Composer: William Alwyn
Performer: Benedict Nelson, Anna Patalong, Rosie Aldridge, Samuel Sakker
Orchestra: The BBC Symphony Orchestra
Conductor: Sakari Oramo
Audio CD
Number of Discs: 2
Format: FLAC (tracks)
Label: Chandos
Size: 1.87 GB
Recovery: +3%
Scan: yes
Miss Julie :41
01. Orchestral Introduction. Allegro
02. Miss Julie Is Crazy
03. But the Count
04. By God, I’m Thirsty!
05. Kristin, Kristin, Kristin!
06. Well, I’ve Travelled Around
07. There’s a New Dance Starting
08. You Know Why I Came Here Tonight?
09. Midsummer Night, O, Night of Magic
10. I’m Ready, Jean!
11. Orchestral Introduction. Andante sostenuto
12. Kristin, Kristin
13. Now You Can Kiss My Hand
14. That Wouldn’t Do, Either
15. I Have No Time for Dreams
16. Would You Like Me to Dance
17. Playing with Fire
18. You Don’t Know What It Is to Be Poor
19. But You Can Rise, Jean
20. A Lady Went a-Roaming
21. She’s the Queen of the Dance
22. You Can Come Out Now
23. I Know, I Know
24. I Can’t, Not While We’re Still in This House
25. Orchestral Introduction. Lento
26. Never Again!
27. Now Don’t Lose Your Head
28. Scum on the Surface of Water
29. If You Want Me Again
30. If I Only Had Enough Money
31. You Sound So Cruel, Jean
32. Orchestral Interlude. Allegro precipitoso
33. Has She Gone?
34. Whatever You Say, I Know You Were Here with the Mistress
35. Class Is Class, and Don’t You Forget It
36. We’ll Get Married
37. A Pretty Domestic Scene!
38. I Knew I Was Right!
39. There’s Someone Upstairs
40. I’m Ready Now, Jean
41. What the Devil Is That?
42. He’s Killed Her, Killed Her!
43. You’re Mad! You’re Both Mad!
44. Well, Well! So You’re Going to Elope!
45. The Count’s Back!
46. You Can Go, but I Can’t
47. I Must Be Dreaming
48. Kiss Me. Before I Go!
Benedict Nelson (bass-baritone),
Anna Patalong (soprano),
Rosie Aldridge (mezzo-soprano),
Samuel Sakker (tenor)
The BBC Symphony Orchestra
Sakari Oramo
‘Why has this intense, brilliantly orchestrated, claustrophobically gripping masterpiece been so neglected since its 1977 premiere?’ asked Richard Morrison in The Times of the concert performance in the Barbican that preceded this recording. Miss Julie is Alwyn’s last large-scale work, written in 1973-76. Alwyn set his own libretto, based on Strindberg’s 1888 play of that title. The naturalistic drama and lifelike characters of that play appealed to Alwyn from an early age – in fact, he previously attempted to compose an opera on Miss Julie in the 1950s. That attempt failed, because of differences with his then librettist, Christopher Hassall. Alwyn believed that in opera, the action should be self-explanatory, arias should serve a dramatic purpose (as opposed to sheer vocal display), characters should sing to each other and not to the audience, ensembles should be minimised and the text should be set to vocal lines that reflect natural speech patterns. These views were distilled over his extensive career as a film composer, which taught him that music could do more than establish characterisation, suggest mood, and heighten atmosphere: in some cases it could also communicate the unspoken thoughts of an onscreen character even when these were at odds with what he or she was presenting visually. Sakari Oramo and the BBC Symphony Orchestra support an outstanding cast featuring Anna Patalong in the title role in this acclaimed revival of Alwyn’s neglected masterpiece.