Tracklista: 1. The Tale of Tsar Saltan 2. Sung in Russian 3. Subtitles in English, French, German, Spanish, Russian and Japanese
Tracklista: 1. Straight Up And Downy 2. Gazzelloni 3. Hat And Beard 4. Duquillity 5. 17 West 6. Iron Man 7. Sam & Sung 8. Sam
A rare complete collection of Chopin's art songs, sung in the original key by one singer, along with a little-known song cycle by Szymanovski. Sung in Polish, the musical expression of these pieces is fully conserved and defended. The Polish soprano Urszula Cuvellier illuminates this recording with her stunning voice, masterfully accompanied by Anne Le Bozec, producing a rare and refined musical narration.
In his monumental treatise Le istitutioni harmoniche (Venice, 1558), Gioseffo Zarlino recounts an anecdote about his teacher Adrian Willaert (c1490–1562). As the story is indicative of Willaert’s early career, it is worth quoting in full: I shall now relate what I have heard said many times about the most excellent Adrian Willaert, namely, that a motet for six voices, Verbum bonum et suave, sung under the name of Josquin in the Papal Chapel in Rome almost every feast of Our Lady, was considered one of the most beautiful compositions sung in those days. When Willaert came from Flanders to Rome at the time of Leo X and found himself at the place where this motet was being sung, he saw that it was ascribed to Josquin. When he said that it was his own, as it really was, so great was the malignity or (to put it more mildly) the ignorance of the singers, that they never wanted to sing it again.Different things can be said about this story, which was long thought to be apocryphal. What is of course most striking, is the claim that Willaert’s six-voice motet went under the name of Josquin des Prez, the princeps musicorum of his time. Needless to say, this serves to underline the extraordinary quality of the piece, which was first printed in Ottaviano Petrucci’s collection Motetti de la corona (Fossombrone, 1519). Verbum bonum et suave contains a canon between Tenor and Quintus, the melody of which is based on the eponymous plainchant. The motet displays a dense texture that is only interrupted at the beginning of the secunda pars: on ‘Ave, solem genuisti’ (the fourth strophe of the Marian hymn) a duet of upper voices is imitated by the lowest ones. The sudden reduction of the voices, the characteristic rising fourth on ‘Ave’ and the general layout of the melody make one wonder whether this passage was meant as a subtle musical and textual reference to Josquin’s Ave Maria … virgo serena, one of the composer’s most popular and best-known pieces.Another piece on this recording also has a clear connection with Josquin: Willaert’s six-voice Missa Mente tota is based on the quinta pars of the composer’s monumental cycle Vultum tuum deprecabuntur. Josquin wrote these motets during his period of activity in Milan in the 1480s. They can be linked with devotional practices of the Sforza rulers, as they are part of the repertoire of so-called motetti missales, to which other composers such as Loyset Compère and Gaspar van Weerbeke contributed. Such motet cycles were designed to replace the standard items of the Mass (Introit, Kyrie, Gloria, etc). Josquin’s four-voice Mente tota starts with motivic imitation between the voices; from ‘ideo ne despicias’ onwards the contrapuntal texture makes room for homophonic declamation, which guarantees a clear comprehension of the text. The alternation of duets for high and low voices with tutti passages not only creates variety, but also highlights the structure of the prayer.Willaert’s Missa Mente tota only survives in manuscripts, which are currently preserved in Rome, Bologna, Treviso and Munich. The earliest of these sources—Vatican City, Cappella Sistina 16—dates from circa 1512 to 1517, which means that this Mass could be one of the composer’s earliest pieces. Willaert might have written it during his stay in Rome (c1514–1515), when he was in the service of Cardinal Ippolito I d’Este. The Vatican choirbook also contains a five-voice Mass by Antoine Févin based on the same model. Willaert’s composition displays a remarkable feature: every section of the Mass contains a double canon, which shows Willaert’s love for complex contrapuntal constructions even at this early age. The Benedictus and second Agnus Dei are for two voices; the Osanna and third Agnus Dei are written in tempus perfectum, thus creating a climactic effect. Zarlino briefly mentions Willaert’s Missa Mente tota in Book III, Chapter 66 of his Istitutioni harmoniche and praises the work for its ‘leggiadria’ (gracefulness).Quid non ebrietas? is another early composition of Willaert’s. Its experimental nature has not only caused lively musicological debate, but the work was already subject to polemic at Willaert’s time. In a letter of May 1524, the Bolognese theorist Giovanni Spataro reports that Willaert had sent the work to Pope Leo X, whose singers had not been capable of deciphering and performing it. Quid non ebrietas? is indeed intended as a musical puzzle. The text is based on a passage in Horace’s Epistulae I, 5 and concerns the ‘miracle of drunkenness’, which ‘unlocks secrets’ (‘operta recludit’) and ‘teaches skills’ (‘addocet artes’). These words seem to have inspired Willaert to a compositional tour de force. The notation suggests that the work ends on a seventh D–E, which would have caused intolerable dissonance. However, Willaert conceived the Tenor in such a way that it runs through the complete circle of fifths via the successive addition of flats. This means that the final note E should actually be sung as E double flat, or D. Willaert’s Quid non ebrietas? can thus be considered a major contribution to the development of equal temperament.O iubar, nostrae specimen salutis was published in Willaert’s Hymnorum musica (Venice, 1542). As the subtitle of this book indicates, the Hymns are arranged in accordance with the church calendar (‘secundum ordinem romanae ecclesiae’). It is thus rather surprising that the collection includes a Hymn for the Holy Shroud. Interestingly, the publication of O iubar took place only a decade after the Shroud had been seriously damaged by a fire in the Sainte Chapelle of Chambéry. After its repair by the Poor Clare nuns, the Shroud was taken to Italy for exhibitions in Turin, Milan and Vercelli. It is possible that Willaert composed the piece for one of those occasions. Although most of the Hymns in the collection are composed alternatim—one stanza being sung in plainsong, the next polyphonically and so on—O iubar is polyphonic throughout. Willaert creates variety by means of the number of voices—from a bicinium (third strophe) to six voices in the final strophe—and the treatment of the pre-existing melody: it can be cited literally in long note values, paraphrased or treated as a canon.Although Willaert spent a long part of his life as chapel master of the Venetian basilica di San Marco, we know that he visited his native Flanders twice. His first visit, in 1542, left a compositional trace: the five-voice Laus tibi, sacra rubens celebrates the Holy Blood, the relic of which is kept in Bruges at the eponymous chapel. The motet is based on a poem by Stephanus Comes which was published in the collection Sylvula carminum, non minus docta quam iucunda (Bruges, 1544). The text is written in elegiac distichs and offers a brief survey of the history of the Holy Blood, from Christ’s crucifixion to its arrival in Bruges. It is a very expressive poem, both in terms of content and word-sound. In his setting, Willaert intensifies these qualities by effective musical means.Creator omnium, Deus was published in 1554 by the Leuven music printer Pierre Phalèse as part of the Liber sextus cantionum sacrarum. The motet is based on the apocryphal biblical text Maccabees—the passage in question marks the beginning of the prayer of Nehemias (‘Creator of all things, God, dreadful and strong and just and merciful’). Willaert’s six-voice piece contains a canon at the lower fifth between Tenor primus and Tenor secundus, who quote the plainsong melody in long note values, thus clearly distinguishing the canon from the other voices. From ‘Da pacem, Domine’ onwards, the canonic voices use smaller note values and merge rhythmically with the other voices. Willaert’s Creator omnium, Deus was the model for a motet by Orlandus Lassus, which is also for six voices and carries a canon at the lower fifth.When Willaert died in December 1562, he had served the Venetian basilica di San Marco for 35 years. During this time, the institution had gained a strong international reputation. It is therefore not surprising that Willaert’s death was lamented by no fewer than five composers: Giovanni Battista Conforti and Lorenzo Benvenuti each composed a madrigal, whereas Andrea Gabrieli and Willaert’s nephew Alvise lamented his death with a greghesca (a curious genre, the text of which is based on a mixture of Venetian dialect with Greek words). With his five-voice motet Concordes adhibete animos, Cipriano de Rore—Willaert’s fellow countryman and successor at Saint Mark’s—left a particular musical monument.Although Rore’s motet carries the heading ‘in mortem Adriani Willaert’, nowhere in its text is grief for the loss of the deceased composer mentioned. The spirited exclamation ‘Vive Adriane decus Musarum, vive Adriane’ that stretches the length of the composition as a soggetto ostinato seems equally at odds with the stated occasion in the composition’s heading. Above all, the piece ends with a ‘joyful’ passage in tempus perfectum, which praises Willaert’s native region: ‘Felix quae hunc genuit Flandria in orbe virum’. Concordes adhibete animos should thus be interpreted as a posthumous panegyric rather than a lamento in the strict sense of the word. The style of Rore’s motet clearly suggests that he wished to uphold the memory of Willaert’s achievements and to guarantee the survival of his music.Katelijne Schiltz © 2010
Wybitna artystka pochodząca z Grecji Maria Callas, urodzona w 1923 roku w Nowym Jorku, zmarła w 1977 roku w Paryżu. Artystka jest diwą operową, która ma głos sopranowy i jest znana na międzynarodową skalę. Tracklista: CD 1 1. Dolce E Calmo 2. Oh, Di Qual Onta Aggravasi 3. Ah, Qual Soun 4. Di Tale Amor 5. Merce, Dilette Amiche 6. Drandio 7. Follie 8. Vien! T'affretta 9. Addio Del Passato From 10. Il Trovatore 11. Tu Sei Tradito! Noto M E Il Rombo 12. Si Mi Chiamano Mimi From 13. La Sonnambula 14. Tu Sei Tradito Noto M' E Il Rombo 15. Si, Mi Chiamano Mimi From 16. La Sonnambula H, Non Credea Mirarti 17. Poveri Fiori CD 2 1. Ven Diletto E In Ciel La Luna 2. Ah, Rendetemi La Speme Qui La Voce Sua Soave 3. Donna Chi Sei 4. E Strano E Strano 5. Ho Visto Il Figlio Sul Materno Sen 6. Ah Crudel 7. Suicidio From 8. Laura! Laura! Ove Sei 9. L'amo Come Il Fulgor Del Creato 10. O Dolce Mani Mansuete E Pure 11. Vissi D'arte From 12. Un Bel Di Vedremo From 13. Giason Dei Tuo Figl La Madre 14. Qual Fiamma Avea Nel Guardo CD 3 1. Mild Und Leise (Liebestod) (Sung in Talian) 2. Ich Sah Das King (Sung in Talian) 3. Casta Vida Ah Bello A Me Ritorna 4. Tacea La Notte Placida 5. Ritorna Vincitor 6. Gloria All'egittora 7. A Madre Mia 8. E Un Anathema 9. Medea Taci Giason Dei Tuoi Figli La Madre 10. La Mamma Morta 11. Armada D'amoreal Dolce Impero
Tracklista: Wiggers Alvin S.1. The Barefoot Trail Handel George Frideric2. Semele, HWV 58, Act II: O Sleep, Why Dost Thou Leave Me Schumann Robert3. 5 Lieder Und Gesange, Op. 127: No. 1. Sangers Trost (Sung In English As The Singer's Consolation) Traditional4. The Next Market Day (Arr. H. Hughes For Voice And Piano)5. A Ballynure Ballad (Arr. H. Hughes For Voice And Piano) Rachmaninov Sergey6. 6 Songs, Op. 4: No. 3. V Molchan'i Nochi Taynoy (Arr. For Voice, Violin And Piano) (Sung In English As When Night Descends)7. 6 Songs, Op. 4: No. 4. Ne Poy, Krasavitsa, Pri Mne (Arr. For Voice, Violin And Piano) (Sung In English As O Cease Thy Singing, Maiden Fair) Kramer A. Walter8. The Last Hour Johnson J. Rosamond9. Since You Went Away Marshall Charles10. I Hear You Calling Me Hirsch Louis Achille11. The O'Brien Girl: Learn To Smile Sanders Alma M. / Carlo Monte12. Little Town In The Old County Down Robledo Julian13. Three O'Clock In The Morning (Arr. For Voice And Orchestra) Griffin Gerald E. / Kahn Herman / Lyman Tommy14. Mother In Ireland Simons, Seymour15. Her Family Tree: Remember The Rose Sullivan Arthur16. The Lost Chord Barnby Joseph17. Jesus, My Lord, My God, My All Nicholls Horatio18. The Kingdom Within Your Eyes Merikanto Oskar19. A Fairy Story By The Fire Rachmaninov Sergey20. 15 Songs, Op. 26: No. 7. K Detyam (Arr. For Voice And Orchestra) (Sung In English As To The Children) Grofe Ferde / Whiteman Paul21. Wonderful One Openshaw John22. Love Sends A Little Gift Of Roses Ayer Nat D.23. Where The Rainbow Ends Ayer Nat D.24. Somewhere In The World Lookwood Lee W.25. Take A Look At Molly Squire William Henry26. Dream Once Again Brahe May Hannah27. Thanks Be To God
Poprzedni rok był dla Ryleya Walkera pasmem sukcesów. W marcu 2015 roku ukazał się jego drugi album "Primrose Green", który zyskał uznanie krytyków takich tytułów jak Uncut czy Mojo. Robert Plant i Danny Thompson ogłosili się fanami młodego songwritera. Rozległa trasa koncertowa po Stanach Zjednoczonych promująca "Primrose Green" stała się jednocześnie przestrzenią do szlifowania pomysłów, które ostatecznie znalazły się na trzecim albumie Walkera "Golden Sings That Have Been Sung". "The Roundabout" stanowi symboliczny powrót do Chicago, "The Halfwit In Me" to somnabuliczny i intymny utwór otwierający całość, "I Will Ask You Twice" to projekcja intrygująco-surrealistycznych obrazów.Tracklista:1. The Halfwit In Me2. A Choir Apart3. Funny Thing She Said4. Sullen Mind5. I Will Ask You Twice6. The Roundabout7. The Great And Undecided8. Age Old Tale
Tracklista: LP 1 1. Wingbone 2. Trick Bird 3. Sawtooth Sung A Cheater's Song 4. Apple 5. Lion & Bee 6. 2 Sisters Drunk On Each Other 7. Heron King Blues 8. Outro LP 2 1. Electric Fence 2. Sawtooth Sung A Cheater's Song 3. The Ocean Was Lungs (Faraway Bells) 4. I Walk On Gilded Splinters 5. St. Martha 6. Red
Scotland's own Marie McLaughlin, celebrated in opera houses throughout the world, sings 33 delectable songs from her native land. Many favourites are here, from Loch Lomond to The Skye boat song, but also some less well-known songs, both merry (The white cockade, O Willie's gane tae Melville castle) and sad (The winter it is past). Two are sung unaccompanied (The flowers of the forest, My love's in Germany) and several are sung with the clarsach—the Celtic harp. Full texts are included along with interesting notes by John Currie. 'Marie McLaughlin's gleaming yet often dark-hued soprano takes to this music as to the bothy born; and Edinburgh-born Malcolm Martineau heels and toes it with great imaginative finesse, tuning in to the physical essence of each song, be it the springing heather tread of the high road and the low road, or the mesmeric oscillations of a lullaby from Barra.' (BBC Music Magazine) 'Marie McLaughlin sings with warm tone, affection, humour and zest' (Gramophone)
1. SWEET CAROLINE 2. BROTHER LOVE'S TRAVELING SALVATION SHOW 3. SHILO 4. SHILO 5. BROOKLYN ROAD 6. CRACKLIN' ROSIE 7. PLAY ME 8. DONE TOO SOON 9. STONES 10. SONG SUNG BLUE 11. SOOLIAMON 12. I AM .. I SAID