NEW RELEASE INFORMATION

THE COMPLETE DELIUS SONGBOOK – VOLUME 2

MARK STONE, STEPHEN BARLOW, PIANO

CD RELEASE DATE: 17 January 2012

Stone Records is delighted to announce the concluding CD in a two-disc series that comprises the first complete recording of the songs of (1862-1934) for voice and piano. Produced in association with 217 Records and supported by the Delius Society and the Ireland Trust, the series is being released in time for the 150th anniversary of the composer’s birth.

This second volume, which includes 20 première recordings, features all Delius’ songs to German, French, Swedish and Danish texts, the Scandinavian being sung in English translation. Delius was a polyglot, and he drew inspiration from the poetry of many nations, composing music in idiomatic styles for each language. His strikingly bold Nietzsche settings are completely different to his delicate French songs, and his Danish settings, including The violet and Silken shoes, have more in common with the Norwegian works of disc one.

Stone is critically acclaimed for his performances on stage and in concert and his forthcoming engagements include his debut for Cologne , concerts around Europe, and return visits to the , Covent Garden and The Opera Company of Philadelphia. In recital with Barlow, he has been described as "a baritone of extraordinary elegance and unforced expressiveness... versatile in his response to the varying stylistic demands” with Barlow “accompanying his voice with a genuine feeling for tone-colour and shape". This disc was the result of a long period of research and preparation by both artists and is an important first for Delius enthusiasts and a must-hear for anyone interested in English song.

CRITICAL ACCLAIM “Baritone Mark Stone has it all: a terrific technique, theatrical presence and a voice guaranteed to tingle bits of your spine never tingled before.” “English love”, Classic FM magazine

“This is not a recital restricted to one vocal hue. Each song is looked at and receives relevant response from both singer and pianist... He introduces so much by way of nuance and colour to make this a very interesting and fulfilling programme, one which is well recorded.” “English love”, International record review

CONTINUES OVERLEAF

MEDIA CONTACT: Mark Stone at Stone Records Ltd Tel: 07595 534350 Email: [email protected] NEW RELEASE INFORMATION

BIOGRAPHIES Mark Stone studied at King’s College, Cambridge and the Guildhall School of Music and Drama. In addition to his roles with Covent Garden, , ENO, WNO and , he has also performed for the opera houses of Milan, Berlin, Philadelphia, Santa Fe, Toronto, Stockholm, Leipzig, , Montpellier, Tel Aviv and New Zealand. In concert he has appeared with the Berlin Rundfunk Orchestra, Danish Radio Orchestra, Netherlands Radio Philharmonic Orchestra, Galicia Symphony Orchestra, Oviedo Symphony Orchestra, Bamberg Symphony Orchestra, LSO, Hallé, Manchester Camerata, Gabrieli Consort and the .

Stephen Barlow was a boy chorister at Canterbury Cathedral, won the Organ Scholarship to Trinity College‚ Cambridge and studied at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama. In the UK he has conducted at Covent Garden, Glyndebourne, ENO, Scottish Opera and Opera North. Abroad he has conducted for Vancouver Opera, San Francisco Opera, Florida, Miami, Victoria State Opera‚ Auckland‚ Melbourne, State Opera of South Australia, Berlin, Sicily‚ Tirana and Riga. He has conducted most of the major UK orchestras and further afield‚ concert appearances have taken him to Aarhus‚ Adelaide‚ Amsterdam‚ Belgrade‚ Bilbao‚ Brisbane‚ Copenhagen‚ Detroit‚ Johannesburg‚ Lausanne‚ Lille and Perth. www.stonerecords.co.uk

ENDS

Artists: Mark Stone (baritone) & Stephen Barlow (piano) Disc: The complete Delius songbook – volume 2 Label: Stone Records Catalogue number/barcode: 5060192780109 Release date: 17 January 2012 Track Listing: 1. The violet 18. La lune blanche 2. In the seraglio garden 19. Chanson d’automne 3. Silken shoes 20. Avant que tu ne t’en ailles 4. Autumn 21. Two brown eyes* 5. Irmelin 22. Der Fichtenbaum* 6. Noch ein Mal* 23. O schneller, mein Ross 7. Nach neuen Meeren* 24. Chanson de Fortunio* 8. Der Wandrer* 25. Mit deinen blauen Augen* 9. Der Einsame* 26. Ein schöner Stern* 10. Der Wandrer und sein Schatten* 27. Hör’ ich das Liedchen klingen* 11. We laughed when days were merry* 28. Nuages* 12. I hear in the night* 29. Traum Rosen* 13. Let springtime come 30. The page sat in the lofty tower* 14. Black roses* 31. Dreamy nights* 15. Summer landscape 32. Summer nights (On the sea shore) 16. Il pleure dans mon cœur 33. Through long, long years (Red roses)* 17. Le ciel est, par-dessus le toit 34. Wine roses* *première recording

MEDIA CONTACT: Mark Stone at Stone Records Ltd Tel: 07595 534350 Email: [email protected]