Iestyn Davies: From Dowland's Lute Songs to Muhly's Old Bones

By Kevin W Ng, 01 April 2014

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Reviewed at Vancouver Playhouse, Vancouver on 30 March 2014

Johnson, Have you seen but a white lily grow?

Johnson, Care charming sleep

Johnson, From the Famous Peak of Derby

Danyel, Grief, keep within

Danyel, Why canst thou not?

Danyel, Can doleful notes?

Campion, Never weather-beaten sail

Dowland, Come Again, My Love

Dowland, In darkness let me dwell

Dowland, Can she excuse my wrongs? The Earl of Essex's Galliard

Dowland, Flow, my tears (Lacrimae Pavane)

Dowland, Frogg Galliard

Dowland, Now, O now I needs must part

Muhly, Old Bones

Iestyn Davies, Countertenor

Thomas Dunford, Lute

Deborah Warner attains her theatrical dream at the Teatro Real

Juan José Freijo, 12th March

Warner once again displays her unquestionable talent onstage and her affinity with Benjamin Britten, although, on this occasion, the musical aspect are not equally satisfactory.

***11

Canadian Opera's Orfeo returns elegant, restrained and very satisfying

John Gilks, 9th October

The restrained beauty of Robert Carsen’s production of Gluck’s Orfeo ed Euridice is matched by musical elegance in its revival current revival at the Four Seasons Centre.

*****

An acrobatic Orpheus and Eurydice in Edinburgh

Roy Westbrook, 13th August

The music plays second fiddle to Australian circus company Circa in Yaron Lifschitz’s production of Gluck's great opera.

***11

Glyndebourne's Saul still packs a punch 10 years on

Nick Boston, 8th June

Returning from the original run, Christopher Purves and Iestyn Davies were joined by a strong cast and chorus for a revival of Barrie Kosky's striking production.

*****

Beauty from Iestyn Davies, energy from Robin Ticciati in Gstaad

David Karlin, 2nd February

Iestyn Davies shows how to make every word count in a fairly standard sampler of Baroque arias; Ticciati is a fireball on the podium with the Chamber Orchestra of Europe.

***11

Flamboyant Christmas Oratorio from Stephen Layton and the OAE

Patrick Maxwell, 22nd December

A star-studded group of soloists and a wonderful choir make for an interesting, if not always convincing, interpretation of Bach's joyous oratorio.

***11

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Kevin W Ng

Kevin writes about music and culture, with a focus on opera. Originally trained as a violinist, he has a particular interest in 20th-century music. He is currently based in New York City.