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

By Timothy Robson, 28 March 2021

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“a brilliant masterclass in the art of singing – and reading – in English”

Reviewed at Leeds Town Hall, Leeds on 27 March 2021

Ireland, Earth’s Call

Warlock, My own country

Clarke, Down By The Salley Gardens

Howells, King David

Trimble, Green Rain

Vaughan Williams, The House of life: no. 2 Silent Noon

Head, A Green Cornfield

Ireland, Spring will not wait

Gurney, The fields are full

Traditional, Ma Bonny Lad

Clarke, The Seal Man

Arne, Under the Greenwood Tree

Maconchy, Ophelia's Song

Korngold, Four Shakespeare Songs Op.31: Desdemona's Song

Horowitz, Lady Macbeth, a scena

Schubert, Am See "In des Sees Wogenspiele" (Bruchmann), D.746

Schubert, Auf dem Wasser zu singen (Stolberg), D.774

Schoenberg, Waldsonne Op.2

Wolf, Mörike-Lieder, no. 13: Im Fruhling

Wolf, Mörike-Lieder, no. 17: Der Gärtner

Wolf, Mörike-Lieder, no. 6: Er ist's!

Kitty Whately, Mezzo-soprano

Joseph Middleton, Piano

Madelaine Newton, Actor

Kevin Whately, Actor

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

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

Lullabies and dreams from Connolly and Middleton

Nick Boston, 6th August

The perfect invitation to daydream on a hot afternoon.

*****

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Timothy Robson

We are saddened to learn of the death of Tim Robson, a long-time Bachtrack contributor (2012-21). Tim was an organist in Cleveland, Ohio and his repertoire extended to all musical periods, with a special interest in contemporary music. As a blogger he was a regular contributor to ClevelandClassical.com. In his parallel career as a librarian, Tim was Associate Director for Academic Engagement at the Kelvin Smith Library of Case Western Reserve University. Our condolences to his family.

Kitty Whately and Joseph Middleton offer a superb recital of English song at Leeds Lieder