Horace Stevens sings excerpts from "Maude" by Somervell

Here is the Australian baritone singing four excerpts from Arthur Somervell's song cycle "Maude" set to texts by Tennyson. Somervell, the "English Schumann", was a very successful composer of song. The art of the song recital was relatively new to England at that time. Georg Henschel helped promote the form. The vocal quartet was popular (think Liza Lehmann and the wonderful "In a Persian Garden"). The cycle, "Maude" was a real favorite of the great Irish baritone Harry Plunket Greene. Would that more recordings of that great artist were available!

1. "A voice by the cedar tree" (No. 2)
2. "O that 'twere possible" (No. 12)
3. "O let the solid ground" (No. 4)
4. "Go not, happy day" (No. 7)

Category:

Music

Tags:

• alfred
• lord
• tennyson
• victorian
• song

[Bivolari]

I'll have a pint and a sherry for the lady.