![]() Still, it's a performance of a piece with the others, a good bonus between the vocal items, which remain the disc's highlights and principal attraction. Her slashing rhythms and rapid tempos certainly dazzle, but the Aria Italiana makes an even better (and funnier) impression at a less frantic pace, with a bit more affection and rubato in its phrases. The Frank Bridge Variations are a bit less impressive, not just because Britten's own performance is so fine, but because the Scottish Ensemble is a touch small in tone to give Funeral March the weight that it ideally needs, even given Gould's take-no-prisoner's approach. These are simply spectacular performances in every respect, modern reference versions to set next to Britten's own. This makes his exchanges with Spence in a movement such as Nocturne absolutely thrilling, while the Blake setting in Elegy, the emotional heart of the work, is aptly haunting in its melancholy, and truly moving. Horn player Martin Owen has a big tone, in the best English tradition, and he's rightly given absolute equality with the voice in a realistic acoustic. If anything, the Serenade is even better. The punchy accompaniments of Clio Gould's Scottish Ensemble keep the music moving as effortlessly as Spence sings it. In Les Illuminations, the lively numbers such as Villes have tremendous bravura, while the more reflective pieces-especially Being Beauteous-flow with effortless lyricism. His lower register is warm, almost baritonal in quality, and this makes his voice a uniquely flexible instrument ideally suited to the wide-ranging demands that Britten makes on it. Spence has a truly lovely voice, with a sweet, open top very unlike the constricted, reedy timbre of so many English tenors, Robert Tear and Peter Pears (wonderful though he was artistically) among them. I don't think that these works have ever been better sung, interpretively or technically. This is an outstanding disc, particularly a showcase for the talents of tenor Toby Spence and the excellent players of the Scottish Ensemble. “The Scottish Ensemble is thoroughly committed and convincing” BBC Music Magazine A good stimulating listen” Gramophone on CKD 215!“ The sound is excellent, the playing consistently sympathetic. Linn CKD 085 - Tavener Tears of the Angels Linn CKD 095 - Shostakovich Chamber Symphony Martin Owen, Principal Horn of the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, is widely regarded as one of the country's leading players appearing as both guest principal horn with many London Orchestras, and those further afield, including the Berlin Philharmonic and Chamber Orchestra of Europe, and soloist / chamber musician in some of the leading music festivals around the world. He will be touring with Emmanuelle Haim and the Scottish Chamber Orchestra in February 2005 he will be tenor soloist in the Missa Solemnis with Joseph Swensen and the SCO in May and reprising his acclaimed Tamino in the Magic Flute at ENO ![]() He will perform with both companies in 2005 as well as at the Wigmore Hall with the Scottish Ensemble. Toby Spence has established strong links with both English National Opera and the Paris Opera. ![]() Toby Spence is a world-class tenor renowned for his operatic roles as well as on the concert platform. The group's film work includes the 1999 release Orphans and the award-winning film and album of Follow the Moonstone. The group undertakes varied radio and television broadcasts, and makes regular live recordings for BBC Radio 3. The Scottish Ensemble is a dynamic group of 12 string players with outstanding violinist Clio Gould as Artistic Director. He wrote the Serenade for Tenor, Horn & Strings in 1943. He later returned to the UK and, partly stimulated by Purcell, started to concentrate on English verse. Britten moved to the USA in 1939 with Peter Pears where he wrote Les Illuminations. The Variations on a Theme of Frank Bridge is an early work with a high personal definition. 31 (1:48)īenjamin Britten studied with Frank Bridge as a boy. 8- Epilogue - Serenade for Tenor, Horn and Strings, Op. 7- Sonnet - Serenade for Tenor, Horn and Strings, Op. 6- Hymn - Serenade for Tenor, Horn and Strings, Op. 5- Dirge - Serenade for Tenor, Horn and Strings, Op. 4- Elegy - Serenade for Tenor, Horn and Strings, Op. 3- Nocturne - Serenade for Tenor, Horn and Strings, Op. 2- Pastorale - Serenade for Tenor, Horn and Strings, Op. 1- Prologue - Serenade for Tenor, Horn and Strings, Op. 1- Introduction and Theme - Variations on a Theme of Franck Bridge, Op. Scottish Ensemble - Clio Gould - Britten - Illuminations, Serenade, Bridge variarionsĠ1.
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