Joseph Duemer asked:
> Do you know Britten's settings of Auden?
>
There's an excellent CD of Philip Langridge and Della Jones singing Auden
settings. This includes not only Britten's versions of the On This Island
collection and the Cabaret Songs (pure joy), but also Lennox Berkeley's very
different settings of some Auden songs. Well worth listening to.
But the Auden/Britten masterpiece is their sort-of-opera Paul Bunyan.
Stunningly inventive music (I always feel Britten got more predictable after
the partnership with Auden broke up) and words that are often Auden at his
best. I've had the piece on tape for years, and love it. The Royal Opera did
a staged version last year, but that was oddly disappointing. But it's a
formidably difficult piece to stage. Paul Bunyan never appears, but is just
an offstage (spoken) voice. More satisfying to just listen to and visualise,
I guess.
The Copland settings of Dickinson are OK, but thin in comparison with his
suite of Old American Songs. Those I could listen to forever.
George
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George Simmers
Snakeskin Poetry Webzine is at
http://www.snakeskin.org.uk
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