Songs By Roger Quilter | Roger Quilter, Malcolm Martineau, ...

Songs By Roger Quilter | Roger Quilter, Malcolm Martineau, ... | Archetypical English Art Songs

classical music:

Ideals of the Samu... Songs By Roger Qui...

	Songs By Roger Quilter Roger Quilter, Malcolm Martineau, ... Hyperion UK, 1996 average customer review:based on 3 reviews view larger image
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Unexpected pleasure

This is an interesting recital of songs, not all of them first-rate, but I find I go back to it again and again. Martineau is a sensitive, intelligent accompanist. John Mark Ainsley treats each song, and his audience, with respect. At no stage do you get the idea the singer is more important than the songs. The disc is worth it just for "Damask Roses" and "Brown is My Love" (slightly less than two and a half minutes between them)

Archetypical English Art Songs

'Songs by Roger Quilter', with its oh so appropriate William Morris patterned jacket art is, on the surface, exactly what you expect from the English art song. And, one's first reaction is 'Pretty, but not great'. But, then it starts to grow on you.

One of the biggest surprises is the fact that some of the least interesting pieces are based on Shakespeare's verses. And, some of the best are from poems translated from German into English.

Then, you get to the traditional 'Barbara Allen' and you start to appreciate the debt chamber music can owe to traditional folk tunes. And, you can appreciate from the similarities, the greatness of Stephen Foster, who did almost exactly the same kind of material as Quilter.

One can only wonder if Schubert's Lieder sound like these works to a native German. I think not. Schubert is still more 'beautiful', but Quilter is not a bad way to wile away an hour every once in a while.

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Comfort music

Vocal music majors will be familiar with Quilter's lovely art-songs, but what a pity they are not better known to the general music loving public. With their delightful melodies and emotionally expressive harmonies of the piano accompaniments grafted to texts by Shakespeare, Jonson,Shelley,Tennyson,Stevenson, and others, these songs are true comfort music -- all the more so as sung by the warm and sensitive lyric tenor of John Mark Ainsley. Just when you think Quilter couldn't possibly write a more beautiful and affecting song, wonders continue to follow wonders with each successive selection. The beauty of this music is truly addictive, and I never seem to tire of this CD. The more I listen, the more enchanted I am.

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Tracks
Three Shakespeare Songs, Op.6: Come Away, Death | Three Shakespeare Songs, Op.6: O Mistress Mine | Three Shakespeare Songs, Op.6: Blow, Blow, Thou Winter Wind | Four Songs Of Mirza Scaffy, Op.2: Neig' shon' Knospe Dich zu dir | Four Songs Of Mirza Scaffy, Op.2: Und was die Sonne gluht | Four Songs Of Mirza Scaffy, Op.2: Ich fuhle Deinen Odem | Four Songs Of Mirza Scaffy, Op.2: Die helle Sonne leuchtet | Autumn Evening, Op.14 No.1 | June | Two September Songs, Op.18 Nos.5&6: Through The Sunny Garden | Two September Songs, Op.18 Nos.5&6: The Valley And The Hill | Arab Love Song, Op.25 No.4 | Music, When Soft Voices Die, Op.25 No.5 | Love's Philosophy, Op.3 No.1 | Five Shakespeare Songs, Op.23: Fear No More The Heat O' The Sun | Five Shakespeare Songs, Op.23: Under The Greenwood Tree | Five Shakespeare Songs, Op.23: It Was A Lover And His Lass | Five Shakespeare Songs, Op.23: Take, O Take Those Lips Away | Five Shakespeare Songs, Op.23: Hey, Ho, The Wind And The Rain | Now Sleeps The Crimson Petal, Op.3 No.2 | Go, Lovely Rose, Op.24 No.3 | A last Year's Rose, Op.14 No.3 | Four Child Songs, Op.5: A Good Child | Four Child Songs, Op.5: The Lamplighter | Four Child Songs, Op.5: Where Go The Boats? | Seven Elizabethan Lyrics, Op.12: Weep You No More | Seven Elizabethan Lyrics, Op.12: My Life's Delight | Seven Elizabethan Lyrics, Op.12: Damask Roses | Seven Elizabethan Lyrics, Op.12: The Faithless Shepherdess | Seven Elizabethan Lyrics, Op.12: Brown Is My Love | Seven Elizabethan Lyrics, Op.12: By A Fountainside | Seven Elizabethan Lyrics, Op.12: Fair House Of Joy | Old English Popular Songs: Drink To Me Only With Thine Eyes | Old English Popular Songs: Barbara Allen | Old English Popular Songs: Over The Mountains | Four Shakespeare Songs, Op.30: Who Is Sylvia? | Four Shakespeare Songs, Op.30: When Daffodils Begin To Peer | Four Shakespeare Songs, Op.30: How Should I Your True Love Know? | Four Shakespeare Songs, Op.30: Sigh No More, Ladies

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