Lullabies and dreams from Connolly and Middleton

By Nick Boston, 08 August 2018

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“Connolly sounded truly distraught, almost crazed”

Reviewed at Cadogan Hall, London on 6 August 2018

Stanford, A soft day

Parry, Weep you no more, sad fountains

Vaughan Williams, The House of Life – ‘Love-Sight’

Gurney, Thou didst delight my eyes

Somervell, Into my heart an air that kills

Bridge, Come to me in my dreams

Howells, Goddess of Night

Bridge, Journey's end

Britten, A Sweet Lullaby (world première)

Britten, Somnus (world première)

Holst, Journey's End

Britten, A Charm of Lullabies

Illean, Sleeplessness ... Sails (BBC commission: world première)

Turnage, Farewell (world première)

Dame Sarah Connolly, Mezzo-soprano

Joseph Middleton, Piano

Frauenliebe und -sterben: Kratzer’s triple bill at Staatsoper Hamburg

Mengguang Huang, 15th April

Director Tobias Kratzer engineers a haunting pasticcio of Schumann, Bartók and Zemlinsky, tracing the domestic sphere’s shift from romantic surrender to the blood-soaked secrets of a century-spanning house.

****1

Marianne Crebassa: potent and versatile at Leeds Song

Richard Wilcocks, 12th April

Accompanied by Joseph Middleton, Marianne Crebassa performs an exquisite recital of Debussy, Mahler, Mompou and Ravel.

*****

A soul-shaking Winterreise from Mark Padmore and Joseph Middleton

Simon Thompson, 27th June

This year's East Neuk Festival features all three of Schubert's song cycles, but this Winterreise was the one that gripped the heart.

*****

An evening of song from La Belle Époque with Veronique Gens

Simon Thompson, 10th September

One of the Lammermuir Festival's miniature miracles: Véronique Gens and Joseph Middleton present an evening of French chansons in the East Lothian countryside.

****1

The Other Eden: superb recital of English song at Leeds Lieder

Timothy Robson, 27th March

Kitty Whately’s parents, Kevin Whately and Madelaine Newton, joined the mezzo and pianist Joseph Middleton, reading poetry to illuminate the themes of the song groups.

****1

Ravel's friends and rivals at Wigmore Hall

Kevin W Ng, 15th September

Mary Bevan’s bewitching soprano is the star of a glorious programme of music by Ravel and his contemporaries.

***11

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Nick Boston

Nick has an MA in Music, specialising in performance and repertoire. His particular passions are choral music, chamber music and opera, with a particular interest in early music. He sings in a number of choirs in the south east of England, plays the piano and occasionally dusts off the violin. He writes about music here.

Blissful daydreams on a hot afternoon: lullabies and dreams from Connolly and Middleton