Britten: Complete Songs, Vol. 1 / Andrew Tortise, James Geer, Ben Johnson, Caryl Hughes

• Audio Samples
• Album Summary
• Notes & Reviews
• Also Purchased
• Works Details

Audio Samples

Album Summary

Performers

• James Greer
• Malcolm Martineau (Piano)
• Caryl Hughes
• Andrew Tortise (Tenor)
• Ben Johnson (Vocals)
• Philip Smith
• Katherine Broderick (Soprano)
• Robin Tritschler (Tenor)

Composer

• Benjamin Britten (1913 - 1976)

Notes & Reviews:

Throughout his creative life, Benjamin Britten was a prolific composer of songs, producing over 100 settings for voice and piano, in addition to the works for voice and orchestra. His songs for voice and piano - of which this is the first in a two volume 4CD cycle - contain settings by poets as diverse as Michelangelo, Hölderlin, Hardy, Pushkin, Auden and Soutar. The earliest songs date from 1922, when Britten was just nine years old. These rarities display little of the mature composer's style, but they are confident and charming settings. Many of these early songs are receiving their premiere recordings here. The Holy Sonnets of John Donne, Winter Words and The Poet's Echo represent mature Britten. This survey of all Britten's songs for voice and piano is a major project, and Malcolm Martineau has assembled some of the finest young singers of our time for this fascinating journey through this important repertoire.

"The John Donne sonnets (Ben Johnson) and The Poet's Echo (Katherine Broderick) are very fine, but the most compelling track is "Canticle 1", a masterpiece powerfully delivered by Andrew Tortise." -The Observer

"Martineau has gathered a gratifyingly formidable array of young British singing talent. Ben Johnson is commanding in an urgent, passionate reading of The Holy Sonnets of John Donne. Andrew Tortise conveys rapturously intense emotions in Canticle I...Perhaps the best is left until last, when Robin Tritschler gives a fresh-sounding Winter Words." -The Sunday Times

"Martineau paces his survey of Britten’s songbook with the same lightly worn expertise he brings to his accompaniments, alternating lighter and darker material, innocent and knowing, in a way that maintains the listener’s interest." -Financial Times

Notes & Reviews:

Recording information: Britten Studio, Snape Maltings (2010-01-14_2010-01-17&2010-).

Reviews

There are currently no reviews, be the first one!

Also Purchased

Works Details

Britten, Benjamin : To lie flat on the back, song for high voice & piano

• Performers: James Greer; Malcolm Martineau (Piano)
• Notes: Britten Studio, Snape Maltings (2010-01-14_2010-01-17&2010-)
• Running Time: 2 min. 27 sec.
• Period Time: Modern
• Written: 1937

Britten, Benjamin : Night covers up the rigid land, song for high voice & piano

• Performers: James Greer; Malcolm Martineau (Piano)
• Notes: Britten Studio, Snape Maltings (2010-01-14_2010-01-17&2010-)
• Running Time: 2 min. 35 sec.
• Period Time: Modern
• Written: 1937

Britten, Benjamin : A Dirge, song for voice & piano (juvenilia)

• Performers: James Greer; Malcolm Martineau (Piano)
• Notes: Britten Studio, Snape Maltings (2010-01-14_2010-01-17&2010-)
• Running Time: 1 min. 14 sec.
• Period Time: Modern
• Written: circa 1926

Britten, Benjamin : Virtue in Deeds Not Words, song for voice & piano (juvenilia)

• Performers: Malcolm Martineau (Piano); Caryl Hughes
• Notes: Britten Studio, Snape Maltings (2010-01-14_2010-01-17&2010-)
• Running Time: 1 min. 11 sec.
• Period Time: Modern
• Written: 12/04/1926

Britten, Benjamin : Prithee, song for voice & piano (juvenilia)

• Performers: Andrew Tortise (Tenor); Malcolm Martineau (Piano)
• Notes: Britten Studio, Snape Maltings (2010-01-14_2010-01-17&2010-)
• Running Time: 1 min. 52 sec.
• Period Time: Modern
• Written: 12/03/1926

Britten, Benjamin : Lucy, song for voice & piano (juvenilia)

• Performers: Ben Johnson (Vocals); Malcolm Martineau (Piano)
• Notes: Britten Studio, Snape Maltings (2010-01-14_2010-01-17&2010-)
• Running Time: 1 min. 25 sec.
• Period Time: Modern
• Written: 12/05/1926

Britten, Benjamin : Canticle I :: My Beloved Is Mine, for high voice & piano, Op. 40

• Performers: Malcolm Martineau (Piano); Andrew Tortise (Tenor)
• Notes: Britten Studio, Snape Maltings (2010-01-14_2010-01-17&2010-)
• Running Time: 7 min. 46 sec.
• Period Time: Modern
• Written: 1947

Britten, Benjamin : Um Mitternacht, song for high voice & piano

• Performers: Malcolm Martineau (Piano); James Greer
• Notes: Britten Studio, Snape Maltings (2010-01-14_2010-01-17&2010-)
• Running Time: 4 min. 7 sec.
• Period Time: Modern
• Written: circa 1960

Britten, Benjamin : Hölderlin Fragments (6), song cycle, for tenor & piano, Op. 61

• Performers: Malcolm Martineau (Piano); James Greer
• Notes: Britten Studio, Snape Maltings (2010-01-14_2010-01-17&2010-)
• Running Time: 11 min. 44 sec.
• Period Time: Modern
• Written: 1958

Britten, Benjamin : Holy Sonnets of John Donne, Op. 35

• Performers: Malcolm Martineau (Piano); Ben Johnson (Vocals)
• Notes: Britten Studio, Snape Maltings (2010-01-14_2010-01-17&2010-)
• Running Time: 23 min. 4 sec.
• Period Time: Modern
• Written: 1945

Britten, Benjamin : Cabaret songs (4) for Hedli Anderson, for voice & piano

• Performers: Malcolm Martineau (Piano); Caryl Hughes
• Notes: Britten Studio, Snape Maltings (2010-01-14_2010-01-17&2010-)
• Running Time: 15 min. 28 sec.
• Period Time: Modern
• Form: Vocal
• Written: 1937

Britten, Benjamin : Tit for Tat

• Performers: Malcolm Martineau (Piano); Philip Smith
• Notes: Britten Studio, Snape Maltings (2010-01-14_2010-01-17&2010-)
• Running Time: 9 min. 8 sec.
• Period Time: Modern
• Written: 1931

Britten, Benjamin : Beware!, early songs (3) for medium voice & piano

• Performers: Malcolm Martineau (Piano); Philip Smith
• Notes: Britten Studio, Snape Maltings (2010-01-14_2010-01-17&2010-)
• Running Time: 3 min. 45 sec.
• Period Time: Modern
• Form: Vocal
• Written: 1926

Britten, Benjamin : Lilian, song for voice & piano (juvenilia)

• Performers: Malcolm Martineau (Piano); Philip Smith
• Notes: Britten Studio, Snape Maltings (2010-01-14_2010-01-17&2010-)
• Running Time: 3 min. sec.
• Period Time: Modern

Britten, Benjamin : The Joy of Grief, song for voice & piano (juvenilia)

• Performers: Malcolm Martineau (Piano); Katherine Broderick (Soprano)
• Notes: Britten Studio, Snape Maltings (2010-01-14_2010-01-17&2010-)
• Running Time: 1 min. 8 sec.
• Period Time: Modern
• Written: 12/04/1926

Britten, Benjamin : The Poet's Echo, song cycle for high voice & piano, Op. 76

• Performers: Katherine Broderick (Soprano); Malcolm Martineau (Piano)
• Notes: Britten Studio, Snape Maltings (2010-01-14_2010-01-17&2010-)
• Running Time: 15 min. 9 sec.
• Period Time: Modern
• Written: 1965

Britten, Benjamin : Winter Words, Op. 52

• Performers: Malcolm Martineau (Piano); Robin Tritschler (Tenor)
• Notes: Britten Studio, Snape Maltings (2010-01-14_2010-01-17&2010-)
• Running Time: 20 min. 47 sec.
• Period Time: Modern
• Written: 1953