We start with Lennox Berkeley’s 5 Housman Songs, written in 1940, simply after Britten and Berkeley had parted firm as Britten selected Pears. That Berkeley wrote the songs for Britten and Pears, and that he selected a few of Housman’s later, extra explicitly gay lyrics together with the profoundly indicative ‘As a result of I appreciated you higher’, it isn’t shocking that the songs went right into a drawer, solely to be resurrected 35 years later when Pears gave the manuscript to Peter Dickinson and Ian Partridge for efficiency. They’re terrific. Lyrical but spiky and all with a exceptional depth to them. The primary, ‘The half-moon westers low’ is lyrical but darkish, the voice over a flowing piano. ‘The road sounds to the troopers’ tread’ places the lyrical voice over a march, ‘He wouldn’t keep for me’ is quiet and concentrated, ‘Look not in my eyes’ is mild and cell, while ‘As a result of I appreciated you higher’ is quiet and intense.

Written for the 1965 Aldeburgh Competition, Berkeley’s Songs of the Half-Gentle had been commissioned by Pears who premiered them with guitarist Julian Bream. They set poems by Walter de la Mare, then a deeply retro poet. Right here, Robin Tritschler is joined by guitarist Sean Shibe. ‘Rachel’ is mild, dancing but advanced, the sound world half method between English lyricism and European complexity. ‘Full Moon’ is intense and quiet, and really nocturnal in really feel. ‘All that is previous’ appears flowing and lyrical, but will not be easy in any respect. We return to the nocturnal with ‘The Moth’, quietly mesmeric with great descriptive writing within the guitar. Lastly, ‘The Fleeting’ which pits Tritschler’s expressive, unaccompanied voice in opposition to the Spanish guitar flurries. All through, the ambiance can solely be described as Britten-esque and the poet’s fondness for the themes of childhood and the will to return to it may additionally maybe be seen as indicative.

Written in 1940, Britten’s Seven Sonnets of Michelangelo had been the primary songs he wrote particularly for Pears’ voice. All however one of many sonnets had been write by Michelangelo for Tommaso de’ Cavalieri, the younger aristocrat that Michelangelo was obsessed with. ‘Sonetto XVI’ introduces us to Tritschler’s depth of line and vivid tone when singing these, together with Malcolm Martineau’s splendidly sturdy but sympathetic piano. Tritschler’s Italian is idiomatic and vibrant but with out that diploma of relish that some singers convey. ‘Sonetto XXXI’ is detailed and cell, Britten virtually permitting himself to write down one thing quasi-melodic, and right here we strategy closest maybe to Liszt’s Petrarch Sonnets. ‘Sonetto XXX’ provides us a extremely concentrated opening, each performers relishing Britten’s virtually main/minor conflict and hypnotic method. ‘Sonetto LV’ is rhythmic and vivid, each performers utilizing rhythm to create depth and agitation, but because the music unfolds this appears to unspool. ‘Sonetto XXXVIII’ is a form of extremely private serenade, Tritschler’s shapely but intimate vocal line matched by the vividness of Martineau’s taking part in and we may positively hear this on the guitar. ‘Sonetto XXXII’ is a blinding verbal tour de drive, that hurries on, tripping over itself. Lastly, ‘Sonetto XXIV’ is splendidly affirmatory, Tritschler bringing exceptional focus and brightness to the unaccompanied strains, partnered by Martineau’s sturdy piano, but we finish on a observe of tenderness. As Tritschler’s booklet observe makes clear, we are able to learn one other story into the cycle, because the songs appear to kind a story of Britten coming to phrases together with his homosexuality.

Arthur Oldham is probably greatest often called a stupendous choir coach, forming the Edinburgh Competition Refrain and quite a lot of different choirs. However he was additionally Britten’s solely pupil although he appears to have had a disaster of confidence and gave up music for whereas. His 5 Chinese language Lyrics had been written in 1945 when he was finding out with Britten. Britten and Pears carried out the songs a number of occasions and recorded three of them.

Below the Pondweed introduces us to the songs very Britten-ish ambiance, the extremely efficient piano writing and the attention-grabbing lyrical writing for the voice. The outcome, combining phrases and music, is very mysterious. The Herd Boy’s Music is vividly chattery, while Fishing and The Pedlar of Spells are tiny however filled with great character. The elegantly light A Mild Wind finishes issues with a fragile ambiance, besides because the music progresses issues change into considerably extra disturbing.

Peter Pears first met Richard Rodney Bennett at Morley School in 1955 the place the tenor awarded the younger composer first prize in a music competitors. Pears’ commissioned Tom O’Bedlam’s Music and premiered in 1965 with cellist Joan Dickson (pianist Malcolm Martineau’s aunt). Right here Tritschler is joined by cellist Philip Higham. The work units an nameless textual content from round 1600, a traditional ‘mad music’. Bennett units it utilizing his serial method, but a sublime lyricism disguises this. The outcome has lyrical moments but violent ones too, with the cello half seemingly virtually impartial from the voice. Bennett’s use of twelve-tone method highlights Tom’s waywardness and unpredictability.

Largely self-taught as a composer, Geoffrey Bush does not match neatly into a selected faculty or clique, but he wrote songs all through his composing profession. His Songs of the Zodiac had been written in 1989 and devoted to the reminiscence of Pears and Britten. They had been premiered by Anthony Rolfe Johnson and Graham Johnson. The songs set poems by surrealist poet David Gascoyne (1916-2001), a Salisbury faculty buddy of Bush. The songs are quirky and characterful, each brief and the composer dazzling with the best way he strikes by means of moods and feelings. Gascoyne’s poems typically describe the astrological character and typically the terrestrial character. The outcomes are extremely distinctive and strongly colored, with the singer’s talking of every title (one thing specified by the composer) offering an attention-grabbing punctuation.

There are different songs that might have been included on the disc, I’d like to have heard Ronald Stevenson’s Border Boyhood (written for Pears in 1970). However the repertoire gives a sign of Pears’ vary, while the primary three cycles have that whiff of autobiographical reference which makes all of them the extra intriguing.

Tritschler sings all through with nice sensitivity allied to exceptional depth and energy. His consideration to the phrases is paramount and I can consider few tenors who may handle to evoke Peter Pears’ exceptional consideration to and sympathy for the textual content while remaining very a lot themselves. His finely partnered by Malcolm Martineau, bravely however winningly entering into Britten’s not inconsiderable footwear, plus vivid performances from Sean Shibe and Philip Higham.

It is a disc that makes you suppose, one thing encourage by Tritschler’s intensive and extremely smart booklet notes, but in addition satisfies as a recital in its personal proper.

Lennox Berkeley (1903-1989) – 5 Housman Songs (1940)
Lennox Berkeley – Songs of the Half-Gentle (1956)
Benjamin Britten (1913-1976) – Seven Sonnets of Michelangelo (1940)
Arthur Oldham (1926-2003)) – 5 Chinese language Lyrics (1945)
Richard Rodney Bennet (1936-2021) – Tom O’Bedlam’s Music (1961)
Geoffrey Bush (1920-1998) – Songs of the Zodiac (1989)
Robin Tritschler (tenor)
Malcolm Martineau (piano)
Sean Shibe (guitar)
Philip Higham (cello)
Songs with piano recorded 24-26 September 2021, Wyastone Property, others recorded 31 October 2021, St Augustine’s Church, Kilburn
SIGNUM CLASSICS SIGCD774 1CD [73.25]