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For more than a century, vocal music was sung in translation as a matter of routine. Constant Lambert’s ‘Rio Grande’ has a splendid German translation of Sacheverell Sitwell, and Benjamin Britten’s ‘On this island’ an even better French translation of W.H. Auden. Richard Strauss’s songs were published in Germany with English words, while Elgar’s songs were provided with German words. The man who started all this intelligibility was William Sterndale Bennett, who in the 1840s and 1850s published in Leipzig and London twelve songs with English and German words, some of them composed originally in German.
Sterndale Bennett’s lyrical gift makes them a delicious addition to the song repertoire. This disc presents all his songs. To these are added Sir Hubert Parry’s unique settings of Shakespeare sonnets, which have two completely different vocal lines for Shakespeare’s words and Bodenstedt’s translation; and four songs by Walter Battison Haynes. English and German words for all the songs are given in the disc booklet, and several of them are performed in both languages.
Sir William Sterndale Bennett (1816–1875) SIX SONGS, op.23 (1842) (World Première recording) |
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1. | ‘Musing on the roaring ocean’ / ‘Brütend über Wog’ und Klippe’ |
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2. | ‘Maienthau’ / ‘May-Dew’ |
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3. | ‘Forget-me-not’ / ‘Vergißmeinnicht’ |
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4. | ‘To Chloe (in sickness)’ / ‘An Chloe als sie krank war’ |
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5. | ‘The Past’ / ‘Entflohenes Glück’ |
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6. | ‘Gentle Zephyr’ |
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7. | ‘Holder Zephyr wenn dein Hauch’ |
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SIX SONGS, op.35 (1855) (World Première recording) | |||
8. | ‘Indian Love’ / ‘Indische Liebe’ |
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9. | ‘Winter’ gone’ / ‘Winters Macht’ |
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10. | ‘Dawn, gentle Flower’ / ‘Keim’, holde Blum’ |
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11. | ‘Castle Gordon’ / ‘Schloß Gordon’ |
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12. | ‘Waldeinsamkeit’ / ‘As lonesome through the woods’ |
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13. | ‘Sing, maiden, sing’ / ‘Sing’, Mädchen, sing’ ’ |
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FOUR SONGS, op.47 (1875) (World Première recording) | |||
14. | ‘Maiden mine’ |
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15. | ‘Sunset’ |
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16. | ‘Dancing lightly’ |
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17. | ‘Stay, my charmer’ |
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Sir Hubert Parry (1848–1918) FOUR SONNETS OF SHAKESPEARE (1887) |
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18. | Sonnet XXIV |
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19. | Sonnet LXXXVII |
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20. | Sonnet XVIII |
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21. | Sonnet XXX |
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Walter Battison Haynes (1859–1900) VIER LIEDER, op.8 (1885) (World Première recording) |
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22. | ‘Vorsatz’ / ‘A Vow’ |
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23. | ‘Gute Nacht’ / ‘Good Night’ |
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24. | ‘Das Heidekind’ / ‘The Child of the Heath’ |
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25. | ‘Das Mädchen spricht’ / ‘A maiden’s request’ |
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Sir Hubert Parry FOUR SONNETS OF SHAKESPEARE |
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26. | Sonnet XXIV |
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27. | Sonnet LXXXVII |
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28. | Sonnet XVIII |
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29. | Sonnet XXX |
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EMR CD028 | INTERNATIONAL
RECORD REVIEW