Barber: Dover Beach / Songs / String Quartet / Serenade

Thomas Allen (Artist), Samuel Barber (Composer), Roger Vignoles (Performer), Endellion String Quartet (Performer) | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Performer: Roger Vignoles, Endellion String Quartet
• Composer: Samuel Barber
• Audio CD (February 14, 1995)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: EMI Classics Imports
• ASIN: B000002SQA
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #424,252 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

1. Dover Beach Op.3 For Medium Voice And String Quartet

2. Serenade Op.1 For String Quartet: l Un Poco Adagio-Allegro Con Spirito

3. Serenade Op.1 For String Quartet: ll Andante Con Moto

4. Serenade Op.1 For String Quartet: lll Dance (Allegro Giocoso)

5. Three Songs Op.2: The Daisies

6. Three Songs Op.2: With Rue My Heart is Laden

7. Bessie Bobtail

8. Three Songs Op.10: Rain Has Fallen

9. Three Songs Op.10: Sleep Now

10. Three Songs Op.10: I Hear An Army

11. From Four Songs Op.13: Nocturne

12. From Four Songs Op.13: Sure On This Shining Night

13. Solitary Hotel Op.41 No.4

14. Three Songs Op.45: Now Have I Fed And Eaten Up The Rose

15. Three Songs Op.45: A Green Lowland Of Pianos

16. Three Songs Op.45: O Boundless, Boundless Evening

17. String Quartet Op.11: l Molto Allegro E Appassionato

18. String Quartet Op.11: ll Adagio

19. String Quartet Op.11: lll Molto Adagio-Presto

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Baritone of note, September 14, 2000

By 

"brahmsni" (Arlington, VA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Barber: Dover Beach / Songs / String Quartet / Serenade (Audio CD)

This CD is a pleasure to listen to, Thomas Allen brings such understanding and warmth to well loved Barber songs. With such a deep sense of emotion and an absolutely gripping performance,Tomas Allen draws the listener deep into this wonderful music. Samuel Barber wrote this music with these words in mind, "When I am Writing music for words, then I immerse myself in these words, and I let the music flow out of this." Thomas Allen brings elegance and sophistication to these marvelous pieces of music. The endellion String Quartet also puts a good foot forward, capturing the melancholy eloquence of Barber's precious gifts to mankind. All in all this CD is a definite 5 stars and I would suggest it highly to any lover of Samuel Barber's music.

6 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Chamber Music with a Difference, July 5, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Barber: Dover Beach / Songs / String Quartet / Serenade (Audio CD)

For those of you who like chamber music (and some might even start to like it afterwards), but who are fed up with the "old classics", this is a different style, but nontheless not "difficult" to listen to. I especially loved number 1 with the unusual combination of string quartet and male voice. There and in the song numbers, Thomas Allen's beautiful soothing timbre makes this a pleasant listening experience.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Barber from Bristol--a great compliment from excellent British musicians, January 14, 2006

By 

Santa Fe Listener (Santa Fe, NM USA) - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)   

This review is from: Barber: Dover Beach / Songs / String Quartet / Serenade (Audio CD)

On this inspiring 1990 collection Thomas Allen begins with a compelling, deeply sincere performance of Barber's Dover Beach. I don't think I've ever heard an English singer pay such tribute to an Armican composer. The Endellion Quartet, basically unknown in the U.S., plays gorgeously. They perform alone in Barber's Serenade and Quartet #1 (at 7 min. their unaffected Adagio, extracted to beomce the Adagio for Strings, is measured but not overly broad).

The rest of the colleciton consists of a dozen wel-loved songs by Barber, which Allen sings with soft-grained intensity. He doesn't attempt an American accent, which makes little difference. One listen to the famous "Sure on This Shining Night" tells you immediately that Allen is in the emotional world--rhapsodic lyricism with undertones of aching melancholy--that is Barber's own. Roger Vignoble, one of the very best British accompanists, is excellent throughout.

In all, I would say Allen sings these songs with more naturalness than Thomas Hampson in the complete set on DG. A wonderful tribute.