Hans Werner HENZE
(b.1926)
Sechs Gesänge Aus Dem Arabischen (Six Songs from the
Arabian)
Three Auden
Songs
Ian Bostridge, tenor and Julius
Drake, piano
EMI Classics 7243 5 57112
2 9 DDD
[56:52]
Crotchet
AmazonUK
AmazonUS
There have been many superlatives applied to the vocal artistry of Ian Bostridge
in recent years. Indeed, the Six Songs from the Arabian, here receiving
its world premiere recording, was written by Henze as his own admiring response
to hearing Bostridge for the first time in 1996. That particular performance
was Bostridge's Aldeburgh Festival debut recital and included the Three
Auden Songs also recorded here. I have to say that whilst there are other
recordings by Bostridge which I hold in high esteem (his recording of Vaughan
Williams' On Wenlock Edge is wonderfully evocative), I find his singing
here little short of spellbinding. The depth of tone and range of his voice
are exceptional, the diction crystal clear and the phrasing exquisite.
Henze does of course possess one of the finest operatic pedigrees of any
contemporary composer, a fact that manifests itself clearly by way of the
natural ease with which he deals with his texts. With the exception of a
short passage from Goethe's Die erste Walpurgisnacht in the
first song, and the final song which is a translation by Friedrich Rückert
of a poem by Hafiz, Henze wrote his own words. He tells in the booklet notes
how he was able to manipulate his words as he composed to assist "the musical
argument" although it is to his credit that this does not appear to have
been to the detriment of his literary inspiration. The songs tell the story
of Selim and Fatuma, a couple who reside on the East Coast of Africa and
who are known personally to the composer. Whilst founded on real life situations
the words are heavily imbued with fantastic imagery, sea monsters, witches
and ghosts, although there are also moments of tenderness, as in the final
love song, Paradise. Henze displays a true sense of dramatic invention
in the first two songs as the intrepid sailor Selim wrestles with storms
and high seas. Bostridge takes full advantage, delivering intense, turbulent
performances, full of atmosphere. Particular note should also be made of
Julius Drake's magnificent accompaniment. Henze writes for Bostridge and
Drake very much as a duo and Drake delivers the highly demanding piano part
with great panache and, later on in the work, sensitivity. The third song,
A Sunrise, is again laden with atmosphere, although it is the final
two songs, Fatuma's Lament and Paradise, which have haunted
this particular listener since first hearing them, truly beautiful settings
poignantly sung by Bostridge. This is a substantial work, around forty five
minutes in total, yet both Henze and the two performers have the rare gift
of holding your attention for every second of the journey.
The Three Auden Songs, completed shortly after Henze finished work
on his opera, The English Cat, display distant echoes of the latter,
whilst also demonstrating a remarkable understanding of Auden's poetry. Not
surprising perhaps as Henze had worked closely with Auden as a librettist
and recalls the poet analysing the poem which forms the first song, In
Memoriam L.K.A. 1950-1952 (an elegy for Auden's cat, Lucina). The shadowy
yet elegant waltz like rhythms of the first song give way to a portrait of
the poet Rimbaud in the second song, whilst the third is a delicate
and extremely moving love song, sung once again with wonderful feeling by
Bostridge.
Henze's music is never easy intellectually but this is a hugely rewarding
disc, which positively cries out for repeated listening. The music is outstanding
as are the performances and I am already certain that this will remain one
of my discs of 2001.
Christopher Thomas
