Peter Pears sings "Winter Words" - LIVE - RARE!

With Benjamin Britten, composer, at the piano. Words by Thomas Hardy. From a live concert in Argentina, 1967. Here are seven of the eight songs from Britten's cycle. My apologies for the misplaced titles. The first song, "At day-close" is not included! It did not appear on my audio source. Thus the songs are all mistitled. Here is the order of the video:

1. "Midnight on the Great Western" (or The Journeying Boy)
2. "Wagtail and Baby" (A Satire)
3. "The little old Table"
4. "The Choirmaster's Burial" (or The Tenor Man's Story)
5. "Proud Songsters" (Thrushes, Finches and Nightingales)
6. "At the Railway Station, Upway" (or The Convict and Boy with the Violin)
7. "Before Life and after"

Here is a link to a complete live performance with Pears and Britten from 1972: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wzQ0aSVV6j8

More from this recital as well as many more rare performances and recordings by Peter Pears may be found at this link: http://www.youtube.com/user/kadoguy2006#grid/user/56BC9315D6954644

Category:

Music

Tags:

• WINTER
• WORDS
• peter
• pears
• benjamin
• britten

[Dulciethecat]

Wonderful recording, but can you possibly correct the titles on the songs? They're all wrong, very misleading to anyone who doesn't know the work.

[kadoguy2006]

@Dulciethecat Thanks. I knew of the titles being off, but haven't the ability to remake the clip at this point and do not have song #1 "At day-close". I have added a link to a complete 1972 performance uploaded with both of them and also noted in the video description the correct titles. I recommend checking my Pears playlist for more from that recital and many other rare performances.

[SeanMichael12288]

Where did you find this recording? Is it available commercially?

[kadoguy2006]

@SeanMichael12288 I do not believe it is available. I have posted the recital in various clips. See my Peter Pears playlist on my channel page for them and many more rare performances not commercially available.

[jonnydaprice]

This is a fantastic recording! Thanks so much for posting. My version is missing "At Day Close in November," despite the labeling at the beginning. It begins with the doppler of "Midnight on the Great and Western". Do you have 'At Day Close?'

[kadoguy2006]

@jonnydaprice I am sorry! It seems it was omitted from my record.

[psalmtone2008]

Winter Words is available with The Michelangelo Sonnets on London/Decca records...1954 recording. I have sung this set a couple of times in recital. It is amazing stuff.

[Dulciethecat]

kadoguy: I've just discovered your amazing collection of performances this morning. I'm working my way through! Thank you so much.

I understand about the difficulty of altering the titles here.