Henry Bishop - Song (1819) - "Lo, here the gentle lark" (Kathleen Battle & Jean-Pierre Rampal)
Composer Henry R. Bishop dominated the musical landscape in London's theatrical world in the years 1810-1840: his worklist seems to contain a mind-boggling array of operas, numbering into the hundreds, though the vast majority of these are really musical plays that have just a few numbers apiece. Bishop became associated with Covent Garden in 1811, and by the time he left in 1824 he had contributed music to some seventy of their productions. Some of the songs Bishop wrote for Shakespeare plays presented at Covent Garden, such as "Lo, here the gentle lark" (1819), presented here, and "Bid me discourse" (1820), have hung onto the outer fringes of English song repertory.Bishop's "Lo, here the gentle lark", the quintessential coloratura showpiece, was included to Shakespeare's "Comedy of Errors" with a text deprived from the poet's own poem, "Venus & Adonis", detailing a morning scene, as the lark of the title greets the sun's coming. It is difficult to call the song anything else but "charming", as it's function seems limited to pleasing the listener with numerous difficult coloratura passages for both the singer and the flautist (with the poor pianist being nothing more than a running bass line). The formula, however, is kept interesting by Bishop in the adoption of different lines for the two; indeed, only at several key places, including the obligatory final cadenza, the soloists engage in dazzling parallel "duettinos". A lightweight song, though it does not seem to strive being anything more than a number enjoyable for both the audience members and the performers.Kathleen Battle, joined by the silver-voiced flute of Jean-Pierre Rampal), provides one of the more secure readings of the scene (a particularly delightful section comes at the cadenza which, save for a few high notes overemphasized by the live recording, is winning for all involved). Hope you'll enjoy :).
This is my favorite version ever. I have this CD and its just perfect. I love Miss Battle, I can almost see her smiling while singing the coloratura passages :)
GingerJoberton
*nods at sschimel*
sschimel
Well. As someone who has been pretty vocal on Parterre Box (and here, I think) about Ms. Battle's offstage antics, and facial mannerisms, I'M EATING MY WORDS! This is absolutely stunning.
lumosmaxima
have the beverly sills version? its also quite a pleasure to listen too:)
