Britten: Les Illuminations

Release Date: 16th Feb 2015
Catalogue No: BKD226
Label: Linn
Series: ECHO
Length: 72 minutes

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Britten: Les illuminations, Op. 18

Work length22:11

Toby Spence (tenor)
Scottish Ensemble
Clio Gould

Fanfare

Track length2:00

Villes

Track length2:21

Phrase

Track length0:56

Antique

Track length2:08

Royaute

Track length1:36

Marine

Track length1:00

Interlude

Track length2:49

Being Beauteous

Track length3:44

Parade

Track length2:44

Depart

Track length2:53

Britten: Variations on a theme of Frank Bridge, Op. 10

Work length26:22

Scottish Ensemble
Clio Gould
Recorded: 28-40 July 2003
Recording Venue: Caird Hall, Dundee, United Kingdom

Introduction and Theme

Track length1:48

Var. I. Adagio

Track length2:39

Var. II. March

Track length1:06

Var. III. Romance

Track length1:13

Var. IV. Aria italiana

Track length1:20

Var. V. Bourrée classique

Track length1:27

Var. VI. Wiener Waltzer

Track length2:40

Var. VII. Moto perpetuo

Track length1:11

Var. VIII. Funeral March

Track length3:47

Var. IX. Chant

Track length1:29

Var. X. Fugue and Finale

Track length7:42

Britten: Serenade for Tenor, Horn & Strings, Op. 31

Work length23:59

Martin Owen (horn), Toby Spence (tenor)
Scottish Ensemble
Clio Gould
Recorded: 28-40 July 2003
Recording Venue: Caird Hall, Dundee, United Kingdom

No. 1. Prologue

Track length1:26

No. 2. Pastoral

Track length3:03

No. 3. Nocturne

Track length3:52

No. 4. Elegy

Track length4:27

No. 5. Dirge

Track length3:24

No. 6. Hymn

Track length2:03

No. 7. Sonnet

Track length3:57

No. 8. Epilogue

Track length1:47

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This recording brings together three youthful masterworks all composed by Benjamin Britten before his 30th birthday.

Originally released in 2005 Britten: Les Illuminations has been re-issued as part of Linn’s ECHO series which offers a second chance to enjoy the best of the label’s award-winning catalogue.

These are highly insightful performances, widely considered to be modern reference versions to set next to Britten's own.

Clio Gould and the ensemble demonstrate playing of impressive unanimity of purpose, joyous intensity and clarity of detail.

The ensemble is joined by the Royal Philharmonic Society’s 2012 ‘Singer of the Year’ Toby Spence, for two of Britten’s most popular song cycles. Toby Spence’s voice is ideally suited to the wide-ranging demands that Britten makes on it; his tonal freshness and acutely observed articulation of the words are absorbing.

Martin Owen, whose horn playing has drawn comparisons with Dennis Brain, is equal to every one of the near-impossible tasks set him by Britten in the Serenade.

Re-defining the string orchestra, Scottish Ensemble inspires audiences with vibrant and powerful performances. SE is the UK’s only professional string orchestra, built around a core of twelve outstanding string players.

The ensemble is known both in the UK and internationally for its versatility and ambitious programming.

Performing standing up, the individual layers bring an energetic and passionate dynamic to every performance.

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