The Praises of God. To the memory of Mary Evans Scott.
1:01
Un poco allegro
24.
10
The Desire for Hermitage. Calmo e sostenuto
4:03
Total time: 65:49
Notes
James Gilchrist’s theme for this recital, Solitude, is reflected in varied and contrasting ways by the four works. In his booklet note, he describes solitude as ‘A state of being that we need, that perhaps we overlook too easily, that is harder to achieve and harder to endure and understand than we expect’.
Henry Purcell’s O! Solitude, my sweetest choice (in the arrangement by Benjamin Britten) focuses on twin themes of solitude: the peace found in the meditative state and the pain felt by being separated from loved ones.
Schubert’s Einsamkeit represents the importance of solitude as an important theme in the German romantic tradition: yearning for homeland, the lonely wanderer, and separated lovers appear again and again in the poetry, prose, and music of this era. In Under Alter’d Skies, Jonathan Dove explores the unwanted solitude of grief and loss. The cycle sets excerpts of In Memoriam, Alfred Lord Tennyson’s response to the sudden death of his friend Arthur Hallam.
The programme closes with Samuel Barber’s Hermit Songs, settings of the marginal jottings of mediaeval Irish monks as they copied or illuminated manuscripts. These extraordinary texts show the anonymous men, who chose a life of solitude and devotion to God, to be every bit as human as the rest of us!
Please login to post a review
Reviews
Interpretation **** Sound Quality **** Repertoire value *** Booklet ****
“… James Gilchrist and Anna Tilbrook add their persuasiveness and expertise to an absolutely worthwhile overall picture.”
Dr Matthias Lange – Klassick.com – 19 November 2021
“… Recommended.”
David Cutler – Fanfare – March/April 2021
“A most rewarding recital which I hope you’ll enjoy as much as I have.”
John Quinn – MusicWeb-International.com – 14 September 2020
"... Thanks to the interpretative intelligence and emotional immediacy of James Gilchrist and Anna Tilbrook, most of the music seems current, and becomes even more so from reading Gilchrist's own passionately written booklet notes... Gilchrist's fine-etched clarity with the vocal lines and Tilbrook's extraordinary sympathy with piano-writing - along with the Dove cycle -making this disc an apt acquisition for any musical shut-in."
David Patrick Stearns – Gramophone magazine – September 2020
Performance **** Recording ****
“There’s much food for thought in this collaboration of songs on the theme of solitude. Purcell starts us off, with his much-loved, hypnotic ‘O Solitude, my sweetest choice’, a perfect start in James Gilchrist’s sweet-toned, heartfelt performance… The swirling texture of ‘Fair Ship’ suits Gilchrist’s silky legato perfectly. Anna Tilbrook’s handling of the range of pianistic textures is magnificent, from virtuosic turbulence to dignified stillness. It gets still better with ‘Calm is the morn’, Gilchrist’s tone acquiring both warmth and transparency in response to Tennyson’s moving words, with Tilbrook’s pulsing accompaniment beautifully weighted to match… Tilbrook shines … bringing an exciting vividness to the accompaniments to match Gilchrist’s spirited performance.”
Natasha Loges – BBC Music magazine – September 2020
“… Equally compelling is Solitude (Chandos) by James Gilchrist and Anna Tilbrook, a well-established and ever brilliant tenor-piano duo: in addition to Schubert, Barber and Purcell (arr. Britten), Jonathan Dove’s cycle Under Alter’d Skies, a restless and beguiling setting of Tennyson, is the rewarding centrepiece."
Fiona Maddox – The Guardian – 18 July 2020
“…a rewarding programme that repays concentration. Gilchrist is, as ever, a hugely clear and communicative singer, in perfect balance with Tilbrook’s sense of focus and poise, even if at some moments in the Barber the piano seems a bit tasteful when something gaudier is called for. As a team, they are highly effective at building slow-burning tension, shaping long crescendos while holding just a little bit back. In that way, it’s the Purcell that’s arguably the highlight; its ending, with Gilchrist holding the final note as if he’ll never let go, is quietly devastating, a sting in the tail that might be felt especially by those who have recently experienced solitude not by choice. ****
Erica Jeal – The Guardian – 9 July 2020
Media Downloads
Whenever possible we provide a high resolution CD cover image and a PDF version of the CD booklet for you to download and keep. These are found in your history if purchased and once you have logged in.