SHAKESPEARE 400 - The music that has Influenced or inspired Composers

[Flosshilde]

Great list, Suffolk!

Seconded.

Although, to be picky, Bellini's opera isn't based on Shakespeare's Romeo & Juliet, but on the stories that Shakespeare also used.

[BBMmk2]

Floss, that's thirded then!

[EdgeleyRob]

I did a lot of listening to Shakespeare inspired works/settings a couple of months back BBM, I posted them on the What are you listening to now? thread. I've copied them below. It is amazing how many different composers and nationalities Shakespeare's works have attracted.


V Shebalin: The Taming of the Shrew (extracts)

Super list sc,is there a recording of this or is it from you tube ?

[ardcarp]

Just remembered a once popular Schubert song (which I piped as a treble) Horch, Horch die Larch or Hark, Hark the Lark. I think it's from Cymbeline.

[Suffolkcoastal]

Super list sc,is there a recording of this or is it from you tube ?

Yes its from youtube ER, not the greatest sound, but gives you an idea.

[Suffolkcoastal]

Just remembered a once popular Schubert song (which I piped as a treble) Horch, Horch die Larch or Hark, Hark the Lark. I think it's from Cymbeline.

I've sung this too, though as a tenor, yes its from Cymbeline. There's plenty of songs that in the end I didn't listen to.

The Frank Martin choral settings of Shakespeare are really impressive, well worth investigating.

[aeolium]

Thanks for the superb list, SC. I clearly underestimated the huge number of Shakespeare musical settings out there. Out of interest, which of the lesser known ones particularly impressed you? (And I'd be interested in your opinion of the Andre Tchaikovsky Merchant of Venice which WNO will be doing in their next season)

[Suffolkcoastal]

Seconded.

Although, to be picky, Bellini's opera isn't based on Shakespeare's Romeo & Juliet, but on the stories that Shakespeare also used.

Yes of course, realised this after listening to the extracts a couple of months back, but didn't remove it from the list. I did miss out Beethoven's Coriolanus and Saint-Saens Henry VIII, as neither of these is Shakespeare based.

[Suffolkcoastal]

Thanks for the superb list, SC. I clearly underestimated the huge number of Shakespeare musical settings out there. Out of interest, which of the lesser known ones particularly impressed you? (And I'd be interested in your opinion of the Andre Tchaikovsky Merchant of Venice which WNO will be doing in their next season)

The Andre Tchaikovsky is quite impressive, very intense indeed, and rather dark edged. The other opera that impressed me most was the Hermann Goetz - Taming of the Shrew. Goetz (1840-76) is an exceptionally fine composer dying far too early.

As mentioned above, the Frank Martin settings from The Tempest I really liked. The John Harbison opera on 'A Winter's Tale from 1979 is also worth a listen.

[Bryn]

[Bryn]

and of course:

[doversoul1]

Today’s Sunday Morning

James is also joined by scholar Kate Kennedy to guide us through hidden gems from the RSC's music archive.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b07864ff

This was brief but (I found) very interesting. The programme also included Frank Martin’s Songs of Ariel sung by The Sixteen.

[ardcarp]

The Frank Martin choral settings of Shakespeare are really impressive, well worth investigating.

Here, sung by the excellent RIAS Chamber Choir:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RcfyYfWenbs

...lovely performance. I want to do them!!!!

[EdgeleyRob]

Yes its from youtube ER, not the greatest sound, but gives you an idea.

Thanks Sc,I like what I've heard of Shebalin's Symphonies and String Quartets so I'll give this a try.