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LENNOX BERKELEY (1903-1989) DDD Five Poems, Op. 53 † 9:49 1 ILauds (Among the leaves the small birds sing) 2:04 8.557204 2 II O lurcher-loving collier 2:04 3 III What’s in your mind, my dove, my coney? 1:47 4 IV Eyes look into the well 2:24 5 V Carry her over the water 1:27 BRITTEN 6 Night covers up the rigid land, Op. 14 No. 2 † 2:35 7 Lay your sleeping head, my love, Op. 14 No. 2b † 5:30 BERKELEY

Benjamin Britten (1913-1976) • Lennox Berkeley (1903-1989) den bis dahin unveröffentlichten Vertonungen von 1937 zusammen in Brittens Haus in Snape in der Grafschaft Settings of Poems by W.H. Auden schließlich 1997 unter dem Titel Fish in the Unruffled Suffolk wohnten. 1937 arbeiteten sie an der Lakes: Six Settings of W.H. Auden im Verlag Boosey & Orchestersuite über katalonische Volksmelodien, Mont Benjamin Britten’s post-war pre-eminence as an opera October of the following year, he completed eight Hawkes. Underneath the abject willow ist von Juic, zusammen, und 1938 widmete Britten Berkeley composer has tended to overshadow the considerable further settings, five of which were selected for the besonderem Interesse, da der Text Britten gewidmet ist sein gerade vollendetes Klavierkonzert. Vermutlich achievements of his earlier years. Between his official cycle On This Island, Op.11, for solo voice and piano, – eine unzweideutige sexuelle Einladung Audens an lernte Berkeley durch Britten Audens Gedichte kennen, Opus 1, the Sinfonietta of 1932, written when he was first performed in November 1937 at a BBC den jungen Komponisten. Gleichwohl bleibt Brittens denn seine ersten Auden-Vertonungen, Night covers up nineteen, and the completion of Peter Grimes in 1945, contemporary music concert by the soprano Sophie Vertonung bemerkenswert unpersönlich und wirkt eher the rigid land und Lay your sleeping head, my love he was fluently and prolifically writing works in every Wyss and the composer. The score was published by wie ein kalkuliertes Missverständnis. Die beiden (beide hier eingespielt), datieren aus dieser Zeit. Bei genre, many of which remain far too little known even Boosey & Hawkes in October 1938 and originally Fassungen, die Britten von diesem Lied erstellte, letzterem handelt es sich um ein weiteres Britten today. Among these are five major works involving designated ‘Vol.1’: it seems likely that Britten intended unterscheiden sich vor allem in der Begleitstimme, gewidmetes Gedicht, das dieser jedoch nie vertonte. texts written or devised by the poet W.H.Auden: the to use the three remaining settings in a second volume wobei die spätere Version für Solostimme einfacher (Berkeley folgte Audens Beispiel und dedizierte seine song cycles Our Hunting Fathers (1936) and On This which never materialised. und in ihrer Wirkung direkter ist, obwohl man sich in Vertonung ‚B.B.’) Berkeleys Fassung von Night covers Island (1937), the choral and orchestral Ballad of On This Island was Britten’s first published group beiden Fassungen eines merkwürdig unbeteiligten up the rigid land ist nachdenklicher und statischer als Heroes (1939), the operetta Paul Bunyan (completed in of songs with piano. The set is conceived more as a Ausdrucks nicht erwehren kann. Brittens; sie greift die Stimmung des Gedichts auf und 1941), and the choral Hymn to St Cecilia (1942). In sequence of self-contained vignettes, perhaps reflecting Die Four Cabaret Songs, komponiert zwischen hält sie fest anstatt sie – wie sein jüngerer Kollege es tat addition, Britten set a number of other poems by Auden the recent experience of writing the Variations on a 1937 und 1939, aber erst 1980 veröffentlicht, enthüllen – zu entwickeln. during this period which remained unpublished during theme of Frank Bridge, rather than attempting the quasi- eine andere, unbeschwertere Seite der künstlerischen In seinen 1958 entstandenen Five Poems op. 53 his lifetime and which are included on this disc. symphonic unity of Our Hunting Fathers. They are also Partnerschaft von Britten und Auden. Diese Lieder griff Berkeley noch einmal auf Texte von W.H. Auden Britten and Auden first met in July 1935 when they notably simpler in their relatively orthodox approach to entstanden für Hedli Anderson, bekannt geworden zurück. Interessanterweise waren alle mit Ausnahme were both working for the GPO Film Unit, an word-setting and use of more traditional harmony. durch eine Partie in The Ascent of F6 in dem des ersten Lieds, Lauds, das Auden 1952 geschrieben organization dedicated to the making of educational Perhaps the most striking song is the fourth, Nocturne, Bühnenstück von Auden und Isherwood, für das Britten hatte, bereits zuvor von Britten vertont worden: Carry documentary films. Auden became one of the major which with its daring reliance on the most economical 1937 die Musik geschrieben hatte. The Funeral Blues her over the water ist Teil des zweiten Akts von Paul influences on the young composer and while Britten of musical means sounds perhaps the most personal entstand ursprünglich für diese Produktion (gesungen Bunyan, wo es als Hochzeitslied für Slim und Tiny confessed to being somewhat intimidated by Auden’s note in the work and anticipates the inspired simplicities vom Chor und begleitet von zwei Klavieren und gesungen wird. Obwohl es unwahrscheinlich ist, dass brilliant intellect, it was undoubtedly a partnership of found in such later cycles as Les Illuminations and the Schlagzeug), wurde aber später für Solostimme und Berkeley Brittens Fassung kannte (Paul Bunyan mutual admiration and respect. Their first collaboration Michelangelo Sonnets. Klavier bearbeitet. Tell me the truth about love und verschwand nach der ersten Aufführungsserie in New was for the film Coal Face in 1935, soon followed by In January 1938, Britten completed another setting Johnny sind eindeutig von damals modischen Schlagern York von der Bühne und wurde erst 1974 wieder Night Mail in the following year. It was the success of of a poem from Look, Stranger!, Fish in the unruffled à la Cole Porter beeinflusst, wohingegen die aufgeführt), sind die Ähnlichkeiten zwischen den the latter in particular that encouraged the two men to lakes, which was subsequently published in 1947. Two lautmalerischen Eisenbahngeräusche von Calypso beiden Vertonungen, z.B. der zusammengesetzte embark on projects of a more substantial nature and in further settings, What’s in your mind and a new solo- bereits auf Midnight on the Great Western aus Brittens Rhythmus und die dreifache Wiederholung des Wortes 1936 Auden devised the text for one of Britten’s most voice version of Underneath the abject willow were Thomas-Hardy-Zyklus Winter Words von 1953 ‚agreeably’, frappant. In diesen herrlichen Liedern zeigt important early works, described by the composer as his written during the early 1940s, but remained in hinweisen. Von ähnlich heiterem Charakter ist das sich Berkeley in der gefühlvollen Textbehandlung und real Op.1, the orchestral song-cycle Our Hunting manuscript. These songs, along with the unused settings kurze When you’re feeling like expressing your der Fähigkeit, Worte und Musik zu einer festgefügten Fathers. It was soon after the première of that work at from 1937, were finally published by Boosey & affection, das vermutlich 1935 für einen Werbefilm für Einheit zu verschmelzen, Benjamin Britten ebenbürtig. the 1936 Norfolk and Norwich Festival that Britten Hawkes under the title Fish in the Unruffled Lakes: Six Telefonzellen entstand. acquired a copy of a newly published volume of settings of W.H.Auden in 1997. Underneath the abject Brittens Bekanntschaft mit Lennox Berkeley datiert Lloyd Moore Auden’s poetry entitled Look, Stranger!, two poems willow is particularly noteworthy as the text is dedicated aus der Mitte der 1930er Jahre, als beide eng from which, Underneath the abject willow and Night to Britten and is clearly Auden’s invitation for his miteinander befreundet waren und eine Zeitlang Deutsche Fassung: Bernd Delfs covers up the rigid land, were dedicated to him. He set younger friend to break his natural reticence and the first of these in November 1936 as the second of his abandon himself to the pleasures of the flesh. Yet Two Ballads for two voices and piano. During May and Britten’s jaunty setting of this text is remarkably

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Benjamin Britten (1913-1976) • Lennox Berkeley (1903-1989) impersonal, as if the message is being deliberately 1938, Britten dedicated his recently composed Piano Liedvertonungen nach W.H. Auden misunderstood. The two versions Britten made differ Concerto to Berkeley. It is probable that Berkeley came primarily in their accompaniments, the later solo-voice into contact with Auden’s poetry through Britten as his Durch Benjamin Brittens großartige Nachkriegskarriere Exemplar eines neuerschienenen Gedichtbandes von version being simpler and more direct in effect, but the first Auden settings, Night covers up the rigid land and als Opernkomponist wurden die beachtlichen W.H. Auden mit dem Titel Look, Stranger!. Zwei der strangely detached impression remains the same in Lay your sleeping head, my love (both recorded here) Leistungen seiner früheren Jahre ein wenig in den dort veröffentlichten Gedichte, Underneath the abject both. date from this time. The latter was another poem that Hintergrund gedrängt. Zwischen seinem offiziellen op. willow und Night covers up the rigid land, waren ihm The Four Cabaret Songs, composed between 1937 Auden had dedicated to Britten, but which Britten never 1, der Sinfonietta von 1932, die er als Neunzehnjähriger gewidmet. Britten vertonte das erste dieser beiden and 1939 but not published until 1980, reveal another, set (Berkeley, following Auden’s lead, dedicated his schrieb, und der 1945 vollendeten Oper Peter Grimes, Gedichte im November 1936 als die zweite seiner Two more light-hearted side to the Britten-Auden creative setting ‘To B.B.’). Berkeley’s setting of Night covers up schuf er eine große Anzahl von Werken in allen Ballads für zwei Gesangsstimmen und Klavier. Im Mai partnership. These songs were written for Hedli the rigid land is more pensive and static than Britten’s, Gattungen, von denen viele selbst heute noch viel zu und Oktober des folgenden Jahres vollendete er acht Anderson, a singer specialising in high quality ‘light capturing the mood of the poem and sustaining it wenig bekannt sind. Darunter befinden sich auch fünf weitere Vertonungen, von denen er fünf für den Zyklus music’ who had played the part of The Singer in The throughout, rather than following the more größere Werke nach Texten des englischen On This Island op. 11 für Solostimme und Klavier Ascent of F6, an Auden-Isherwood theatre piece for developmental treatment preferred by his younger Schriftstellers W.H. Auden: die Liederzyklen Our auswählte. Die Uraufführung durch die am Klavier vom which Britten had written the incidental music in 1937. colleague. Hunting Fathers (1936) und On This Island (1937), die Komponisten begleitete Sopranistin Sophie Weiss fand The Funeral Blues (also known as Stop all the clocks) Berkeley returned to Auden for his Five Poems, Ballad of Heroes (1939) für Chor und Orchester, die im November 1937 bei einem BBC-Konzert für was in fact originally written for this production when it Op. 53, composed in 1958. Interestingly, all except the ‚Operette’ Paul Bunyan (vollendet 1941) und die Hymn zeitgenössische Musik statt. Die Partitur erschien im was sung by a choir accompanied by two pianos and first song, Lauds, which Auden wrote in 1952, had been to St Cecilia (1942) für Chor. Darüber hinaus vertonte Oktober 1938 bei Boosey & Hawkes. Der ursprüngliche percussion, but later reworked in a version for solo previously set by Britten. Carry her over the water Britten während dieser Zeit eine Reihe anderer Zusatz ‚vol.1’ lässt vermuten, dass die restlichen drei voice and piano. Tell me the truth about love and features in the second act of Paul Bunyan, where it Gedichte von Auden, die zu seinen Lebzeiten Vertonungen für ein zweites Heft bestimmt waren, zu Johnny are obviously influenced by the popular hits of forms the wedding song for Slim and Tiny. Though it is unveröffentlicht blieben und die in dieser Aufnahme dessen Veröffentlichung es jedoch nie kam. the day (à la Cole Porter), while the onomatopoeic train unlikely that Berkeley would have known Britten’s vorgestellt werden. On This Island war Brittens erster im Druck noises of Calypso, the last to be composed, clearly point setting (Paul Bunyan was withdrawn after its first run of Britten und Auden begegneten sich erstmals im Juli erschienener Liederzyklus mit Klavier. Die forward to Midnight on the Great Western from performances in New York and not revived until 1974), des Jahres 1935, als beide für den GPO Film Unit Werkgruppe ist eher eine Folge in sich abgeschlossener Britten’s Thomas Hardy cycle Winter Words of 1953. In the resemblances between the two settings, such as the arbeiteten, eine Organisation, die pädagogische Vignetten als eine quasi-sinfonische Einheit wie etwa much the same lighter vein is the very brief When compound-time rhythm and the threefold repetition on Dokumentarfilme herstellte. Auden wurde zu einem der Our Hunting Fathers. Die einzelnen Lieder sind auch you’re feeling like expressing your affection, probably the word ‘agreeably’, are striking. In these beautiful wichtigsten Einflüsse im Leben des jungen wesentlich schlichter in ihrer relativ orthodoxen written in 1935 for a GPO promotional film songs, Berkeley reveals himself to be as sensitive as Komponisten, und obwohl Britten gestand, dass er sich Textvertonung und traditionelleren Harmonisierung. encouraging the use of public telephone boxes. Britten in his response to a text, in his ability to mould vom brillanten Intellekt des Schriftstellers Am bemerkenswertesten ist vielleicht noch das vierte Britten had met Lennox Berkeley during the mid- words and music into a strongly unified and affecting eingeschüchtert fühlte, entwickelte sich ihre Lied, Nocturne, das mit seiner durchaus gewagten 1930s and during this period, the two men were on close listening experience. Zusammenarbeit zweifellos zu einer von gegenseitiger musikalischen Ökonomie am persönlichsten wirkt und terms. They shared Britten’s home at the Old Mill in Bewunderung geprägten Partnerschaft. Ihre ersten bereits die inspirierte Schlichtheit späterer Werke wie Snape, Suffolk, for a time, collaborated on an orchestral gemeinsamen Arbeiten waren die Filme Coal Face Les illuminations und die Michelangelo Sonnets suite on Catalan folk tunes, Mont Juic in 1937, and in Lloyd Moore (1935) und Night Mail (1936). Besonders vom Erfolg vorwegnimmt. des letzteren fühlten sich die beiden zu größeren Im Januar 1938 vollendete Britten eine weitere Projekten ermutigt, und 1936 entwarf Auden den Text Vertonung eines Gedichts aus Look, Stranger!, Fish in für eines von Brittens bedeutendsten früheren Werken, the unruffled lakes, das 1947 in einer Druckausgabe das der Komponist als sein eigentliches op. 1 erschien. Zwei weitere Vertonungen, What’s in your bezeichnete, den Liederzyklus Our Hunting Fathers für mind und eine neue Fassung (für Solostimme) von Publishers: Chester Music (1-5, 7) Sopran (Tenor) und Orchester. Kurz nach der Underneath the abject willow wurden in den ersten Boosey & Hawkes Limited (6, 8-12, 13, 16-18, 24) Uraufführung dieses Werks beim Norfolk und Norwich Monaten des Jahres 1940 komponiert, blieben aber The Britten Estate Limited (14, 15) Festival des Jahres 1936 besorgte sich Britten ein Manuskript. Diese Lieder erschienen zusammen mit Faber Music Limited (19-22, 23)

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Della Jones Steuart Bedford

Della Jones, one of Great Britain’s leading mezzo-sopranos was born in Neath and studied at the Royal College of Steuart Bedford is recognised as one of today’s leading experts on the works of Benjamin Britten. As a result of his Music, where she won many prizes including the Kathleen Ferrier Memorial Scholarship. She has appeared with former collaboration with the composer, he has conducted Britten’s operas throughout the world, including the the Royal Opera, Covent Garden, English National Opera, Welsh National Opera, Scottish Opera, and Opera North, world première of Death in Venice in 1973, which was followed by the first recording of the work. From 1974 to and foreign engagements have included performances in the United States, Russia, Japan, Canada and throughout 1998 he was one of the Artistic Directors of the Aldeburgh Festival eventually becoming Joint Artistic Director Europe, with repertoire including leading rôles in Ariodante, Il barbiere di Siviglia, La Cenerentola, Orfeo, with Oliver Knussen. Steuart Bedford has an extensive operatic repertoire and has worked with many of the world’s Carmen, Norma, Les Troyens, Don Giovanni, Salome, Tristan und Isolde, Oedipus Rex, The Rake’s Progress and greatest opera companies including English National Opera, the Royal Opera Covent Garden, Metropolitan Opera, other operas, together with the rôle of Hermia in Britten’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream and of Auntie and Mrs Opera North, Scottish Opera, Opéra de Paris, Brussels Opera, Monte Carlo Opera, Lausanne Opera, San Diego Sedley in the same composer’s Peter Grimes. Her concert appearances include engagements with major British Opera, Santa Fe Opera Festival, Canadian Opera Company, Vancouver Opera, and the Teatro Colón in Buenos orchestras and throughout Europe, with a repertoire that ranges from Britten’s Phaedra to Hindemith’s Sancta Aires. He is also highly regarded for his interpretations of the works of Mozart, with acclaimed performances at the Susanna, Verdi’s Requiem and Songs of the Auvergne. In 1993 she made an acclaimed appearance at the Last Night Garsington Opera and elsewhere. Although opera commitments take up much of his time, Steuart Bedford conducts of the Proms, at the Royal Albert Hall in London, and in 1997 took part in the Gala Concerts as part of the Hand- concert engagements both in Britain and abroad, and has toured Australia, New Zealand, South America and Over Ceremony in Hong Kong. Della Jones also participated in the Bernard Haitink Farewell Performances at the Scandinavia. He has worked with the English Chamber Orchestra (with whom he has toured all over the world), the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, in 2002. Della Jones broadcasts regularly on radio and television both in Scottish Chamber Orchestra, the Philharmonia, Royal Philharmonic, City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, Britain and abroad and has recorded prolifically for all the major record companies. Royal Scottish National Orchestra, Northern Sinfonia, City of London Sinfonia, Teatro Colón, Gurzenich Orchestra, Orchestre National de Bordeaux Aquitaine, Orchestre Philharmonique de Montpellier, Dortmund Philharmonic and the BBC Orchestras. Philip Langridge

Philip Langridge was born in Kent and studied at the Royal Academy of Music in London. He is one of the world’s most distinguished singers, whose musical and dramatic qualities ensure that he is in constant demand throughout Europe, the United States and Japan. In recognition of these qualities, he was made a Commander of the British Empire in the Queen’s Birthday Honours of 1994. He has also received a number of other awards, including the prestigious Olivier Award for Osud, the Singer of the Year Award from the Royal Philharmonic Society and The Worshipful Company of Musicians’ Santay Award. He was awarded the NFMS/Charles Groves Prize 2001 for his outstanding contribution to British Music. His remarkable versatility and command of a wide variety of styles is reflected in his extensive discography, ranging from the early classical period to the present day. These recordings have gained him two Grammy Awards (Moses und Aron, and Peter Grimes), the Gramophone Award (War Requiem) and a Classic CD Award (The Turn of the Screw). On video he can be seen in Peter Grimes, Billy Budd, Idomeneo, La Clemenza di Tito, From the House of the Dead, Wozzeck, Oberon, Jenuºfa and Oedipus Rex, which won the Classical Music Award. International festivals and opera houses with which he is particularly closely associated include Salzburg, the Metropolitan Opera New York, La Scala, Milan, Bayerische Staatsoper, Munich, the Royal Opera House Covent Garden, Glyndebourne, Edinburgh, and the English National Opera. In concert Philip Langridge has appeared with the world’s major orchestras and leading conductors.

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Della Jones Steuart Bedford

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BENJAMIN BRITTEN (1913-1976) On This Island, Op. 11 † 13:20 8 Let the florid music praise! 3:32 Auden Songs 9 Now the leaves are falling fast 1:56 0 Seascape 2:08 ! Nocturne 4:10 On This Island @ As it is, plenty 1:32 # Fish in the unruffled lakes † 2:17 Cabaret Songs $ Night covers up the rigid land † 2:03 % To lie flat on the back † 2:23 Five Poems ^ The sun shines down † 2:03 & What’s on your mind? † 1:50 Fish in the Unruffled * Underneath the abject willow † 1:46 Cabaret Songs * 14:44 Lakes ( Tell me the truth about love 5:35 ) Funeral blues 2:32 ¡ Johnny 4:32 ™ Calypso 2:03 Della Jones, Mezzo-Soprano £ When you’re feeling like expressing your affection * 0:43 ¢ Underneath the abject willow * † 1:54 Philip Langridge, Tenor Della Jones, Mezzo-Soprano * • Philip Langridge, Tenor † • Steuart Bedford, Piano Steuart Bedford, Piano 8.557204 8 CMYK N AXOS Benjamin Britten’s varied output includes a number of works which set texts by W.H. Auden. Britten and Auden first met in 1935 when they were both working for the GPO Film Unit and they soon formed a highly productive creative partnership. On This Island was Britten’s first published group of songs with piano. A number of other Auden settings from this period, including the light-hearted 8.557204 Cabaret Songs, were published after Britten’s death. Lennox Berkeley came into contact with Auden’s poetry via Britten whom he had met in the 1930s. His settings, including the Five Poems op.53, reveal DDD him to be as sensitive and imaginative as Britten in his response to Auden’s verse.

8.557204 BRITTEN • BERKELEY:

Settings of Poems by W.H. Auden Playing Time Lennox 60:57 BERKELEY (1903-1989) 1-5 Five Poems, Op. 53 9:49 6 Night covers up the rigid land, Op. 14 No. 2 2:35 7 Lay your sleeping head, my love, Op. 14 No. 2b 5:30 Auden Songs Benjamin BRITTEN (1913-1976) 8-@ On This Island, Op. 11 13:20

# Fish in the unruffled lakes 2:17 www.naxos.com Made in Canada Booklet notes in English • Kommentar auf Deutsch h h Auden Songs $ Night covers up the rigid land 2:03 & 1998 Pinnacle Entertainment Ltd.

% To lie flat on the back 2:23 g ^ The sun shines down 2:03 2003 HNH International Ltd. & What’s on your mind? 1:50 * Underneath the abject willow 1:46 (-™ Cabaret Songs 14:44 £ When you’re feeling like expressing your affection 0:43 ¢ Underneath the abject willow 1:54

BRITTEN • BERKELEY: Della Jones, Mezzo-Soprano • Philip Langridge, Tenor • Steuart Bedford, Piano

Recorded at St Silas Church, Chalk Farm, London, September 1997 (1-18, 24); Blackheath Concert Halls, London, December 1995 (16-18); Rosslyn Hill Chapel, Hampstead, London (19-23) 8.557204 First issued on Collins Classics in 1998 • World Première Recordings (1, 3-7, 16-18) A detailed tracklist can be found in the booklet. Producer: John H. West • Engineers: Mike Hatch, Geoff Miles • Music Notes: Lloyd Moore

AXOS Cover Image: W.H. Auden by Jeffrey Morgan, Mary Evans / Jeffrey Morgan Collection N