Release Date: 12 January 1999
Label: Naxos - Nxc / Naxos Classics
Packaging Type: Jewel Case
No of Units: 1
Barcode: 636943426326
Genres: Classical
Composer/Series: GRAINGER
Description
Percy Grainger(1882-1961) The Power of LovePercy Aldridge Grainger was a musician of unusual breadth and visionwhose interests encompassed Aboriginal to Zulu music by way of twelfth-centurypart-songs, Javanese gamelan orchestras, folk-song collecting from Britain,Scandinavia and the Pacific Islands and composers ranging from Bach and Dowlandto Duke Ellington, Gershwin and Richard Strauss. Born in Brighton, a suburb ofthe Australian city of Melbourne on 8th July, 1882, he was christened GeorgePercy Grainger and was brought up and tutored mainly by his mother Rose. At theage of ten he gave his first public recital. Three years later, he and hismother sailed for Europe where the young Grainger enrolled at the HochConservatorium in Frankfurt, Germany. From here mother and son travelled toEngland, and settled in London between 1901 and 1914. During this productiveperiod, Grainger's life as a concert pianist blossomed. In 1905 Graingerattended lectures given by Lucy Broadwood of the Folk-Song Society and thesespurred him into frenzied activity as a collector in his own right. His firstcompositions were experimental in nature, works for huge orchestras and unusualcombinations of instruments are to be found amongst these, but he subsequentlymodified his style in the popular British Folk-Music Settings and Room-MusicTit Bits. At the outbreak of World War I, Grainger and his mother left forAmerica where he settled until his death in 1961. The ever-green andever-popular Country Gardens (BFMS No.22) dates from Grainger's periodin the U.S. army in which he, in spite of his pacifist convictions, happilyenlisted as a bandsman. He improvised on the tune at a Liberty Loan pianorecital and its instant popularity when published, secured Grainger a never-endingflow of royalties. Inevitably it overshadowed his other works, which caused thecomposer much disquiet. The orchestral version recorded here was made by AdolfSchmidt.Grainger's love of folk-song led him to Denmark, where, with the veteranDanish folklorist, Evald Tang Kristensen he collected material between 1922 and1927. From this, Grainger put together his Danish Folk-Song Suite. Thefour movements which make up this suite are The Power of Love, whichtells of a young girl whose clandestine lover is set upon by her sevenbrothers, all of whom he kills. Returning to the girl, he asks if she stillloves him, to which she answers: 'Even had you killed my old father as well, Iwould still follow you.' The second movement, Lord Peter's Stable-Boy isa sturdy dance-song which tells the story of Little Kirsten who dons maleattire because she wants to be a courtier at the Dane-King's castle. She asksfor employment as a stable-boy. The royal court is much taken aback when, nineyears later, this stable-boy gives birth to twins. The Nightingale and theTwo Sister, is based on two Danish folk-songs. The Nightingale is,in reality a maiden who has been bewitched by the spells of her wickedstepmother. A knight captures the nighting
Tracklisting
Dariia Lytvishko
Baltimore Symphony Orchestra; Marin Alsop
Alice Di Piazza; Basel Sinfonietta; NDR Bigband; Titus Engel
Anna Alas i Jove; Miquel Villalba
David Childs; Black Dyke Band; Nicholas Childs
Rlpo:Rlp Choir:Petrenko
Robert Barto
Rlpo:Petrenko
