Elgar: Falstaff, Orchestral Songs and Grania & Diarmid Roderick Williams, BBC Philharmonic Orchestra & Andrew Davis

• Edward Elgar (1857 - 1934): Falstaff, Op. 68:
• 1 Falstaff, Op. 68: I. Falstaff & Prince Henry 03:09
• 2 Falstaff, Op. 68: IIa. Eastcheap 02:54
• 3 Falstaff, Op. 68: IIb. Gadshill - The Boar's Head - Revelry & Sleep. Allegro molto 09:21
• 4 Falstaff, Op. 68: IIc. Revelry & Sleep. Molto tranquillo 01:14
• 5 Falstaff, Op. 68: IId. Dream Interlude 02:36
• 6 Falstaff, Op. 68: IIIa. Falstaff's March 02:58
• 7 Falstaff, Op. 68: IIIb. The Return Through Gloucestershire 01:27
• 8 Falstaff, Op. 68: IIIc. Interlude. Gloucestershire, Shallow's Orchard 01:34
• 9 Falstaff, Op. 68: IIId. The New King - The Hurried Ride to London 01:06
• 10 Falstaff, Op. 68: IVa. King Henry V's Progress 03:29
• 11 Falstaff, Op. 68: IVb. The Repudiation of Falstaff, and His Death 06:00
• Song Cycle, Op. 59:
• 12 Song Cycle, Op. 59: No. 3, O Soft Was the Song 01:52
• 13 Song Cycle, Op. 59: No. 5, Was It Some Golden Star? 02:10
• 14 Song Cycle, Op. 59: No. 6, Twilight 02:22
• 2 Songs, Op. 60 (Version for Voice & Orchestra):
• 15 2 Songs, Op. 60 (Version for Voice & Orchestra): No. 1, The Torch 02:37
• 16 2 Songs, Op. 60 (Version for Voice & Orchestra): No. 2, The River 03:56
• Grania & Diarmid, Op. 42:
• 17 Grania & Diarmid, Op. 42: I. Moderato 03:22
• 18 Grania & Diarmid, Op. 42: II. Funeral March 06:48
• The Wind at Dawn (Version for Voice & Orchestra):
• 19 The Wind at Dawn (Version for Voice & Orchestra) 03:13
• Pipes of Pan (Version for Voice & Orchestra):
• 20 Pipes of Pan (Version for Voice & Orchestra) 03:48
• Pleading, Op. 48 (Version for Voice & Orchestra):
• 21 Pleading, Op. 48 (Version for Voice & Orchestra) 02:23
• The King's Way (Version for Voice & Orchestra):
• 22 The King's Way (Version for Voice & Orchestra) 04:05
• Smoking Cantata:
• 23 Smoking Cantata 00:49
• Total Runtime 01:13:13

Info for Elgar: Falstaff, Orchestral Songs and Grania & Diarmid

Sir Andrew Davis takes his multi-award-winning Elgar discography to the next level with breathtaking interpretations of Falstaff, Elgar’s most accomplished and characteristic work, and several orchestral songs, with exemplary support from the BBC Philharmonic.

Owing to its technical challenges and more complex harmonic language, the composer always had a high opinion of Falstaff, saying that he had enjoyed writing it ‘more than any other music I have ever composed and perhaps for that reason it may prove to be among my best efforts’. His earlier music for Grania and Diarmid pays tribute to the Irish legend of Diarmuid and Gráinne; the Funeral March is probably Elgar’s noblest creation, and echoes the popular Pomp and Circumstance Marches.

The various less well-known songs, given heroic interpretations by the baritone Roderick Williams OBE, span the multiple facets of Elgar’s style, from the stern and dramatic impressions of Op. 60 to the satirical and impish jollity of ‘Kindly do not SMOKE’

“...This profusely inventive late score is so full of brilliant, colourful atmospheric music ... The performances of the songs are ardent, warm and full of conviction. As ever Roderick Williams sounds completely on the composer’s side... A fine effort all round, recording very much included ...” (Stephen Johnson, BBC Music Magazine)

“... This one of the finest Falstaff’s I have heard for years. It is beautifully played and recorded and Sir Andrew judges the mercurial changes in tempi and Elgar’s sound to perfection. I need add little to the comments above about Roderick Williams. His diction is immaculate and the way he shades his voice to cover the various and very different songs is magical. These are some of the finest performances of opus 59 and 60 I have heard and, in these capable hands (Williams, Davis and the BBCPO), Elgar emerges as a great songwriter. Thank you Chandos; this is a superb recording!” (Andrew Neill, Elgar Society Journal)

Roderick Williams, baritone
BBC Philharmonic Orchestra
Andrew Davis, conductor

Roderick Williams
sings a wide repertoire, from baroque to contemporary music, in the opera house, on the concert platform, and in recital. He has performed in all the major opera houses in the United Kingdom and is particularly associated with the baritone rôles of Mozart. He has also sung world premières of operas by David Sawer, Sally Beamish, Michael van der Aa, Robert Saxton and Alexander Knaifel. Williams sings concert repertoire with all the BBC orchestras as well as the Bournemouth Symphony, London Sinfonietta, Philharmonia Orchestra, Royal Scottish National Orchestra, Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin, Russian National Orchestra, and Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France, among many others. His festival appearances include the BBC Proms, Edinburgh, Cheltenham, Aldeburgh and Melbourne. Roderick Williams is also a composer and has had works performed at the Barbican Centre, the Purcell Room, and Wigmore Hall.

Booklet for Elgar: Falstaff, Orchestral Songs and Grania & Diarmid