Ryan Wigglesworth, Principal Guest Conductor of the Hallé, conducts his own orchestral works in this first full-length portrait album of his compositions. The album includes the powerful Echo and Narcissus, whose premiere was one of the highlights of the 2014 Aldeburgh Festival. Superbly performed by tenor Mark Padmore and mezzo Pamela Helen Stephen, with a female semi-chorus and the multi-talented Ryan Wigglesworth on piano, this piece sets Ted Hughes' text 'Echo and Narcissus' from his Tales from Ovid.
The poem ‘Keep your eyes open’ by John Berryman is married with poems by Robert Browning, Egon Schiele and Arthur Rimbaud in the song cycle Augenlieder, written for and performed by soprano Claire Booth, with the Hallé. The work receive the vocal prize at the 2010 British Composer Awards.
Locke’s Theatre was commissioned for the BBC Symphony Orchestra and Aldeburgh Festival to celebrate Benjamin Britten's 100th birthday. Aware of Britten’s own revival and adoption of English music, Wigglesworth has drawn inspiration from Matthew Locke, the leading English stage composer in the period before Purcell. Wigglesworth presents arrangements of three of Locke's movements,
interspersed with his own musical responses.
Other works on this disc are the Violin Concerto, performed by Hungarian violinist Barnabás Keleman and A First Book of Inventions for chamber orchestra.
Claire Booth soprano
Pamela Helen Stephen mezzo-soprano
Mark Padmore tenor
Barnabás Kelemen violin
RSVP VOICES
Hallé / Ryan Wigglesworth conductor/piano
AUDIOREVIEWS
'Barnabás Kelemen bringing power and a beauty of tone to the Violin Concerto' BBC Radio 3 Record Review
'Diverse and lyrical, wonderfully performed, this is music you need to hear' Fiona Maddocks, The Observer
‘Echo and Narcissus’ is een eerlijk en krachtig werk en bezit spanning en schoonheid ... Dit is hedendaagse muziek die gehoord moet worden' Opera Nederland
'Echo and Narcissus provides a broad portrait of Wigglesworth's composition and his literature steeped vocal works make for compelling listening.' Limelight Magazine
FUNDERS
With thanks to The Hinrichsen Foundation for supporting NMC’s Hallé Series through its New Initiatives programme.
This release has been enabled by NMC’s generous Producers’ Circle members and through the support of the Hallé, The RVW Trust and Jonathan Groves. The Hallé is grateful for the support of the The Liz and Terry Bramall Foundation.
RECORDING CREDITS
Violin Concerto was recorded live 13 February 2014 at Bridgewater Hall, Manchester
Recording Engineer: STEVE PORTNOI
Augenlieder, Locke’s Theatre and A First Book of Inventions were recorded 27-28 July 2014 and 30 May 2015 at Hallé St Peter’s, Ancoats, Manchester
Recording Producer: JEREMY HAYES
Recording Engineer: STEVE PORTNOI
Echo and Narcissus was recorded 26 February 2015 at All Saints Church, East Finchley, London.
Recording Engineer/Producer: DAVID LEFEBER
Mastering: STEVE PORTNOI
Executive Producer for NMC: COLIN MATTHEWS
(P) 2015 NMC Recordings Ltd
© 2015 NMC Recordings Ltd
Catalogue number: NMC D213
Release Date: 16 October 2015