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A Britten Festival of Song II: The Song-Cycles | Glenn Gould Studio, Toronto
A Britten Festival of Song II: The Song-Cycles | Glenn Gould Studio, Toronto
Song-cycles, folksong arrangements and duets by Benjamin Britten
Date: May 7, 2013
The second concert in A Britten Festival of Song presented the three cycles which were composed specifically for female voices, together with folksong arrangements and interspersed with duets. Brief narrative material recounted the Artistic Directors’ friendship and work with two of the singers for whom Britten wrote, Nancy Evans (mezzo) and Galina Vishnevskaya (soprano).
| SONG | ARTIST | COMPOSER | POET |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sound the trumpet (Six Duets) | Mercer, Shannon, soprano; Platts, Susan, mezzo; Ubukata, Bruce, piano | Purcell, Henry, real. Britten, Benjamin | Tate, Nahum ? |
| Let the florid music praise, Op.11/1 (On This Island) | Mercer, Shannon, soprano; Ralls, Stephen, piano | Britten, Benjamin | Auden, Wystan Hugh |
| Now the leaves are falling fast, Op.11/2 (On This Island) | Mercer, Shannon, soprano; Ralls, Stephen, piano | Britten, Benjamin | Auden, Wystan Hugh |
| Seascape, Op.11/3 (On This Island) | Mercer, Shannon, soprano; Ralls, Stephen, piano | Britten, Benjamin | Auden, Wystan Hugh |
| Nocturne, Op.11/4 (On This Island) | Mercer, Shannon, soprano; Ralls, Stephen, piano | Britten, Benjamin | Auden, Wystan Hugh |
| As it is, plenty, Op.11/5 (On This Island) | Mercer, Shannon, soprano; Ralls, Stephen, piano | Britten, Benjamin | Auden, Wystan Hugh |
| Cradle Song, Op.41/1 (A Charm of Lullabies) | Platts, Susan, mezzo; Ubukata, Bruce, piano | Britten, Benjamin | Blake, William |
| The Highland Balou, Op.41/2 (A Charm of Lullabies) | Platts, Susan, mezzo; Ubukata, Bruce, piano | Britten, Benjamin | Burns, Robert |
| Sephestia’s Lullaby, Op.41/3 (A Charm of Lullabies) | Platts, Susan, mezzo; Ubukata, Bruce, piano | Britten, Benjamin | Greene, Robert |
| A Charm, Op.41/4 (A Charm of Lullabies) | Platts, Susan, mezzo; Ubukata, Bruce, piano | Britten, Benjamin | Randolph, Thomas |
| The Nurse’s Song, Op.41/5 (A Charm of Lullabies) | Platts, Susan, mezzo; Ubukata, Bruce, piano | Britten, Benjamin | Philip, John |
| Mother Comfort (Two Ballads) | Mercer, Shannon, soprano; Platts, Susan, mezzo; Ralls, Stephen, piano | Britten, Benjamin | Slater, Montague |
| Underneath the abject willow (Two Ballads) | Mercer, Shannon, soprano; Platts, Susan, mezzo; Ralls, Stephen, piano | Britten, Benjamin | Auden, Wystan Hugh |
| Sweet Polly Oliver | Platts, Susan, mezzo; Ubukata, Bruce, piano | English folksong, arr. Britten, Benjamin | anon. |
| Ca’ the yowes | Platts, Susan, mezzo; Ubukata, Bruce, piano | Scottish folksong, arr. Britten, Benjamin | Burns, Robert |
| The trees they grow so high | Platts, Susan, mezzo; Ubukata, Bruce, piano | Somerset folksong, arr. Britten, Benjamin | anon. |
| The Last Rose of Summer | Platts, Susan, mezzo; Ubukata, Bruce, piano | Irish folksong, arr. Britten, Benjamin | Moore, Thomas |
| Come you not from Newcastle? | Platts, Susan, mezzo; Ubukata, Bruce, piano | English folksong, arr. Britten, Benjamin | anon. |
| Ekho, Op.76/1 (The Poet’s Echo) | Mercer, Shannon, soprano; Ralls, Stephen, piano | Britten, Benjamin | Pushkin, Alexander |
| Ja dumal, serdce pozabylo, Op.76/2 (The Poet’s Echo) | Mercer, Shannon, soprano; Ralls, Stephen, piano | Britten, Benjamin | Pushkin, Alexander |
| Angel, Op.76/3 (The Poet’s Echo) | Mercer, Shannon, soprano; Ralls, Stephen, piano | Britten, Benjamin | Pushkin, Alexander |
| Solovej i roza, Op.76/4 (The Poet’s Echo) | Mercer, Shannon, soprano; Ralls, Stephen, piano | Britten, Benjamin | Pushkin, Alexander |
| Epigramma, Op.76/5 (The Poet’s Echo) | Mercer, Shannon, soprano; Ralls, Stephen, piano | Britten, Benjamin | Pushkin, Alexander |
| Stikhi, sochinjonnyje nochju vo vremja bessonnicy, Op.76/6 (The Poet’s Echo) | Mercer, Shannon, soprano; Ralls, Stephen, piano | Britten, Benjamin | Pushkin, Alexander |
| Cradle Song – ENCORE | Mercer, Shannon, soprano; Platts, Susan, mezzo; Ralls, Stephen, piano | Britten, Benjamin | Blake, William |
| Quand j’étais chez mon père – ENCORE | Mercer, Shannon, soprano; Platts, Susan, mezzo; Ralls, Stephen, piano | French folksong, arr. Britten, Benjamin | anon. |