Cheap Benjamin Britten: The Five Canticles & 3 Purcell Realisations (Music) (Alan Opie, Benjamin Britten, Michael Chance, Michael Thompson, Sioned Williams, Roger Vignoles, Anthony Rolfe Johnson) Price

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Customer Reviews of Benjamin Britten: The Five Canticles & 3 Purcell Realisations

More Examples of the Genius of Benjamin Britten
While gratefully the operas of Britten (Billy Budd, Peter Grimes, A Midsummer Night's Dream, Death in Venice, The Turn of the Screw, Albert Herring, etc) are now part of the standard repertoire, there are still portions of Britten's output that go begging for performances. Not only are some of the major orchestral pieces neglected, but also the more intimate works for chamber ensemble are scarcely known or performed. Were it not for the Aldeburgh Festival many of these would have disappeared, as sadly they have from the recorded repertoire. Among these are the deeply moving Church Parables (Burning Fiery Furnace, Prodigal Son, etc) and these Canticles here recorded. That Benjamin Britten remains the finest composer of the English language is indisputable and more is the pity that these deeply felt works are missing from public performance. <
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>This superlative recording helps the cause immensely. Here The Five Canticles (grouped only for historic purposes as they were not conceived as a cycle) are exquisitely brought to life by Anthony Rolfe Johnson, countertenor Michael Chance, baritone Alan Opie, pianist Roger Vignoles, harpist Sioned Williams and hornist Michael Thompson. These works are deeply religious and yet sensuous in both poetry and musical line, very much in keeping with all of Britten's works. 'My Beloved is Mine' relates the poet to God in a sensual manner; 'Abraham and Isaac' distills the ultimate sacrifice in a conversation among God, Abraham and his son at the moment of trial; 'Still Falls the Rain' is set to an Edith Sitwell poem which in turn Britten set to music in the throes of grief for a pianist who committed suicide; 'The Journey of the Magi' is Britten's setting of TS Eliot's poem; 'The Death of St. Narcissus' is especially poignant as it was written while Britten was in his last year's of heart failure. The final works on this CD are three works by Henry Purcell realised by Britten (Purcell had only written the vocal line above a figured bass!). <
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>This is one of those albums requiring a search but the search is more than worth the effort. An amazingly well-performed and recorded recital, this CD is one of the finest examples of Britten's genius. Highly Recommended. January 06 <
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a voice teacher and early music fan
Benjamin Britten 's five canticles were not conceived as a cycle, but were written at various times for certain special occasions. The word 'canticle' is not used in the liturgical sense, but indicates works of deep religious significance as 3 of them were written for memorial services. <
>Canticle no 1:'My Beloved is Mine'was written in 1947 and is scored for high voice and piano. The text is an expression of divine love, shown through the metaphor of physical love. All of the canticles are longer and more involved than simple songs,and could be described an miniature cantatas. <
>Cantata no 2:'Abraham and Isaac'was written for the English Opera Group's Concerts in early 1952 and was first performed by Kathleen Ferrier, Peter Pears and the composer in Nottingham, January 1952. This second canticle could be called a miniature opera, such is the dramatic effect of the story. The story is in the Book of Genesis, Chapter 22 in the bible. It is scored for alto (Isaac), tenor (Abraham );for the voice of God Britten used both voices one octave apart. <
>Canticle no 3:'Still Falls the Rain' was written in 1955,an is scored for tenor, horn and piano; and for his text he turned to Edith Sitwell's poem 'The Canticle of the Rose'. <
>Canticle no 4:'The Journey of the Magi" was not composed until 1971, for which Britten chose the poem of the same title by T.S. Eliot. It is scored for countertenor,tenor, and baritone, again with piano accompaniment. <
>Canticle no 5:'The death of Narcissus' was written in 1974, again choosing a poem of the same name by T.S.Eliot. Britten died the following year, and at the time of the writing of his last Canticle, he was in the hospital recovering from heart surgery, so just as this canticle dealt with death, so did his final opera :"Death in Venice" <
> All 3 singers are outstanding in every way. I was particularly impressed with the excellent diction throughout all of the songs. This is particularly important because these are all stories and told to the intricate rhythms that Britten has employed one could not possibly get much enjoyment without word understanding. I must also mention the skillful accompanying of Roger Vignoles which adds so much to the drama; he's so great at picking up every nuance of the singer and song. Don't pass this CD up if you like Britten's music. It's marvelous!!!