BaL 12.05.18 - Britten: Winter Words Op. 52

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

9.30
Building a Library: Britten's Winter Words, Op 52, with Kate Kennedy.
Britten composed Winter Words, his eight setting of Thomas Hardy, in 1953 at a time when he was also working on his operas Gloriana and The Turn of the Screw. The style of Winter Words does, however, contrast with that of the two operas in its austere textures, while allowing the Hardy texts to be projected with particular clarity. After the opening song, Day Close in November, comes Midnight on the Great Western, which even includes train-whistle noises. Then comes The Wagtail and Baby, The Little Old Table and The Choirmaster's burial (or The Tenor Man's Story), in which the departed master's favourite hymn-tune 'Mount Ephraim' is woven into the texture. Proud Songsters is followed by At the Railway Station, Upway (or The Convict and the Boy With the Violin), and the whole cycle ends with Before Life and After, a powerful expression of Britten's fascination with the conflict between innocence and experience.

Available versions:-

Ian Bostridge, Sir Antonio Pappano
Richard Edgar-Wilson, Eugene Asti
James Gilchrist, Anna Tilbrook
Anthony Rolfe Johnson, Graham Johnson (SACD)
Anthony Rolfe Johnson, Graham Johnson
Philip Langridge, Steuart Bedford
Malcom Martineau, Robin Tritschler
Daniel Norman, Christopher Gould
Mark Padmore, Roger Vignoles
Ian Partridge, Jennifer Partridge
Peter Pears, Benjamin Britten
Peter Pears, Benjamin Britten
Nicholas Phan, Myra Huang
Robert Tear, Sir Philip Ledger

[Nick Armstrong]

This will be interesting... I've got quite a few of these, and iirc prefer Langridge and Rolfe-Johnson hitherto - but looking forward to hearing what the Gilchrist/Tilbrook version sounds like in particular, been listening a lot to them in Finzi songs recently and love their way with those.

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

I've listed Pears/Britten twice, as they appear on different labels.

Can anyone advise me on whether they are one and the same?

[crb11]

I've listed Pears/Britten twice, as they appear on different labels.

Can anyone advise me on whether they are one and the same?

Michael Kennedy's biography lists two recordings: a studio recording from March 1954 on Decca, 425 996-2, and a live recording from Snape in September 1972, giving a catalogue number AF 001. I don't know which label this was, or if the recording is available on CD (it's on youtube part 1 and part 2. Amazon also have MP3s (perhaps CDs) which come from other live recordings (BBC, 1957; Leningrad 1963 or 1966).

I don't know if this has helped or clouded the matter further!

[BBMmk2]

This be rather good, as I never heard of this song cycle before!

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

This be rather good, as I never heard of this song cycle before!

That surprises me, Bbm - the setting of the Choirmaster's Burial I thought was quite well-known.

[ardcarp]

This is going to be a close call IMVHO. It would be good never to have heard Pears/Britten (how could one manage without them?) and start with a tabula rasa...but that's impossible.

[Beef Oven!]

I've just two sets of this enchanting song-cycle - Langridge/Bedford and Bostridge/Pappano. I don't envisage adding another .............

Edit: Make that three - how did I forget the Britten/Pears






.

[Beef Oven!]

This be rather good, as I never heard of this song cycle before!

You're in for a real treat BBM!

And listen out for the last song.

ferney, this is no time for levity!

[Petrushka]

Not being terribly keen on either non-orchestral Britten or the song cycle this work is completely new to me as well. I do, however, admire Britten's inspired choices of setting English texts so might well investigate this.

[Nevilevelis]

Not being terribly keen on either non-orchestral Britten or the song cycle this work is completely new to me as well. I do, however, admire Britten's inspired choices of setting English texts so might well investigate this.

Err, OK! IMV the greatest 20th c. English song-cycle. Singing it (in a Royal Opera House lunchtime recital) convinced me of that, but possibly not my audients! Get stuck in!

[EdgeleyRob]

There is also Justin Lavender/Julian Milford (ex Carlton Classics) presumably nla.
It's a fine performance but probably wouldn't win.

[LMcD]

This be rather good, as I never heard of this song cycle before!

You've got a real treat in store, I would say, whether or not you're an admirer of Thomas Hardy!

[BBMmk2]

You're in for a real treat BBM!

And listen out for the last song.

ferney, this is no time for levity!

I will! thanks Beefy! Cheers Ferney!

[Mal]

You've got a real treat in store, I would say, whether or not you're an admirer of Thomas Hardy!

I'm an admirer, and I think it's worth going beyond the "big novels". His first novel, "Under the Greenwood Tree", is a good read for music lovers. It's not at all dark, and is a fascinating portrayal of how music was integrated into village life.

"The plot concerns the activities of a group of church musicians, the Mellstock parish choir, one of whom, Dick Dewy, becomes romantically entangled ... The novel opens with the fiddlers and singers of the choir—including Dick, his father Reuben Dewy, and grandfather William Dewy—making the rounds in Mellstock village on Christmas Eve. When the little band plays at the schoolhouse, young Dick falls for Fancy at first sight... The vicar, Mr Maybold, informs the choir that he intends Fancy, an accomplished organ player, to replace their traditional musical accompaniment to Sunday services. The tranter and the rest of the band visit the vicar's home to negotiate, but reluctantly give way to the more modern organ..."

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Under_the_Greenwood_Tree

The initial scene with musicians doing the rounds on Christmas Eve is especially heart warming and amusing.