This two-disc set entitled An Anthology of English Song is just what it says it is: a very generous collection of 53 selections drawn from 13 separate discs of songs by English composers from Stanford to Britten. Some were first issued in the '90s on the late Collins label. Some were first issued in the 2000s on the vibrant Naxos label. But all are superbly sung by the cream of English art song singers. The performances here are each superlative in their own ways and some of them compare with the best ever made. Simon ...
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This two-disc set entitled An Anthology of English Song is just what it says it is: a very generous collection of 53 selections drawn from 13 separate discs of songs by English composers from Stanford to Britten. Some were first issued in the '90s on the late Collins label. Some were first issued in the 2000s on the vibrant Naxos label. But all are superbly sung by the cream of English art song singers. The performances here are each superlative in their own ways and some of them compare with the best ever made. Simon Keenlyside's clarion interpretation of Vaughan Williams' "The Call" thrills the heart. Philip Langridge's magical interpretation of Holst's "Now in these fairylands" touches the imagination. Bernadette Greevey's witty interpretation of Bax's "Oh dear, what can the matter be" tickles the funny bone. And Felicity Lott's haunting interpretation of Walton's "Beatriz's Songs" lingers long in the memory. While some of the repertoire is fairly recherché -- Liza Lehmann, Arthur Somervell, and...
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