Monteverdi
Madrigals Volume 3
LesArtsFlorissants/PaulAgnew
HARMONIA MUNDI HAF8905278
★★★★✩
AgnewandLesArtstopoff
theirfineMonteverdiseries
This is the final instalment of a
threevolumesurveycharting
Monteverdi’s evolving style from
the traditional five voice madrigals
ofBooksIandII(hisearlydays
in Cremona), the intensifying of
expressive devices in Books II to
VI(attheCourtofMantua),and
culminating in the dramatic scena
andconcertostyleofthemighty
booksVIIandVIII(fromhisglory
days in Venice). Mixing familiar
masterworks likeChiome d’oroand
CombattimentodiTancredieClorinda
withlesserknowndelightsmakes
for a well-balanced recital; the
seriesisanidealtasterforlisteners
dauntedbyallthosecompleteLibri.
Thesuperbensembleincludes
PinchgutregularMiriamAllen
doingastarturninCon che soavità.
Shealsoturnsup(uncreditedin
the booklet) inLamento della Ninfa
–alovelyperformancewiththe
three men relishing the clashing
suspensionsbutnotoverdoing
the effect. Director Paul Agnew
still sounds splendid after all these
years, pulling out all the stops
as Testo for theCombattimento–
Hannah Morrison’s Clorinda is
pureandchaste,herconcluding
ascent is ethereal.
Instrumental support is hugely
accomplished with lithe strings,
thecontinuoluxuriantwith
plucked instruments and organ
but not overbearing. Recording is
transparentinanintimateacoustic
butthelowlevelrequiresaliftin
volume.Theseareelegantand
stylish performances, cooler than
Italian groups Concerto Italiano
andLaVenexiana,butvividwith
theatrical intensity.Warwick Arnold
Finzi•Bax•Ireland
Choral music
The Choir of Westminster Abbey/
James O’Donnell
HYPERION CDA68167
★★★★✩Wonderfully lush British church
repertoire, wonderfully sungWaybacklastcentury(in1986
to be precise) the choir of King’s
College, Cambridge under Stephen
Cleobury produced a recording of
choral pieces by Bax and Finzi. At
atimewhenfascinationwith‘early
music’wasatitsheight,thisrather
unfashionable choice of repertory
wasarevelation;itsexpansivetext-
setting and lush harmonies were a
reminder of a then rather neglected
corner of choral music, full of guilty
butwell-wroughtpleasures.Some
30 years on, choirs are thankfully
less narrow in their choices. James
O’Donnell and his Westminster
Abbey forces have delivered a more
than worthy successor to that disc.
O’Donnelllavishesmuchcareon
Finzi’smasterlyanthem,Lo the Full,
Final Sacrifice;itslong,contrasting
paragraphs full of beautiful singing,
whether the exultant “Lo, the
breadoflife”orthemeditative
“soft, self-wounding Pelican” or the
beguiling Amen. Careful attention
to text mirrors Finzi’s own care
in this regard.GodisGoneUp
is dispatched with appropriate
élan and theMagnificatradiates
unalloyedjoy.ThreesmallerFinzi
anthems confirm his appeal.
Bax is represented by contrasting
carols,ISingofaMaidenandThis
Worldes Joie–thefirstcarefreeand
thesecondcareworn.Giventhe
considerable skill of the abbey choir,
it is a pity that Bax’s greatest choral
achievement,Mater Ora Filium
wasn’t included. Three favourites by
JohnIreland,amoremainstream
Anglican composer bring this
gloriously romantic programme to
a grand close.Tony Way.WeknowSullivanprimarilyforthebrilliantmusichewrotefor
theequallybrilliantcomicplaysofWSGilbert.Manywillalso
knowsomeofhisexcellentconcertmusic.Thesongsarea
different matter, although many are attractive and well written,
theyfalloutsidethepopularLiederrepertoireinhabitedby
Schubert and his lot, not always reaching the heights attained
bythoseGermancomposerswithwhichtheyhaveacultural
affinity.Nonethelesstheyarecertainlyworthyofourattention
andsoChandoshascometotherescuewith46ofthem.
ForhistextsSullivandrewwidely.HedrewfromShakespeare,
OMistressMineandThe Willow Song.ThesongcycleThe Window
byTennysonandfromRobertBurnsthedelicatelyfeltMary
Morrison.Inthemainthemusicisoftenwhatyouwouldexpect,
lightlyinspiredVictoriana.Forexample,theArabianLoveSong,
with its mysterious piano ripples between verses is intriguing
and the balladOnce Againundoubtedly had female hearts
flutteringinmanyadrawingroom.
Sweetheartsisamelodramaticduetfromthecomposer’s
oldcollaborator,Gilbert.Itissetasawaltzandgoeswithan
engaging swing. Familiar to Savoyards will be the reworking of
an amusing tribute to frying bacon from the operettaCox and
Boxinto the charming lullabyBirdsintheNight.Tennyson’ssong,
Swallow Swallow,isadelightandinhisEdward Greyone can
easilyconjureupthevisonofastiffneckedmoustachioedtenor
clutchingamantelpiecewithrestrainedpassionashegivesit
hisall.SullivanalsomadesettingsofFrench,ItalianandGerman
textsandthemusicreflectsthiswithoutbeinggauche.
Thesearesomeoftheunexpectedtreasuresinthiswelcome
collection, largely well performed. Sadly the tenor, Ben Johnson,
is somewhat stretched at times.James McCarthySullivan
Songs
Mary Bevans,BenJohnsont,
Ashley Richesbar,DavidOwen Norrisp
CHANDOS CHAN10935 (2CD)
★★★✩Rare foray into Victorian songs
brings out Sullivan’s sentimental side
David Owen Norrishttp://www.limelightmagazine.com.au MAY 2017LIMELIGHT 81
REVIEWSO