Sarah Fox, Dame Sarah Connolly, David Butt Philip, Neal Davies, London Mozart Players, William Vann – Parry: Scenes from Shelley’s Prometheus Unbound, Blest Pair of Sirens (2023) [Official Digital Download 24bit/96kHz]

Sarah Fox, Dame Sarah Connolly, David Butt Philip, Neal Davies, London Mozart Players, William Vann – Parry: Scenes from Shelley’s Prometheus Unbound, Blest Pair of Sirens (2023)
FLAC (tracks) 24 bit/96 kHz | Time – 01:10:48 minutes | 1,19 GB | Genre: Classical
Studio Masters, Official Digital Download | Front Cover | © Chandos

Hubert Parry (1848-1918), regarded by many (including Edward Elgar) as the finest English composer since Purcell, and as the father of the modern English tradition, is best known for his hymn Jerusalem (immortalised by the Women’s Institute and English cricket supporters alike!). His anthem I was glad, written for the coronation of Edward VII, in 1902, has been used also at the coronations of George V, Elizabeth II, and Charles III (who is a proclaimed fan of Parry’s music). He taught composition at London’s Royal College of Music from 1883 to 1895, when he succeeded Sir George Grove as director of the College, a post he held until his death. His distinguished list of pupils included Ralph Vaughan Williams, Gustav Holst, Frank Bridge, and John Ireland. Inspired initially by the German romantics Mendelssohn and Schumann, Parry quickly became a devotee of Brahms and Wagner, whose influences can be heard in much of his output. But, from his earliest works, his own individual voice can be heard very clearly. Commissioned for the Three Choirs Festival, in Gloucester in 1880, his Scenes from Shelley’s Prometheus Unbound is just such an early work. The première received a mixed reception, but despite numerous repeat performances, in Cambridge, Oxford, and London, all with rave reviews, the piece sank into obscurity. Vernon Handley gave a performance for BBC Radio 3 in 1980, to mark the centenary of the première, but this world première recording is the first chance for modern audiences to hear this outstanding work.

Tracklist:
01. Sarah Fox, Dame Sarah Connolly, David Butt Philip, Neal Davies, London Mozart Players, William Vann – Scenes from Shelley’s Prometheus Unbound, Part I: No. 1, Maestoso, assai lento (02:40)
02. Sarah Fox, Dame Sarah Connolly, David Butt Philip, Neal Davies, London Mozart Players, William Vann – Scenes from Shelley’s Prometheus Unbound, Part I: No. 2, Monarch of Gods and Dæmons (Prometheus) (01:40)
03. Sarah Fox, Dame Sarah Connolly, David Butt Philip, Neal Davies, London Mozart Players, William Vann – Scenes from Shelley’s Prometheus Unbound, Part I: No. 3, Alas! Ah me! (Prometheus) (02:51)
04. Sarah Fox, Dame Sarah Connolly, David Butt Philip, Neal Davies, London Mozart Players, William Vann – Scenes from Shelley’s Prometheus Unbound, Part I: No. 4, Thrice three hundred thousand years (Voice from the mountains) (02:00)
05. Sarah Fox, Dame Sarah Connolly, David Butt Philip, Neal Davies, London Mozart Players, William Vann – Scenes from Shelley’s Prometheus Unbound, Part I: No. 5, Awful sufferer! (Mercury) (03:57)
06. Sarah Fox, Dame Sarah Connolly, David Butt Philip, Neal Davies, London Mozart Players, William Vann – Scenes from Shelley’s Prometheus Unbound, Part I: No. 6, Prometheus! Immortal Titan! (Chorus of Furies) (04:06)
07. Sarah Fox, Dame Sarah Connolly, David Butt Philip, Neal Davies, London Mozart Players, William Vann – Scenes from Shelley’s Prometheus Unbound, Part I: No. 7, ‘I felt thy torture, son (The Earth) (02:59)
08. Sarah Fox, Dame Sarah Connolly, David Butt Philip, Neal Davies, London Mozart Players, William Vann – Scenes from Shelley’s Prometheus Unbound, Part I: No. 8, From unremember’d ages we (Chorus of Spirits) (04:19)
09. Sarah Fox, Dame Sarah Connolly, David Butt Philip, Neal Davies, London Mozart Players, William Vann – Scenes from Shelley’s Prometheus Unbound, Part I: No. 9, How fair these airborn shapes! (Prometheus) (03:29)
10. Sarah Fox, Dame Sarah Connolly, David Butt Philip, Neal Davies, London Mozart Players, William Vann – Scenes from Shelley’s Prometheus Unbound, Part I: No. 10, Life of Life! (Voices of Spirits) (02:53)
11. Sarah Fox, Dame Sarah Connolly, David Butt Philip, Neal Davies, London Mozart Players, William Vann – Scenes from Shelley’s Prometheus Unbound, Part I: No. 11, Fair are others (Contralto) (03:37)
12. Sarah Fox, Dame Sarah Connolly, David Butt Philip, Neal Davies, London Mozart Players, William Vann – Scenes from Shelley’s Prometheus Unbound, Part II Scene 1: No. 12, Allegro moderato. Ye congregated pow’rs of heav’n’ (Jupiter) (04:16)
13. Sarah Fox, Dame Sarah Connolly, David Butt Philip, Neal Davies, London Mozart Players, William Vann – Scenes from Shelley’s Prometheus Unbound, Part II Scene 1: No. 13, Awful shape, what art thou? (Jupiter) – Eternity (Demogorgon) (02:27)
14. Sarah Fox, Dame Sarah Connolly, David Butt Philip, Neal Davies, London Mozart Players, William Vann – Scenes from Shelley’s Prometheus Unbound, Part II Scene 1: No. 14, Oh, that thou wouldst make mine enemy my judge (Jupiter) (02:15)
15. Sarah Fox, Dame Sarah Connolly, David Butt Philip, Neal Davies, London Mozart Players, William Vann – Scenes from Shelley’s Prometheus Unbound, Part II Scene 1: No. 15, Soon as the sound had ceased (Spirit of the Hour) (04:30)
16. Sarah Fox, Dame Sarah Connolly, David Butt Philip, Neal Davies, London Mozart Players, William Vann – Scenes from Shelley’s Prometheus Unbound, Part II Scene 2: Scenes from Shelley’s Prometheus Unbound, Part II Scene 2: No. 16, The pale stars are gone! (Voice of unseen Spirits) (07:03)
17. Sarah Fox, Dame Sarah Connolly, David Butt Philip, Neal Davies, London Mozart Players, William Vann – Scenes from Shelley’s Prometheus Unbound, Part II Scene 2: No. 17, We come from the mind (Spirits) (02:20)
18. Sarah Fox, Dame Sarah Connolly, David Butt Philip, Neal Davies, London Mozart Players, William Vann – Scenes from Shelley’s Prometheus Unbound, Part II Scene 2: No. 18, Then weave the web of the mystic measure (Chorus of Spirits and Hours) (03:38)
19. Sarah Fox, Dame Sarah Connolly, David Butt Philip, Neal Davies, London Mozart Players, William Vann – Blest Pair of Sirens (09:41)

Personnel:
Sarah Fox, soprano
Dame Sarah Connolly, mezzo-soprano
David Butt Philip, tenor
Neal Davies, baritone
Crouch End Festival Chorus
London Mozart Players
William Vann, conductor

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