Martin, you are a man after my own heart.
My music teacher was taught by Boulanger. Which felt a bit like being in the
apostolic succession.
By the way, anyone know what happened to Russell Oberlin? He just sorta
disappeared.
joanna
----- Original Message -----
From: "MJ Walker" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Friday, March 23, 2007 6:43 PM
Subject: Re: there's chalk ... :DRM/IP -->CC
This is indeed my preferred interpretation of Dowland, which I have on
an old Turnabout LP - one reason why I am not abandoning my turntable.
It is a major priority for CD reissue - it was issued by some French
label & has since become a rarity. I agree about Cuénod, the great quasi
unknown of 20th century vocal interpretation - I have him singing
Schubert & Fauré as well as those Monteverdi recordings with Boulanger.
Miraculously, he seems to be still alive at 104. Then there are Deller,
Russell Oberlin and Pears - not much else to my taste. Unfortunately you
may be right about the uninitiated - I offered a selection of Dowland
recordings to the acquaintance who made my copy of the Sting product,
and she said that her need for the music had been assuaged i.e. it meant
nothing to her.
Shall I sue, shall I seeke for grace...
mj
Mark Weiss wrote:
> If it can be found, Songs and dances of John Dowland (1973), with the
> incomparable Hughes Cuénod, Joel Cohen, and Christiane Jacottet is pretty
> wonderful. Anything Cuénod did is wonderful.
>
>
> At 11:39 AM 3/23/2007, you wrote:
>
>> I've seen him play the lute while singing the songs on three occasions on
>> television.
>>
>> I doubt the album was number one on the untabulated charts of people who
>> actually listen to classical music. I also doubt that his sad renditions
>> will inspire a whole lot of the uninitiated to seek out better
>> performances.
>>
>> But Dowland will probably survive. Hell, Chopin and Tchaikowsky managed
>> to survive Hollywood and Tin Pan Alley.
>>
>> At 11:07 AM 3/23/2007, you wrote:
>>
>>> Well, Mark, on the CD at least it's a genuine lutenist playing on nearly
>>> all the tracks, Sting mainly keeps to "singing" in a dry untrained voice
>>> with a strange pop articulation & accent that does the music no favours
>>> at all. Funny to think it went to No 1 in the "classical charts" & quite
>>> high in the pop charts. "Dowland should sue" - was that an allusive pun?
>>> (cf. Songs Bk.II, No.19)
>>> mj
>>> Mark Weiss wrote:
>>>
>>>>
>>>> On the other hand, Sting has discovered John Dowland, heaven help us.
>>>> Dowland should sue, but so should every lutanist who actually knows how
>>>> to play the instrument.
>>>>
>>>> Mark
>>>>
>>>> A
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> --
>>>
>>> The art of being civilized is the art of learning to read between the
>>> lies. - Kenneth Rexroth
>>
>
--
The art of being civilized is the art of learning to read between the
lies. - Kenneth Rexroth
|