Dowland / Faure / Handel / Asawa - Brian Asawa: The Complete RCA Recordings - COMPACT DISCS [CD]

Now best known for his 'symphonic songs' such as the Hymne an die Nacht, Alphons Diepenbrock won the admiration of his contemporaries Mahler and Strauss for the confident, post-Wagnerian handling of large orchestral forces in support of vocal lines soaked in passion and grief. Unlike them, however, he was chiefly inspired by poetry, and his output is dominated by vocal works, which are particularly fine in atmospheric evocation. Even when writing for the sparer medium of voice and piano, Diepenbrock laid his songs out expansively, underscored with yearning Wagnerian harmonies, and any listener in search of repertoire beyond the songs of Mahler and Strauss is in for a treat. Diepenbrock read widely, and drew on many sources for his songs classical antiquity, religious texts from the Middle Ages, old Dutch poems, German Romantic choruses, modern French poetry and contemporary Dutch writers. The shared theme of these very different styles in his hands was a tendency towards mysticism and spiritual rapture. Little satisfied with mundane reality and the development of society, he found himself peculiarly attracted to poems which exalted the night and her mysteries. In the song output, this attraction is delicately handled in Der Abend and then much more erotically treated in Kann ich in Musen heisse Wünsche tragen, both on album 1. Album 2 is entirely dedicated to French lyrics by the likes of Verlaine and Rimbaud, full of Debussyan nocturne-like character. Album 3 gathers up the songs to Latin, Italian and Dutch lyrics, reaching a powerful climax with Bejaard, composed in 1917, as an expression of Diepenbrock's indignation towards the German invasion of Belgium in August 1914. Album Tracks 1. Drie Ballades Op. 1~I. Entsagung 2. Drie Ballades Op. 1~II. Der Fischer 3. Drie Ballades Op. 1~III. Der Aend kommt gezogen 4. Zwei Gesänge nach Dichtungen von Goethe Op.

This is the final volume in the acclaimed series with Malcolm Martineau, charting the complete songs of French composer Gabriel Fauré and performed by a selection of the world's finest singers. This series follows Martineau's heralded 5-album series of The Complete Songs of Francis Poulenc. Malcolm Martineau was born in Edinburgh, read Music at St Catharine's College, Cambridge and studied at the Royal College of Music. Recognised as one of the leading accompanists of his generation, he has worked with many of the world's greatest singers including Sir Thomas Allen, Dame Janet Baker, Olaf Bar, Barbara Bonney, Ian Bostridge, Angela Gheorghiu, Susan Graham, Thomas Hampson, Della Jones, Simon Keenlyside, Angelika Kirchschlager, Magdalena Kozena, Solveig Kringelborn, Jonathan Lemalu, Dame Felicity Lott, Christopher Maltman, Karita Mattila, Lisa Milne, Ann Murray, Anna Netrebko, Anne Sofie von Otter, Joan Rodgers, Amanda Roocroft, Michael Schade, Frederica von Stade, Sarah Walker and Bryn Terfel. He was a given an honorary doctorate at the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama in 2004, and appointed International Fellow of Accompaniment in 2009. Malcolm was the Artistic Director of the 2011 Leeds Lieder+ Festival. Album Tracks 1. Puisque J'ai Mis Ma Lèvre 2. Noël, Op. 43, No. 1 3. En Prière 4. La Rançon, Op. 8, No. 2 5. Seulet, Op. 3. MP/ 1 6. Chanson D'amour, Op. 27, No. 1 7. L' Absent [Sentiers Où L'herbe Se Balance), Op. 5, No. 3 8. Nocturne, Op. 43, No. 2 9. Larmes, Op. 51, No. 1 10. Les Présents, Op. 46, No. 1 11. Au Cimetière, Op. 51, No. 2 12. Le Bonne Chanson, Op. 61 13. Prison, Op. 83, No. 1 14. Vocalise 21 15. Pleurs D'or, Op. 72 16. Vocalise 9 17. C'est la Paix, Op. 114 18. L' Horizon Chimérique, Op. 118

Though Verdi is often remembered for the serious themes that characterized his verismo operas, he was also a man of good humor, as evinced by the comedy of errors that is Falstaff. The historic remastered 1949 recording from Turin features grand Italian singers raised in the Verdi tradition, giving the most authentic performance possible. Album Tracks 1. Falstaff Act 1 InchFalstaff! Ola!Inch [DR Cajus, Falstaff, Bardolfo, Pistola] 2. Falstaff Act 1 InchSei Polli Sei ScelliniInch [Falstaff, Bardolfo, Pistola] 3. Falstaff Act 1 InchMa È Tempo D'assottigliar L'ingegnoInch [Falstaff, Bardolfo, Pistola] 4. Falstaff Act 1 InchL'onore! LadriInch [Falstaff] 5. Falstaff Act 1 InchAlice... Meg... NannettaiInch [Meg, Alice, Quicly, Nannetta] 6. Falstaff Act 1 InchMostro!Inch [Quicly, Alice, Nannetta, Meg, Dr. Cajus, Bardolfo, Ford, Pistola, Fenton] 7. Falstaff Act 1 InchPST, PST. Nannetta. Vien QuaInch [Fenton, Nannetta] 8. Falstaff Act 1 InchFalstaff M'ha Canzonata!Inch [Alice, Meg, Quickly, Nannetta, Fenton] 9. Falstaff Act 1 InchUdrai Quanta Egli SfoggiaInch [Bardolfo, Ford, Pistola, Dr. Cajius, Fenton, Alice, Meg, Nannetta, Quickly] 10. Falstaff Act 2 InchSiam Pentiti E ContritiInch [Bardolfo, Pistola, Falstaff, Quickly] 11. Falstaff Act 2 InchAlice È Mia!Inch [Falstaff, Bardolfo] 12. Falstaff Act 2 InchSignore, V'assista Il Cielo!Inch [Ford, Falstaff, Bardolfo, Pistola] 13. Falstaff Act 2 InchVe Lo DiroInch [Ford, Falstaff] 14. Falstaff Act 2 InchE' Sogno? O Realta?Inch [Ford] 15. Falstaff Act 2 InchEccomi Qua, Son ProntoInch [Falstaff, Ford] 16. Falstaff Act 2 InchPresenteremo Un BillInch [Alice, Quickly, Meg, Nannetta] 17. Falstaff Act 2 InchFra Poco S'incomincia la Commedia!Inch [Alice, Meg, Quickly, Nannetta] 18. Falstaff Act 2 InchAlfin T'ho Colto Raggiante FiorInch [Falstaff, Alice] 19. Fal