Samuel Barber: Lieder (CD)

Samuel Barber (1910-1981)

Julius Drake, Gerald Finley

CD

CD (Compact Disc)

Conventional CD, playable with all CD players and computer drives, but also with most SACD or multiplayers.

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Lieder opp. 2, 10, 13, 45; Melodies passageres op. 27; Hermit Songs op. 29; Despite and Still op. 41; Dover Beach

Artists:: Gerald Finley, Julius Drake, Aronowitz Ensemble
Label:: Hyperion
Year of recording ca.:: 2006
UPC/EAN:: 0034571175287
Release date:: 23.11.2007

Product-Information:

The wonderful Gerald Finley, described recently as ‘the best living baritone currently at the peak of his powers’ (The Globe and Mail), brings his ‘glorious sound and great dramatic instinct’ to this fascinating selection of songs, sensitively accompanied by Julius Drake.

Barber’s songs are among his greatest musical achievements, demonstrating above all his sustained lyric impulse and graceful melodic writing. Another aspect was his well-developed literary taste. He unfailingly selected texts of high quality, including English ‘Georgian’ poets, Irish bards, the French Symbolists and poets writing in English who were affected by them, such as James Joyce, as well as some of his own American contemporaries. Throughout his song output, he found ways of embodying the poets’ thought in musical correlatives that were never merely decorative, and developed an instinctive knack for embodying words in a memorable vocal shape. Presented here are a range of early and later songs including Barber’s first success for voice, Dover Beach, which the composer sang on its first recording in 1935.

Rezensionen

'A CD of Barber's songs may, on the surface, seem like too much of a good thing, until you listen to Finley's magisterial survey … using his handsome baritone to explore the Britten-esque lyricism of the Hermit songs and the Francophone poetry of his Mélodies passagères' (Financial Times)

'Finley captures the 'eternal note of sadness' that the poet Matthew Arnold hears on the wave-dragged shingle on Dover Beach … Finley and Drake make an excellent partnership throughout' (The Times)

' … The indefatigable Gerald Finley, who makes even the most straight-laced song shine … Julius Drake is his ever percipient partner, while the strings of the Aronowitz Ensemble provide an atmospheric backing for the msot famous of these songs, Dover Beach' (The Daily Telegraph)

'Finley’s best work…This disc has an admirable program…Finley makes a firm and pleasing sound and he can command the nuances when necessary…Julius Drake’s accompaniments strike me as right and are a pleasure to hear' (Fanfare, USA)