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Madrigali Dell'Estate - Music for Voice
Stephen McNeff

Clare McCaldin

Madrigali Dell'Estate - Music for Voice

Price: € 19.95
Format: CD
Label: Champs Hill
UPC: 5060212590541
Catnr: CHRCD 053
Release date: 29 January 2016
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Label
Champs Hill
UPC
5060212590541
Catalogue number
CHRCD 053
Release date
29 January 2016
Album
Artist(s)
Composer(s)
EN

About the album

This new release of world premiere recordings is the result of composer Stephen McNeff and mezzo-soprano Clare McCaldin's shared interest in the Italian poet Gabriele d'Annunzio, born in Abruzzo, 150 years ago this year. A controversial figure, he was one of Italy's bad boys; lover of actress Eleonora Duse, a collaborator with Debussy and librettist for Mascagni and sometime rival of Mussolini (who very probably tried to have him assassinated).

Clare initially asked Stephen for songs to premiere at a Royal Opera House recital and he set short extracts from d'Annunzio's poems Undulna and Psiche Giacente, which he called collectively Farfalle di Neve and this Italian poetry was something Stephen found both natural and strangely exotic to set to music.

The poems of Madrigali dell'Estate, which form a more substantial song-cycle, again commissioned for a recital at the Royal Opera House, trace the end of summer slowly giving way to autumn and are located geographically in a specific area near the mouth of the Motrone river in Abruzzo - a region that Stephen has come to know and love - which at first sight seemed like an untouristic Tuscany with its hill towns and mountains. Abruzzo is actually rather more rugged, some parts almost deserted.

Encouraged by the success of these settings, Stephen and Clare again worked together to extend the theme, this time in English, for a commission for the Presteigne Festival. A Voice of One Delight retells the events surrounding Shelley's death,along with his friend Williams,in the bay of La Spezia on 8 July 1822. Louis Edouard Fournier's highly romanticised painting The Funeral of Shelley (1889) provided the original inspiration and the presence of female onlookers in the background suggested that the story might be told from a woman's point of view.

To round-off the Italian cycle Stephen returned to Abruzzo to write some new settings of traditional folk songs in dialect with the help of a friend and her grandmother, who he describes as embodying "both the humour and fortitude of the people in the hill towns".
Clare McCaldin read Modern Languages at Clare College, Cambridge and initially had a career in advertising before turning to singing. Since then she has appeared as a soloist all over the UK and in Europe, on-stage and in concert. In addition to her reputation presenting established repertoire, Clare is recognised for her advocacy of new work.

Stephen McNeff studied composition at The Royal Academy of Music and initially established a reputation as a theatre composer. In 2004 the success of his opera for young people Clockwork, based on Philip Pullman's book, and staged at the Linbury Theatre, Royal Opera House, widened his reputation, as did his appointment the following year as the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra's "Composer-in-the-House".

Artist(s)

Clare McCaldin (vocals)

Clare read Modern Languages at Clare College, Cambridge and initially had a career in advertising before turning to singing. Since then she has appeared as a soloist all over the UK and in Europe, on-stage and in concert. In addition to her reputation presenting established repertoire, Clare is recognised for her advocacy of new work. She has premiered music by Hugh Wood, Cheryl Frances-Hoad, Cecilia McDowell, Brian Irvine, Alexander l’Estrange and Rachel Stott, and created roles and scenes for Errollyn Wallen (Opera North and Royal Opera), Stephen McNeff (WNO) and Luke Styles and Sasha Siem at Aldeburgh. She has an extensive discography and recently recorded Miss Tina in Michael Hurd’s The Aspern Papers (Ulster Orchestra/Vass). Her interest in exploring non-traditional ways to present vocal works...
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Clare read Modern Languages at Clare College, Cambridge and initially had a career in advertising before turning to singing. Since then she has appeared as a soloist all over the UK and in Europe, on-stage and in concert. In addition to her reputation presenting established repertoire, Clare is recognised for her advocacy of new work. She has premiered music by Hugh Wood, Cheryl Frances-Hoad, Cecilia McDowell, Brian Irvine, Alexander l’Estrange and Rachel Stott, and created roles and scenes for Errollyn Wallen (Opera North and Royal Opera), Stephen McNeff (WNO) and Luke Styles and Sasha Siem at Aldeburgh. She has an extensive discography and recently recorded Miss Tina in Michael Hurd’s The Aspern Papers (Ulster Orchestra/Vass). Her interest in exploring non-traditional ways to present vocal works led to Clare’s collaboration with director Joe Austin to create a staged version of A Voice Of One Delight in a piano version, for Tête à Tête: the Opera Festival.
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George Vass (conductor)

Andrew West (piano)

Philippa Mo (violin)

Composer(s)

Press

Play album Play album
01.
Madrigali Dell'Estate: Implorazione
03:24
(Stephen McNeff) Clare McCaldin, Sarah-Jane Bradley, Kathryn Thomas, Philippa Mo, Suzanne Willison-Kawalec, Jonathan Byers, Andrew West
02.
Madrigali Dell'Estate: La sabbia del Tempo
02:13
(Stephen McNeff) Clare McCaldin, Sarah-Jane Bradley, Kathryn Thomas, Philippa Mo, Suzanne Willison-Kawalec, Jonathan Byers, Andrew West
03.
Madrigali Dell'Estate: L’orma
02:55
(Stephen McNeff) Clare McCaldin, Sarah-Jane Bradley, Kathryn Thomas, Philippa Mo, Suzanne Willison-Kawalec, Jonathan Byers, Andrew West
04.
Madrigali Dell'Estate: All’alba
03:44
(Stephen McNeff) Clare McCaldin, Sarah-Jane Bradley, Kathryn Thomas, Philippa Mo, Suzanne Willison-Kawalec, Jonathan Byers, Andrew West
05.
Madrigali Dell'Estate: A mezzodi?
02:41
(Stephen McNeff) Clare McCaldin, Sarah-Jane Bradley, Kathryn Thomas, Philippa Mo, Suzanne Willison-Kawalec, Jonathan Byers, Andrew West
06.
Madrigali Dell'Estate: In sul vespero
01:28
(Stephen McNeff) Clare McCaldin, Sarah-Jane Bradley, Kathryn Thomas, Philippa Mo, Suzanne Willison-Kawalec, Jonathan Byers, Andrew West
07.
Madrigali Dell'Estate: L’incanto circeo
03:34
(Stephen McNeff) Clare McCaldin, Sarah-Jane Bradley, Kathryn Thomas, Philippa Mo, Suzanne Willison-Kawalec, Jonathan Byers, Andrew West
08.
Madrigali Dell'Estate: Il vento scrive
02:40
(Stephen McNeff) Clare McCaldin, Sarah-Jane Bradley, Kathryn Thomas, Philippa Mo, Suzanne Willison-Kawalec, Jonathan Byers, Andrew West
09.
Madrigali Dell'Estate: Le lampade marine
03:16
(Stephen McNeff) Clare McCaldin, Sarah-Jane Bradley, Kathryn Thomas, Philippa Mo, Suzanne Willison-Kawalec, Jonathan Byers, Andrew West
10.
Madrigali Dell'Estate: Nella belletta
03:34
(Stephen McNeff) Clare McCaldin, Sarah-Jane Bradley, Kathryn Thomas, Philippa Mo, Suzanne Willison-Kawalec, Jonathan Byers, Andrew West
11.
Madrigali Dell'Estate: L’uva greca
03:28
(Stephen McNeff) Clare McCaldin, Sarah-Jane Bradley, Kathryn Thomas, Philippa Mo, Suzanne Willison-Kawalec, Jonathan Byers, Andrew West
12.
Farfalle Di Neve
07:01
(Stephen McNeff) Clare McCaldin, Sarah-Jane Bradley, Kathryn Thomas, Philippa Mo, Suzanne Willison-Kawalec, Jonathan Byers, Andrew West
13.
A Voice Of One Delight: Part 1 - Livorno (1)
06:57
(Stephen McNeff) Clare McCaldin, Sarah-Jane Bradley, Kathryn Thomas, Philippa Mo, Suzanne Willison-Kawalec, Jonathan Byers, Andrew West
14.
A Voice Of One Delight: Part 2 - Livorno (2)
05:40
(Stephen McNeff) Clare McCaldin, Sarah-Jane Bradley, Kathryn Thomas, Philippa Mo, Suzanne Willison-Kawalec, Jonathan Byers, Andrew West
15.
A Voice Of One Delight: Part 3 - Lerici
02:46
(Stephen McNeff) Clare McCaldin, Sarah-Jane Bradley, Kathryn Thomas, Philippa Mo, Suzanne Willison-Kawalec, Jonathan Byers, Andrew West
16.
A Voice Of One Delight: Part 4 - Via Reggio
07:50
(Stephen McNeff) Clare McCaldin, Sarah-Jane Bradley, Kathryn Thomas, Philippa Mo, Suzanne Willison-Kawalec, Jonathan Byers, Andrew West
17.
Three Abruzzo Folk Songs: Lu Sant'Antonie
02:45
(Stephen McNeff) Clare McCaldin, Sarah-Jane Bradley, Kathryn Thomas, Philippa Mo, Suzanne Willison-Kawalec, Jonathan Byers, Andrew West
18.
Three Abruzzo Folk Songs: Tutte li fundanelle
01:51
(Stephen McNeff) Clare McCaldin, Sarah-Jane Bradley, Kathryn Thomas, Philippa Mo, Suzanne Willison-Kawalec, Jonathan Byers, Andrew West
19.
Three Abruzzo Folk Songs: La fija me
03:27
(Stephen McNeff) Clare McCaldin, Sarah-Jane Bradley, Kathryn Thomas, Philippa Mo, Suzanne Willison-Kawalec, Jonathan Byers, Andrew West
show all tracks

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