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Britten: Albert Herring

Christopher Gillett (Albert), Josephine Barstow (Lady Billows), Gerald Finley (Sid), Ann Taylor (Nancy), Felicity Palmer (Florence Pike), Robert Lloyd (Budd), Peter Savidge (Mr Gedge), Della Jones (Mum), Susan Gritton (Miss Wordsworth), Stuart Kale (Mr Upfold)

Northern Sinfonia, Steuart Bedford

Vivid as Hickox's traversal of the score for Chandos may be, Bedford's is just that much more alert, crisper. With his long experience of Britten in the theatre, dating back to Death in Venice... — Gramophone Classical Music Guide, 2010 More…

Release Date: 4th Feb 2003
Catalogue No: 8660107-08
Label: Naxos
Series: Opera Classics
Length: 2 hours 21 minutes

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Contents

Britten: Albert Herring

2:21:35

$44.00

$52.80

Robert Lloyd (baritone), Christopher Gillett (tenor), Josephine Barstow (soprano), Felicity Palmer (mezzo-soprano), Della Jones (mezzo-soprano), Susan Gritton (soprano), Peter Savidge (baritone), Ann Taylor (mezzo-soprano), Stuart Kale (tenor), Gerald Finley (baritone)
Northern Sinfonia
Steuart Bedford
Recorded: 11-15 August 1996
Recording Venue: All Saint's Church, Gosforth, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, UK

Act I Scene 1: Florence!

4:14

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Act I Scene 1: I hope we’re not too early

3:01

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Act I Scene 1: Stuffy! Tobacco stink!

2:28

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Act I Scene 1: Now then! Notebook, Florence!

2:53

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Act I Scene 1: The first suggestion on my list

4:15

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Act I Scene 1: Is this all you can bring?

2:52

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Act I Scene 1: Beggin' your pardon

6:05

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Act I Scene 1: Right! We’ll have him!

2:51

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Act I Scene 1: Interlude

3:12

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Act I Scene 2: Bounce me high, bounce me low

3:03

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Act I Scene 2: Shop! Hi Albert!

3:41

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Act I Scene 2: Sid, I’m sorry

5:12

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Act I Scene 2: Hi Sid! You forgot to pay for the herbs

3:56

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Act I Scene 2: Good morning, young man

1:37

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Act I Scene 2: We bring great news to you

2:43

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Act I Scene 2: Well! Think of that, my lad!

2:38

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Act II Scene 1: Interlude - Isn’t he here?

2:28

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Act II Scene 1: For three precious weeks

0:54

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Act II Scene 1: That’s a fine sight for sore eyes!

2:56

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Act II Scene 1: Quickly, quickly, come along!

3:21

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Act II Scene 1: I don’t think you ought

1:06

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Act II Scene 1: Quick, here they

2:36

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Act II Scene 1: Hush! Harold Wood!

2:42

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Act II Scene 1: I’m full of happines

3:06

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Act II Scene 1: Magnificent, your Ladyship

1:57

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Act II Scene 1: Fascinating, Mr Mayor

2:24

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Act II Scene 1: To make our thanks complete

1:29

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Act II Scene 1: Go on, Albert!

1:50

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Act II Scene 1: Well tried Albert!

2:57

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Act II Scene 1: Interlude

7:10

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Act II Scene 2: Albert the Good

6:30

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Act II Scene 2: Sounds like Sid serenading

5:04

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Act II Scene 2: Heaven help those

5:20

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Act II Scene 2: Albert! Fast asleep, poor kid

2:56

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Act III Interlude

2:20

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Act III: Is she asleep?

3:09

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Act III: What the hell d’you think I am?

1:47

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Act III: How’s the manhunt?

5:45

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Act III: Hi! Heard the news?

3:01

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Act III: Threnody - In the midst of life is death

4:49

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Act III: Albert?

2:54

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Act III: I can’t remember everything

4:41

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Act III: I didn’t lay it on too thick, did I?

1:42

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Presto’s founder Maurice Millward sifts through a treasure-chest of Britten recordings and offers his thoughts on which paint the best portrait of this influential genius.

Reviews

2010

Vivid as Hickox's traversal of the score for Chandos may be, Bedford's is just that much more alert, crisper. With his long experience of Britten in the theatre, dating back to Death in Venice under the composer's aegis, his timing carries unique authority and, in better sound than the old Decca set can now offer, he even has the edge over the composer's obviously definitive reading. Bedford's players are at least as accomplished as Hickox's, and are caught in a more immediate, less reverberant acoustic.
As for the singers, in almost every case Bedford's are the equal of, or superior to, Hickox's and several surpass Britten's. For instance, Albert was never one of Peter Pears's happiest assumptions; Christopher Gillett makes a more credible mother's boy and does well when he decides to break loose. Where the crucial role of Lady Billows is concerned, Josephine Barstow's commanding performance may not quite be on a par with Sylvia Fisher for Britten, but the difference is small. Susan Gritton gives us a dotty and cleanly sung Miss Wordsworth (Margaret Ritchie, the role's creator, must have sounded like this), Robert Lloyd is a simpleton of a Budd (as well sung as any), and Felicity Palmer makes a wonderfully fussy Florence Pike.
It only remains to laud once again the score's many delights as regards technical mastery and subtle characterisation, and to suggest you hurry off to enjoy a real bargain.

2010

Gillett in the title-tole has a clear, youthful-sounding tenor...What secures the set's success is the way that in the ensembles Bedford secures such crispness, wittily lifting rhythms, making the music swagger. At the Naxos reissue price this is a phenomenal bargain

March 2014

Steuart Bedford elicits crisp and witty playing from the Northern Sinfonia, with an outstanding cast headed by Christopher Gillett as a believably youthful Albert and Josephine Barstow suitably gorgon-like as the formidable Lady Billows. Felicity Palmer is on stentorian form as her housekeeper, Gerald Finley is raffish and sensual as Sid, and Susan Gritton's sweetly twittery schoolmistress stands out amongst the village worthies.

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