retired From Any Mortal's Sight
Music For A While
Since From My Dear Astrea's Sight
O Solitude - Alfred Deller/Wieland Kuijken/William Christie/Robert Elliot/Jane Ryan

Customer Reviews:

Ultimate purcell songs !!.......2005-12-21

Henry Purcell is one of the most tragical musical figures inbaroque ages.died a young talent who had wrote the most moving beautiful tragedy operas.what I find particularly attractive about his music and operas is the affinity to English literature which is extremely dramatic.

Purcells songs are tended to be recitativelike and in my personal opinion that at best should be enriched with emotional spontanety.Mr Deller bring a Purcells songs at its best.especially his voice: refined,full of emotion and spontanety that combine into brilliant dramatic impersonation of Purcellian figures of tragidies,plays and passion.if there are something to complaint about,that is it sounds too naked too natural that I can hardly restrain my tears.here Mr Deller does either act and sing.a Celestial fest of songs!

As long as there are Stars I would not mind paint all of them with my crayon for this singer and these songs.

Deller's final offering.......2005-04-25

This recording has moved me beyond words.

Certainly, Deller's voice has aged but he more than makes up in experience. His voice is still voluptuous, and its languid tones have nothing to envy the voice of a soprano.

While a few of the songs will be listened to with a distracted ear, other won't. For instance "The Plaint", which probably the most stunning song of this recital. The tempo is just right (which is rare for this piece, often overly slowed down), and Deller does not overdramatize the already sad text. "O Solitude" and "An Evening Hymn" (along with the title song) are the other two gems ... "An Evening Hymn" with it's beautiful ostinato, and light singing.

Something must be said for the other performers. While Deller's voice is the heart and soul of this recording, its quality is in no small part due to (younger) William Christie and Wieland Kuijken. I listened recently to Anne Sofie von Otter's renditions of "Music for a while" and "An Evening Hymn", and although her voice is clear, the tempi are wrong and the incompetence of the harpsichordist makes Christie's performance stand out all the more.

If you aren't prejudiced against counter-tenors (and if you haven't yet entered the Visse/Deller or Jacobs/Deller polemic-which I will *NOT* get sucked into), you will find be entranced by this recording.

A few points..........2001-05-11

First I should like to point out that Deller's role in "A Midsummer Night's Dream" was that of Oberon rather than Puck. Secondly, a much more serious point, is that the idea of natural tenors making better countertenors is something of a myth. It is almost totally to do with the ability to produce a pleasant-sounding headtone, something which high natural tenors do as part of their normal singing. There is something of a blur between falsetto and head voice, admittedly, and it is the case that the physical process is very similar indeed. So I am of the opinion that there was nothing more unnatural about Deller singing countertenor than there is about Visse. And I think the results speak for themselves. Instead of the... sound produced by Visse, and David James for that matter, Deller's purity of tone still places him ahead of many other countertenors active today. That said, this recording does appear to be a late one and .... Still an interesting recording though, showing that musicality can often triumph over rather dull "authenticity".

A bit past his best?.......2001-05-11

While I agree that Dominique Visse and David James (hardly the 2 outstanding countertenors of our age anyway) cannot come close to the artistry and voice of Alfred Deller, I do think that this recording leaves a little to be desired as it appears to have been made not long before he died, therefore when he was in his sixties when most singers should have given up, Deller included I'm afraid. The agility in the upper registers, the sheer brilliance of tone, both are somewhat lacking, and often the result sounds slightly strained. I would probably recommend going for the HMV recordings, as these would show Deller right at the peak of his powers, although this recording would be a good comparison of his early and late singing, and changes in performance practice.

Unique Deller.......2000-07-25

I couldn't believe my eyes when I read the previous review. Is is just astonishing that the mediocre Visse can even be compared to the great Deller. It is not that he himself was responsible for the turn of the tide on these "head voices" along the past XX century. It is not that Britten appreciated his art and created the role of Puck for him in A Midsummer's Night Dream. It is not that Dominique Visse's tessitura lies higher than Deller's. It is not that we are short of countertenors at this age (my personal favorite is David Daniels). But take the time to listen to this timbre, intonation, expresiveness and perfect phrasing in O solitude and judge for yourself. Hope to have done the right thing to put Deller where it belongs.

Max von Schillings: Das Hexenlied & Other Orchestral Works

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Max von Schillings: Das Hexenlied & Other Orchestral Works

Manufacturer: Cpo Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music
ASIN: B000001RXA
Release Date: 1994-06-28

Tracks:

Symphonic Prologue To 'Konig Oedipus' (Sophokles) Op.11 - Kolner Rundfunkorchester/Jan Stulen
A Colloquy Op.8 - Elisabeth Glass/Alban Gerhardt
Dance Of The Flowers
The Witch's Song. Melodram Op.15

Oedipus der Tyrann/Oedipus the King/Oedipe le tyran

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Oedipus der Tyrann/Oedipus the King/Oedipe le tyran
Carl Orff , Astrid Varnay , Rafael Kubelik , Chor & Symphonieorchester des Bayerischen Rundfunks , and Gerhard Stolze
Manufacturer: Polygram Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music
ASIN: B00004SLB1
Release Date: 1993-09-07

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