Quilter, Roger (1877-1953)

[Lat-Literal]

Q for Quilter.

I sampled half a dozen of versions of "Now Sleeps the Crimson Petal" to find something I preferred to Robeson.

And I wasn't at all surprised to find that I still chose Robeson.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7bwdNIk8CfE

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

Gorgeous singing, of course, Lats - but the one that gets my loins a-buzzing is this one:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yUUcR05VqG4

"be lost, be lost ... in me" - oh, yes, Kaff, YES!!

[Lat-Literal]

Gorgeous singing, of course, Lats - but the one that gets my loins a-buzzing is this one:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yUUcR05VqG4

"be lost, be lost ... in me" - oh, yes, Kaff, YES!!

That's lovely, yes, especially for a morning when it is all going so well.

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

I’m bumping this thread as I’ve recently bought a couple of CDs featuring Quilter’s music. I was first introduced to this composer by my school music teacher in the 1960s. We sang his Non Nobis Domine, and we looked at his Children’s Overture in some depth. A musical friend and I then spent some time learning the piano duet version of this overture. Many years later I tackled the composer’s own piano solo version. It may be just a medley of 12 nursery rhymes, but what incredible craftsmanship and orchestration!
He’s best known as a song composer, and I chose one of his songs from Grade 8 Singing in 2008.

Now I’m looking at his piano music.

An underrated composer? Yes. I think so.

[gradus]

A few year s back I met one of his relatives who wasn't that keen on RQ' output -'too many nonny nonny noes', was the line of criticism! Can't say I agree but it made me laugh at the time.

[makropulos]

An underrated composer? Yes. I think so.

I think so too. Last weekend I played for a baritone friend's recital of English songs in Cambridge. We put together an interesting programme including the first modern performance of early songs by Adrian Boult, and also some of the Butterworth Shropshire Lad songs which are sublime. But we also did two Quilters (Now sleeps the crimson petal and O Mistress Mine) and playing them again was an utter delight. I know we're going to do some more quite soon (probably all of the Op. 6 Shakespeare set but others as well) and I have to say I can't wait.

[Serial_Apologist]

Some claim Quilter to be the originator of the English folk-inflected art song type, rescuing it from the sub-Mendelssohnian Victorian parlour a couple of years ahead of Vaughan Williams and Holst's raised its more authentically researched vestiges into orchestrated magnificence, although Elgar argued Cyril Scott to be the first. With Grainger chipping in from the sidelines, and Delius taking advantage to supply another emulatory route, the link up passes from Quliter to Heseltine/Warlock by way of Delius.

[makropulos]

Some claim Quilter to be the originator of the English folk-inflected art song type, rescuing it from the sub-Mendelssohnian Victorian parlour a couple of years ahead of Vaughan Williams and Holst's raised its more authentically researched vestiges into orchestrated magnificence, although Elgar argued Cyril Scott to be the first. With Grainger chipping in from the sidelines, and Delius taking advantage to supply another emulatory route, the link up passes from Quliter to Heseltine/Warlock by way of Delius.

There may well be something in that. As an aside, I'm always mildly amused that these pioneers of [English] folk-inflected music just pre-Holst and RVW (Scott, Quilter, Grainger et al) almost all studied in Frankfurt rather than London or Oxbridge.

[Pulcinella]

An interesting coincidence that this thread should be bumped just after a friend and I had been talking about the setting of 'Now sleeps the crimson petal' that Britten notably did NOT include in his Serenade.

[gurnemanz]

Up until several years ago I only knew Quilter songs in a few of the better-known settings - from recitals and compilations. Within a short space of time I was pleased to investigate further, first via John Mark Ainsley/Malcolm Martineau on Hyperion and then in 2021 with the very desirable 25CD Naxos English Song Collection. This box contains two Quilter discs (also available separately): one of more familiar items and one of folk song arrangements with many premiere recordings.

At the time, the best - very reasonable - price was at Europadisc. Still is, but not for long

[Historian]

Up until several years ago I only knew Quilter songs in a few of the better-known settings - from recitals and compilations. Within a short space of time I was pleased to investigate further, first via John Mark Ainsley/Malcolm Martineau on Hyperion and then in 2021 with the very desirable 25CD Naxos English Song Collection. This box contains two Quilter discs (also available separately): one of more familiar items and one of folk song arrangements with many premiere recordings.

At the time, the best - very reasonable - price was at Europadisc. Still is, but not for long

Thank you for reminding me of this wonderful set: duly ordered (and additional thanks for the large saving).

[LMcD]

Thank you for reminding me of this wonderful set: duly ordered (and additional thanks for the large saving).

9 left on Amazon at an almost identical price.

[oliver sudden]

There may well be something in that. As an aside, I'm always mildly amused that these pioneers of [English] folk-inflected music just pre-Holst and RVW (Scott, Quilter, Grainger et al) almost all studied in Frankfurt rather than London or Oxbridge.

Clearly Iwan Knorr had the know-how.

[boesendorfer]

"Go, lovely rose" has always struck me as a miracle in that a quite complex trope-filled poem is rendered completely comprehensible while one is listening to it.

[edashtav]

"Go, lovely rose" has always struck me as a miracle in that a quite complex trope-filled poem is rendered completely comprehensible while one is listening to it.

:irony3: