Customer Reviews

Songs By Roger Quilter

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This is an interesting recital of songs, not all of them first-rate, but I find I go back to it again and again. Martineau is a sensitive, intelligent accompanist. John Mark Ainsley treats each song, and his audience, with respect. At no stage do you get the idea the singer is more important than the songs. The disc is worth it just for "Damask Roses" and "Brown is My Love" (slightly less than two and a half minutes between them)

Vocal music majors will be familiar with Quilter's lovely art-songs, but what a pity they are not better known to the general music loving public. With their delightful melodies and emotionally expressive harmonies of the piano accompaniments grafted to texts by Shakespeare, Jonson,Shelley,Tennyson,Stevenson, and others, these songs are true comfort music -- all the more so as sung by the warm and sensitive lyric tenor of John Mark Ainsley. Just when you think Quilter couldn't possibly write a more beautiful and affecting song, wonders continue to follow wonders with each successive selection. The beauty of this music is truly addictive, and I never seem to tire of this CD. The more I listen, the more enchanted I am.

'Songs by Roger Quilter', with its oh so appropriate William Morris patterned jacket art is, on the surface, exactly what you expect from the English art song. And, one's first reaction is 'Pretty, but not great'. But, then it starts to grow on you.

One of the biggest surprises is the fact that some of the least interesting pieces are based on Shakespeare's verses. And, some of the best are from poems translated from German into English.

Then, you get to the traditional 'Barbara Allen' and you start to appreciate the debt chamber music can owe to traditional folk tunes. And, you can appreciate from the similarities, the greatness of Stephen Foster, who did almost exactly the same kind of material as Quilter.

One can only wonder if Schubert's Lieder sound like these works to a native German. I think not. Schubert is still more 'beautiful', but Quilter is not a bad way to wile away an hour every once in a while.