Sitwell and Walton -- Facade with Edith Sitwell and Peter Pears

[Juicelee777ssj]

this is my first time ever hearing this and being a rapper myself to hear this is actually quite amazing

[Gideondreyer]

O thank you so much.

[julesthemadman]

My literary education always caused me to regard Sitwell as crap. However, I find her fascinating, also her youngest brother Sacheverell.

[PhillipLWilcher]

Edith Sitwell : "Why not be one's self? That is the whole secret of a successful appearance. If one is a greyhound, why try to look like a pekingese....I am as highly stylised as it is possible to be."

She was one of the most musical of poets.

[prothalamium]

Fabulous

[IAMLFO]

Agreed with 8ccc. Although Sitwell's poetry stands on its own it does not come to life fully until coupled with Walton's incredible score. This recording of Sitwell and Pears has no equal. Genius.

[GrezH]

Blimey. These recordings are the same ones that I was obsessed by at the age of 15/16 all those years ago. Still fresh as a daisy and fantastic to listen to - lovely collages of cascading words read beautifully by Edith Sitwell and Peter Pears.

This is superb. Any chance of Tarantella and Popular Song too?

:-)

[Nijmegen1955]

SmilingPessimist... THANX SO MUCH for uploading this wonder !

Dame Edith and Peter Pears.

A lucky listener here...

[omegaman59]

Well Noel Coward could be wrong !, So much of what his sycophant cronies applauded as his "celebrated wit" , was in reality often vulgar and spiteful sarcasm......

[everinchoiring]

was 'Daphne' ever recited?

[SuperMouthwash]

This is the version you need to understand if you are ever to understand Facade (or English Surrealism).

All subsequent performances treat Facade like a piece of fun. This ruins the joke.

[8cccpeevostokzempf]

Walton did with/for Dame Edith as Thompson did for/with Gert Stein.

Surrealisme at its absolute finest. and most beautiful.

[johneunson]

this was the recording that introduced me to facade. all other recordings came as an anti climax. noel coward slated this after attending the first performance. i cant understand that,

[runupahill1]

My heartfelt thanks to you, SmilingPessimist. I've had this Collins recording for years, in a very bad reproduction: the horns and winds kept drowning poor Pears. I've given up on finding the Prausnitz with Sitwell and Horner. Now you've restored, for me, the full wondrous joyful celebration of Dame Edith's spunky poetry, and have earned my undying gratitude.

[LocoMole]

"El - cherry red" records released a cd of it last year along with a 1920s recording of it

[penbird896]

Many thanks for this. One of my favourite things but this is the only version I enjoy.

[partheniaparthenia]

Heavents, heavenly.

[Troybeallad]

Facade should be heard more. Edith Sitwell's voice is unique.