Britten / Rieger: Poet's Journey / Song Cycles of Benjamin Britten

Britten / Rieger: Poet's Journey / Song Cycles of Benjamin Britten - COMPACT DISCS

Britten / Rieger SKU: 36249343
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Title:

Poet's Journey / Song Cycles of Benjamin Britten

Artist:

Britten / Rieger

Label:

Affetto Records

Product Type:

COMPACT DISCS

UPC:

888295729864

Genre:

Classical

Release Date:

2018-06-15

Number of Discs:

1

Every song is a journey: a voyage of the human experience explored through the intersection of poetry and music. In fact, a song serves as a natural extension of the original poem that allows us to experience words in a new and insightful way. A composer of songs is then also a poet: a creator of profound meaning through text, meter, harmony, texture, and lyricism. The great English composer Benjamin Britten (1913-1976) is a prime example. A great lover of poetry throughout his life, and friend to such great poets as W. H. Auden, it is difficult to think of another song composer who consistently chose poems of such high quality and breadth to set to music. Furthermore, Britten seems to fall in line as the rightful successor to Franz Schubert in the way he virtually composes the essence of a poem musically. On this recording by outstanding tenor Eric Rieger and renowned accompanist JJ Penna, we explore the Poet's Journey in three of Britten's most important song cycles, each of which is bound to the works of a great poet: Michelangelo, Thomas Hardy, and John Donne. In each work, we discover Britten's gift of lyricism, superb understanding of the voice, and exceptional pianistic capabilities. One finds a clear reverence to Henry Purcell through the use of florid, expansive setting of text and the use of ancient compositional techniques such as the ground bass. Britten skillfully combines these concepts with modern influences to create something unique and exciting. This album is, without doubt, one of the finest collections of Benjamin Britten's gift to the world of music.

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