This Have I Done for My True Love: Partsongs by Gustav Holst [Import]

Gustav Holst (Composer), Stephen Layton (Conductor), The Holst Singers (Performer), David Theodore (Performer), Robert Truman (Performer), Sioned Williams (Performer) | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Performer: The Holst Singers, David Theodore, Robert Truman, Sioned Williams
• Conductor: Stephen Layton
• Composer: Gustav Holst
• Audio CD (March 1, 1994)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Import
• Label: Hyperion UK
• ASIN: B000002ZTZ
• Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #379,024 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

1. Ave Maria

2. Of One That Is So Fair And Bright

3. A Welcome Song

4. Jesu, Thou The Virgin-Born

5. Terly Terlow

6. Lullay My Liking

7. Bring Us In Good Ale

8. Diverus And Lazarus

9. This Have I Done For My True Love

10. The Princess: Sweet And Low

11. The Princess: The Splendour Falls

12. The Princess: Tears, Idle Tears

13. The Princess: O Swallow, Swallow

14. The Princess: Home They Brought Her Warrior Dead

15. The Princess: Now Sleeps The Crimson Petal

16. The Princess: O Spiritual Pilgrim

17. The Princess: My Sweetheart's Like Venus

18. Two Eastern Pictures: Spring

19. Two Eastern Pictures: Summer

20. Two Eastern Pictures: Light Leaves Whisper

See all 27 tracks on this disc

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars I *really* like this CD, January 22, 2003

By 

L. Mountford (Bellingham, WA United States) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: This Have I Done for My True Love: Partsongs by Gustav Holst (Audio CD)

Like others here, I've heard several recordings of many of these pieces, and I've sung several of them. This is, by far, my favorite recording of a number of them.

If I had to select one of the pieces, it would be "I Love My Love." The performance by the Holst Singers is *perfect* -- the singers are so totally in touch with the text and music that I cannot think of anything they could have done differently that would improve it. You can hear the sad desperation in the young girl's voice as she chants the song's title over and over from her cell in Bedlam through the vibrato-less almost "dead" sound of the sopranos. You can just picture her, driven nearly mad by the cruelty of her love's parents. You can hear the young man's passion as he races to rescue her; her quiet disbelief as she searches for the truth. They just don't write 'em like this anymore, and you won't hear a better interpretation of this anywhere else. The tempo is what it needs to be to convey the emotion and message of the text.

I'll be using this as a "reference" recording for this music from now on. Bravo!!!

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Brilliant!, August 29, 2000

By 

Pascal Tremblay (Québec, Canada) - See all my reviews

This review is from: This Have I Done for My True Love: Partsongs by Gustav Holst (Audio CD)

Well, it seems that some reviewers does not appreciate that CD as mush as I do. Personnaly, I have not heard other interpretations and I ignore all critics based on interpretation. It is useless to do so because that is a question of taste. Think about it: on what can we base ourselves to critic interpretation? There is only an answer: on ther other we heard. Which in particular? The first one. We get used to the first recording we listen to. Thus, any recordings that comes after is simply... not the same. Personnaly, I find this CD quite good, singers are perfect, sound is good and the selection is impeccable. All songs are incredible. A Welcome Song is just so lyric and Lullay My Liking so unforgettable. If I just give 4 stars it is because I cannot assume that ir is the best recording ever since I did not heard other ones (safe for some songs on other Holst's CDs).

4 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Perhaps interpretation differs.... but quality is good., April 19, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: This Have I Done for My True Love: Partsongs by Gustav Holst (Audio CD)

I am a huge conniseur of choral music, and this CD is not as bad as those other people have made it out to be! Yes, some of the songs may have been performed differently than I have, or they have performed it, but then again, why is music performed? We all give our own interpretations of music when we conduct. Who are we to say which interpretation is better than another? It is all personal taste. Do not let those two pessamists dissuade you from trying it out. They generally blend well, they have dynamics and emotion, and they sing in tune, so what are they griping about! I've enjoyed it.