Coming Soon,
Simon Keenlyside sings show-tunes
Though he's been very busy in terms of complete opera and oratorio recordings over the past few years, it's been a while since we had the pleasure of a solo disc from the charismatic British baritone Simon Keenlyside, and his next project takes him in an slightly unexpected direction: songs from the shows! Due out on Chandos Records in November, Something's Gotta Give will include numbers from Carousel, Oklahoma, My Fair Lady, Fiddler on the Roof, Oliver!, and songs by Cole Porter and Jerome Kern.
Keenlyside will be accompanied by David Charles Abell and the BBC Concert Orchestra; his natural communicative style, gift for characterisation and ability to do humour as well as pathos are sure to pay dividends in this repertoire and we can't wait to hear the finished article!
Other recordings featuring Simon Keenlyside
Keenlyside sings the title-role in this acclaimed ENO recording under Edward Gardner: International Record Review praised his 'great characterization and clarity of diction', and BBC Music Magazine his 'huge variety of expression...and minute nuances of character'. Latonia Moore is an imposing presence as his wife, and Brindley Sherratt a sonorous Banquo.
Available Formats: 2 CDs, MP3, FLAC, Hi-Res FLAC
Britten's radiant, doomed foretopman was one of Keenlyside's greatest roles (he retired it from his repertoire in 2005), and his interpretation is beautifully caught on Richard Hickox's 1999 studio recording, with Philip Langridge an eloquent Captain Vere and John Tomlinson as his malignant nemesis Claggart.
Available Formats: MP3, FLAC, Hi-Res FLAC
Few have captured Mozart's lovelorn birdcatcher with the winning combination of pathos, comic timing and joie de vivre that Keenlyside (himself a former warden for the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds!) achieves on David McVicar's already-legendary 2003 production from Covent Garden. A definite highlight in a distinguished career. The cast also includes Diana Damrau's astonishing Queen of the Night, and Dorothea Röschmann's luscious Pamina.
Available Format: DVD Video
Another Covent Garden triumph in Mozart, with The Guardian observing that 'Keenlyside's mercurial Giovanni is a tour de force'. The stellar cast includes Marina Poplavskaya, Joyce DiDonato, Ramón Vargas and Miah Persson, conducted by Sir Charles Mackerras; the production, by Francesco Zambello, was described by The Stage as 'a sensual crowd-pleaser.
Available Format: 2 DVD Videos
A Gramophone Award winner in 2012, this moving collection of songs written during or inspired by the First World War is especially apposite in this centenary year: repertoire includes Butterworth's Shropshire Lad and excerpts from Somervell's lesser-known setting of the same texts.
Available Formats: MP3, FLAC
How fortunate that this glorious Wigmore Hall recital with Malcolm Martineau was captured for posterity: the generous Fauré selections glow, and the encore - Poulenc's louche 'Hotel' - is worth the price of the disc alone. Eloquent Wolf, Schubert and Ravel, too.
Available Formats: MP3, FLAC
Keenlyside created the role of Prospero in Adès's 2004 opera, recorded live at Covent Garden three years later with the composer conducting; Gramophone observed that he 'mixes brain and baritonal brawn in his characteristically charismatic way'.
Available Formats: MP3, FLAC
Katherine Cooper - Head of Editorial
