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Leighton Earth, Sweet Earth…(laudes terrae) and Britten Winter Words
Leighton Earth, Sweet Earth…(laudes terrae) and Britten Winter Words
Artist
Label(s)
Genre(s)
Classical
Code
CKD 329
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- Earth, Sweet Earth (Laudes Terrae), Op. 94 - I. Prelude – There was no thoughtComposer(s) Kenneth LeightonArtist(s) James Gilchrist - tenorAnna Tilbrook - piano
Earth, Sweet Earth (Laudes Terrae), Op. 94 - I. Prelude – There was no thought
11:27$4.60 - Earth, Sweet Earth (Laudes Terrae), Op. 94 - II. InversnaidComposer(s) Kenneth LeightonArtist(s) James Gilchrist - tenor Anna Tilbrook - piano
Earth, Sweet Earth (Laudes Terrae), Op. 94 - II. Inversnaid
04:58$2.30 - Earth, Sweet Earth (Laudes Terrae), Op. 94 - III. Contemplation – In the snowComposer(s) Kenneth LeightonArtist(s) James Gilchrist - tenor Anna Tilbrook - piano
Earth, Sweet Earth (Laudes Terrae), Op. 94 - III. Contemplation – In the snow
05:08$2.30 - Earth, Sweet Earth (Laudes Terrae), Op. 94 - IV. The AshtreeComposer(s) Kenneth LeightonArtist(s) James Gilchrist - tenorAnna Tilbrook - piano
Earth, Sweet Earth (Laudes Terrae), Op. 94 - IV. The Ashtree
02:12$2.30 - Earth, Sweet Earth (Laudes Terrae), Op. 94 - V. Binsey PoplarsComposer(s) Kenneth LeightonArtist(s) James Gilchrist - tenorAnna Tilbrook - piano
Earth, Sweet Earth (Laudes Terrae), Op. 94 - V. Binsey Poplars
05:31$2.30 - Earth, Sweet Earth (Laudes Terrae), Op. 94 - VI. Hurrahing in HarvestComposer(s) Kenneth LeightonArtist(s) James Gilchrist - tenorAnna Tilbrook - piano
Earth, Sweet Earth (Laudes Terrae), Op. 94 - VI. Hurrahing in Harvest
03:25$2.30 - Earth, Sweet Earth (Laudes Terrae), Op. 94 - VII. RibblesdaleComposer(s) Kenneth LeightonArtist(s) James Gilchrist - tenorAnna Tilbrook - piano
Earth, Sweet Earth (Laudes Terrae), Op. 94 - VII. Ribblesdale
07:42$3.40 - Winter Words, Op. 52 - I. At Day-close in NovemberComposer(s) Benjamin BrittenArtist(s) James Gilchrist - tenorAnna Tilbrook - piano
Winter Words, Op. 52 - I. At Day-close in November
01:33$2.30 - Winter Words, Op. 52 - II. Midnight on the Great WesternComposer(s) Benjamin BrittenArtist(s) James Gilchrist - tenorAnna Tilbrook - piano
Winter Words, Op. 52 - II. Midnight on the Great Western
05:18$2.30 - Winter Words, Op. 52 - III. Wagtail and BabyComposer(s) Benjamin BrittenArtist(s) James Gilchrist - tenorAnna Tilbrook - piano
Winter Words, Op. 52 - III. Wagtail and Baby
02:08$2.30 - Winter Words, Op. 52 - IV. The Little Old TableComposer(s) Benjamin BrittenArtist(s) James Gilchrist - tenorAnna Tilbrook - piano
Winter Words, Op. 52 - IV. The Little Old Table
01:24$2.30 - Winter Words, Op. 52 - V. The Choirmaster’s BurialComposer(s) Benjamin BrittenArtist(s) James Gilchrist - tenorAnna Tilbrook - piano
Winter Words, Op. 52 - V. The Choirmaster’s Burial
04:21$2.30 - Winter Words, Op. 52 - VI. Proud Songsters ‘Thrushes, Finches and Nightingales’Composer(s) Benjamin BrittenArtist(s) James Gilchrist - tenor Anna Tilbrook - piano
Winter Words, Op. 52 - VI. Proud Songsters ‘Thrushes, Finches and Nightingales’
01:04$2.30 - Winter Words, Op. 52 - VII. At the Railway Station, UpwayComposer(s) Benjamin BrittenArtist(s) James Gilchrist - tenorAnna Tilbrook - piano
Winter Words, Op. 52 - VII. At the Railway Station, Upway
03:34$2.30 - Winter Words, Op. 52 - VIII. Before Life and AfterComposer(s) Benjamin BrittenArtist(s) James Gilchrist - tenor Anna Tilbrook - piano
Winter Words, Op. 52 - VIII. Before Life and After
03:47$2.30
Total running time: 63 minutes.
Album information
Alongside pianist Anna Tilbrook, tenor James Gilchrist excels in a programme that includes the first modern recording of Leighton's Earth, Sweet Earth and Britten's popular and touching song cycle Winter Words.
Leighton's Earth, Sweet Earth was commissioned in memory of Peter Pears - tenor and life-long partner of Benjamin Britten. This is the first modern recording of this work since the original recording by Neil Mackie for whom the work was written. Earth, Sweet Earth requires astonishing virtuosity from both vocalist and pianist; the piano taking on an almost orchestral role in settings of text by Ruskin and Hopkins.
Britten wrote Winter Words for Peter Pears. Set to eight poems by Thomas Hardy, this is the composer's most popular song set. James Gilchrist emotively conveys one of Britten's favourite themes: the conflict between innocence and experience.
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Reviews
"...memorable accounts of Leighton's "cantata" Earth, Sweet Earth and Britten's song cycle..."
Audio Video Club of Atlanta
"...outstandingly accomplished..."
Gramophone
"...two profoundly beautiful twentieth-century English song-cycles performed by James Gilchrist ..."
International Record Review
"...these pages take on a human dimension that is remarkable for its intensity and fervor...[this] perfect sound recording, is a must."
Opus Haute Definition
