John Paul Jones, Peter Warlock, Thomas Campion, Tony Banks, EJ Moeran, Picforth, Sting; John Potter, Ana Maria Friman, Jacob Heringman, Ariel Abramovich
Reviewed by Robert Hugill on Sep 18 2015
Star rating:
Evocative new lute songs from musicians normally associated with rock music on this fascinating project from John Potter
This new disc on ECM New Series from John Potter very much asks what is a song, and what is the difference between a popular song and an art song. The performers are a fairly standard period line up with John Potter and Anna Maria Friman (voice), and Ariel Abramovich and Jacob Heringman (lute). But the repertoire is anything but. Here three composers best known for writing songs with bands, write lute songs. So we have songs by John Paul Jones, bass player and co-writer with Led Zepplin, by Tony Banks, keyboard player and co-founder of Genesis, and by Sting. Alongside these are songs by Thomas Campion (whose words are also set by Tony Banks), Peter Warlock and Picforth.
Reviewed by Robert Hugill on Sep 18 2015
Star rating:
Evocative new lute songs from musicians normally associated with rock music on this fascinating project from John Potter
This new disc on ECM New Series from John Potter very much asks what is a song, and what is the difference between a popular song and an art song. The performers are a fairly standard period line up with John Potter and Anna Maria Friman (voice), and Ariel Abramovich and Jacob Heringman (lute). But the repertoire is anything but. Here three composers best known for writing songs with bands, write lute songs. So we have songs by John Paul Jones, bass player and co-writer with Led Zepplin, by Tony Banks, keyboard player and co-founder of Genesis, and by Sting. Alongside these are songs by Thomas Campion (whose words are also set by Tony Banks), Peter Warlock and Picforth.
Manfred Eicher, Jacob Heringman, Ana Maria Friman, John Potter, Ariel Abramovich |
Arrangements of Peter Warlock's Sleep and EJ Moeran's AE Houseman setting Oh fair enough are sky and plain are sung by John Potter with the two lutenists. The arrangements are remarkably effective but does rather transform the Sleep bringing out the rather 17th century inspiration for Warlock's art, and Potter does have a tendency to stretch and squeeze the tone.
A trio of songs by Thomas Campion refer to the fact that Tony Banks set two of the same poems, an interesting case of compare and contrast indeed. Here the first two Campion songs are finely sung by Anna Maria Friman, with John Potter taking the third. Both rather bringing out the singer/composer element in the works. Tony Banks' Follow thy fair sun is more explicitly song-like in its melodic outlines with a rather haunting melody sung by John Potter and the accompaniment has hints of 17th century mixed in with the more modern textures. The cypress curtain of the night is similar in style, includes some rather interesting harmonic and melodic movements which are certainly far from a popular song.
The two works by a Mr Picforth, a 16th century composer about whom nothing is known, here they are played by the two lutenists.
Finally we get Sting's Bury me deep in the greenwood which was originally written for the film Robin Hood and sets a poem of Sting's own. It is attractively folk-song like in its combination of artless simplicity and complexity.
The Cd booklet has a selection of photographs and in intriguing and somewhat elusive article by John Potter. There are no words, and you definitely do not need them such is the clarity and communicativeness of the performances.
I loved this disc with its imaginative combination of old and new, and the three popular composers featured certainly have techniques have allowed them to create songs which can stand against their forbears. Their is not doubt that, at this stage of his career, John Potter is managing his voice carefully but he combines this with his familiar musical intelligence about words and music. He is ably partnered by Anna Maria Friman's evocative voice and the superb technique of the two lutenists.
John Paul Jones (born 1948) - Amores Pasados
Peter Warlock (1884-1930) - Sleep
Thomas Campion (1587-1620) - Oft have I sighed
Picforth (16th century) - In nomine 1
Thomas Campion (1587-1620) - The cypress curtain of the night
Tony Banks (born 1950) - Follow thy fair sun
EJ Moeran (1894-1950) - Oh fair enough are sky and plain
Tony Banks (born 1950) - The cypress curtain of the night
Picforth (16th century) - In nomine 2
Sting (born 1951) - Bury me deep in the greenwood
John Potter (voice)
Anna Maria Friman (voice, Hardanger Fiddle)
Ariel Abramovich (lute)
Jacob Heringman (lute)
Recorded Rainbow Studio, Oslo, November 2014
ECM NEW SERIES 2441 4811555 1CD
Elsewhere on this blog:
- Through a romantic lens: Hideko Udagawa in baroque repertoire - Cd review
- Festival finale: King's College Choir & Stephen Cleobury in Mozart's Requiem at Hatfield House - concert review
- On Thrilling Form: English National Opera in Lady Macbeth of Mtsensek - opera review
- London International A Cappella Choir Competition: Heat 2 at St John's Smith Square - concert review
- New orchestra, new concert hall: I chat to Laurence Equilbey about Accentus, Insula and La Cité musicale départementale de l'Ile de Seguin - interview
- Red Note Ensemble: Entangled Fortunes, music of John McLeod - CD review
- Post-Freudian opera: Pierre Bartholomee's Oedipe sur la route - Cd review
- Celebrating 10 years: Stile Antico - Cd review
- Intimate and inward: Mahler songs from Anne Schwanewilms - CD review
- Remarkable engagement between artist and role: Juan Diego Florez in Gluck's Orphee et Eurydic - Opera review
- Building on the Schubert Project: My encounter with Oxford Lieder Festival founder Sholto Kynoch - interview
- Virtuoso drama: Pergolesi's Adriano in Siria from Opera Settecento - opera review
- Engaging discovery: Salieri's Trofonio's Cave from Bampton Classical Opera - opera review
- Lyric melancholy: Ian Venables Song of the Severn - CD review
- Brought to life: Anne Boleyn's Songbook performed by Alamire - concert review
- Monteverdi's L'Orfeo from Jordi Savall - CD review
- Home
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