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The recognition given this album by U.S. Grammy nominators at the end of 2015 should perform the welcome service of exposing listeners to a highly enjoyable work. You need to get a taste to get an idea of what Barry's treatment is like; the album is decidedly not recommended to those wanting a faithful reproduction of Oscar Wilde's late Victorian farce. Instead, composer Gerald Barry uses Wilde as a jumping-off point for a mad caper that's equal parts Gilbert & Sullivan patter song, Looney Tunes, fun-poking at modernist music and Germanic tradition (sample track four, "Freude, schöner Götterfunken," which recurs several times throughout the two-act opera), and sheer anarchy. What might stop the opera from attaining general currency is that it's actually quite difficult to perform; the singers have to blaze through tightly packed (or heavily drawn-out) syllables while keeping their place among blasting brasses, a megaphone, and at one point breaking plates. Lady Bracknell's part is given to a bass, posing challenges that Alan Ewing surmounts with smart energy, and the rest of the singers in this concert presentation from 2012 handle the difficulties well. A good measure of the credit goes to Thomas Adès, here in the unusual role of conductor, who keeps things moving at a hair-trigger pace. This opera is a great deal of fun, and it offers many possibilities for future productions: a television version could work wonders if done right.
© TiVo
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The Importance of Being Earnest, Act I (Gerald Barry)
Oscar Wilde, Lyricist - Gerald Barry, Composer, Lyricist - Malcolm Wilson, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer
2014 NMC Recordings 2014 (P) NMC Recordings
Thomas Ades, Conductor, MainArtist - Birmingham Contemporary Music Group, Ensemble, MainArtist - Oscar Wilde, Lyricist - Alan Ewing, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer - Hilary Summers, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer - Gerald Barry, Composer, Lyricist - Rob Jenkins, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer - Peter Tantsits, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer - Joshua Bloom, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer - Benjamin Bevan, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer - Matt Durkan, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer
2014 NMC Recordings 2014 (P) NMC Recordings
Thomas Ades, Conductor, MainArtist - Birmingham Contemporary Music Group, Ensemble, MainArtist - Oscar Wilde, Lyricist - Alan Ewing, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer - Katalin Károlyi, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer - Gerald Barry, Composer, Lyricist - Peter Tantsits, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer - Joshua Bloom, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer - Benjamin Bevan, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer
2014 NMC Recordings 2014 (P) NMC Recordings
Thomas Ades, Conductor, MainArtist - Birmingham Contemporary Music Group, Ensemble, MainArtist - Oscar Wilde, Lyricist - Alan Ewing, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer - Katalin Károlyi, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer - Gerald Barry, Composer, Lyricist - Peter Tantsits, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer - Joshua Bloom, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer - Benjamin Bevan, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer
2014 NMC Recordings 2014 (P) NMC Recordings
Thomas Ades, Conductor, MainArtist - Birmingham Contemporary Music Group, Ensemble, MainArtist - Oscar Wilde, Lyricist - Katalin Károlyi, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer - Gerald Barry, Composer, Lyricist - Peter Tantsits, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer
2014 NMC Recordings 2014 (P) NMC Recordings
Thomas Ades, Conductor, MainArtist - Birmingham Contemporary Music Group, Ensemble, MainArtist - Oscar Wilde, Lyricist - Alan Ewing, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer - Katalin Károlyi, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer - Gerald Barry, Composer, Lyricist - Peter Tantsits, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer
2014 NMC Recordings 2014 (P) NMC Recordings
Thomas Ades, Conductor, MainArtist - Birmingham Contemporary Music Group, Ensemble, MainArtist - Oscar Wilde, Lyricist - Alan Ewing, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer - Gerald Barry, Composer, Lyricist - Peter Tantsits, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer
2014 NMC Recordings 2014 (P) NMC Recordings
Thomas Ades, Conductor, MainArtist - Birmingham Contemporary Music Group, Ensemble, MainArtist - Oscar Wilde, Lyricist - Alan Ewing, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer - Gerald Barry, Composer, Lyricist - Peter Tantsits, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer
2014 NMC Recordings 2014 (P) NMC Recordings
Thomas Ades, Conductor, MainArtist - Birmingham Contemporary Music Group, Ensemble, MainArtist - Oscar Wilde, Lyricist - Alan Ewing, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer - Gerald Barry, Composer, Lyricist - Peter Tantsits, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer
2014 NMC Recordings 2014 (P) NMC Recordings
Thomas Ades, Conductor, MainArtist - Birmingham Contemporary Music Group, Ensemble, MainArtist - Oscar Wilde, Lyricist - Alan Ewing, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer - Gerald Barry, Composer, Lyricist - Peter Tantsits, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer
2014 NMC Recordings 2014 (P) NMC Recordings
Thomas Ades, Conductor, MainArtist - Birmingham Contemporary Music Group, Ensemble, MainArtist - Oscar Wilde, Lyricist - Katalin Károlyi, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer - Gerald Barry, Composer, Lyricist - Peter Tantsits, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer - Joshua Bloom, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer - Benjamin Bevan, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer
2014 NMC Recordings 2014 (P) NMC Recordings
The Importance of Being Earnest, Act II (Gerald Barry)
Thomas Ades, Conductor, MainArtist - Birmingham Contemporary Music Group, Ensemble, MainArtist - Oscar Wilde, Lyricist - Hilary Summers, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer - Barbara Hannigan, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer - Gerald Barry, Composer, Lyricist
2014 NMC Recordings 2014 (P) NMC Recordings
Thomas Ades, Conductor, MainArtist - Birmingham Contemporary Music Group, Ensemble, MainArtist - Oscar Wilde, Lyricist - Barbara Hannigan, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer - Gerald Barry, Composer, Lyricist
2014 NMC Recordings 2014 (P) NMC Recordings
Thomas Ades, Conductor, MainArtist - Birmingham Contemporary Music Group, Ensemble, MainArtist - Oscar Wilde, Lyricist - Hilary Summers, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer - Barbara Hannigan, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer - Gerald Barry, Composer, Lyricist - Benjamin Bevan, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer
2014 NMC Recordings 2014 (P) NMC Recordings
Thomas Ades, Conductor, MainArtist - Birmingham Contemporary Music Group, Ensemble, MainArtist - Oscar Wilde, Lyricist - Barbara Hannigan, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer - Gerald Barry, Composer, Lyricist - Joshua Bloom, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer
2014 NMC Recordings 2014 (P) NMC Recordings
Thomas Ades, Conductor, MainArtist - Birmingham Contemporary Music Group, Ensemble, MainArtist - Oscar Wilde, Lyricist - Barbara Hannigan, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer - Joseph Hart, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer - Gerald Barry, Composer, Lyricist - Peter Tantsits, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer - Joshua Bloom, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer
2014 NMC Recordings 2014 (P) NMC Recordings
Thomas Ades, Conductor, MainArtist - Birmingham Contemporary Music Group, Ensemble, MainArtist - Oscar Wilde, Lyricist - Barbara Hannigan, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer - Gerald Barry, Composer, Lyricist - Joshua Bloom, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer - Benjamin Bevan, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer
2014 NMC Recordings 2014 (P) NMC Recordings
Thomas Ades, Conductor, MainArtist - Birmingham Contemporary Music Group, Ensemble, MainArtist - Oscar Wilde, Lyricist - Barbara Hannigan, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer - Gerald Barry, Composer, Lyricist - Joshua Bloom, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer - Benjamin Bevan, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer
2014 NMC Recordings 2014 (P) NMC Recordings
Thomas Ades, Conductor, MainArtist - Birmingham Contemporary Music Group, Ensemble, MainArtist - Oscar Wilde, Lyricist - Barbara Hannigan, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer - Gerald Barry, Composer, Lyricist - Joshua Bloom, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer
2014 NMC Recordings 2014 (P) NMC Recordings
Thomas Ades, Conductor, MainArtist - Birmingham Contemporary Music Group, Ensemble, MainArtist - Oscar Wilde, Lyricist - Katalin Károlyi, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer - Barbara Hannigan, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer - Gerald Barry, Composer, Lyricist - Benjamin Bevan, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer
2014 NMC Recordings 2014 (P) NMC Recordings
Thomas Ades, Conductor, MainArtist - Birmingham Contemporary Music Group, Ensemble, MainArtist - Oscar Wilde, Lyricist - Gerald Barry, Composer, Lyricist
2014 NMC Recordings 2014 (P) NMC Recordings
Thomas Ades, Conductor, MainArtist - Birmingham Contemporary Music Group, Ensemble, MainArtist - Oscar Wilde, Lyricist - Katalin Károlyi, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer - Barbara Hannigan, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer - Gerald Barry, Composer, Lyricist - Peter Tantsits, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer - Joshua Bloom, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer
2014 NMC Recordings 2014 (P) NMC Recordings
Thomas Ades, Conductor, MainArtist - Birmingham Contemporary Music Group, Ensemble, MainArtist - Oscar Wilde, Lyricist - Gerald Barry, Composer, Lyricist - Peter Tantsits, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer - Joshua Bloom, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer
2014 NMC Recordings 2014 (P) NMC Recordings
The Importance of Being Earnest, Act III (Gerald Barry)
Thomas Ades, Conductor, MainArtist - Birmingham Contemporary Music Group, Ensemble, MainArtist - Oscar Wilde, Lyricist - Barbara Hannigan, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer - Gerald Barry, Composer, Lyricist
2014 NMC Recordings 2014 (P) NMC Recordings
Thomas Ades, Conductor, MainArtist - Birmingham Contemporary Music Group, Ensemble, MainArtist - Oscar Wilde, Lyricist - Katalin Károlyi, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer - Barbara Hannigan, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer - Gerald Barry, Composer, Lyricist - Peter Tantsits, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer - Joshua Bloom, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer
2014 NMC Recordings 2014 (P) NMC Recordings
Thomas Ades, Conductor, MainArtist - Birmingham Contemporary Music Group, Ensemble, MainArtist - Oscar Wilde, Lyricist - Alan Ewing, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer - Katalin Károlyi, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer - Barbara Hannigan, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer - Gerald Barry, Composer, Lyricist - Peter Tantsits, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer - Joshua Bloom, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer - Benjamin Bevan, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer
2014 NMC Recordings 2014 (P) NMC Recordings
Thomas Ades, Conductor, MainArtist - Birmingham Contemporary Music Group, Ensemble, MainArtist - Oscar Wilde, Lyricist - Alan Ewing, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer - Gerald Barry, Composer, Lyricist - Peter Tantsits, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer
2014 NMC Recordings 2014 (P) NMC Recordings
Thomas Ades, Conductor, MainArtist - Birmingham Contemporary Music Group, Ensemble, MainArtist - Oscar Wilde, Lyricist - Alan Ewing, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer - Barbara Hannigan, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer - Gerald Barry, Composer, Lyricist - Joshua Bloom, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer
2014 NMC Recordings 2014 (P) NMC Recordings
Thomas Ades, Conductor, MainArtist - Birmingham Contemporary Music Group, Ensemble, MainArtist - Oscar Wilde, Lyricist - Alan Ewing, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer - Joseph Hart, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer - Gerald Barry, Composer, Lyricist - Peter Tantsits, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer
2014 NMC Recordings 2014 (P) NMC Recordings
Thomas Ades, Conductor, MainArtist - Birmingham Contemporary Music Group, Ensemble, MainArtist - Oscar Wilde, Lyricist - Alan Ewing, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer - Joseph Hart, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer - Gerald Barry, Composer, Lyricist
2014 NMC Recordings 2014 (P) NMC Recordings
Thomas Ades, Conductor, MainArtist - Birmingham Contemporary Music Group, Ensemble, MainArtist - Oscar Wilde, Lyricist - Alan Ewing, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer - Gerald Barry, Composer, Lyricist
2014 NMC Recordings 2014 (P) NMC Recordings
Thomas Ades, Conductor, MainArtist - Birmingham Contemporary Music Group, Ensemble, MainArtist - Oscar Wilde, Lyricist - Hilary Summers, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer - Gerald Barry, Composer, Lyricist
2014 NMC Recordings 2014 (P) NMC Recordings
Thomas Ades, Conductor, MainArtist - Birmingham Contemporary Music Group, Ensemble, MainArtist - Oscar Wilde, Lyricist - Katalin Károlyi, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer - Hilary Summers, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer - Gerald Barry, Composer, Lyricist - Peter Tantsits, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer
2014 NMC Recordings 2014 (P) NMC Recordings
Thomas Ades, Conductor, MainArtist - Birmingham Contemporary Music Group, Ensemble, MainArtist - Oscar Wilde, Lyricist - Alan Ewing, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer - Joseph Hart, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer - Gerald Barry, Composer, Lyricist
2014 NMC Recordings 2014 (P) NMC Recordings
Thomas Ades, Conductor, MainArtist - Birmingham Contemporary Music Group, Ensemble, MainArtist - Oscar Wilde, Lyricist - Alan Ewing, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer - Hilary Summers, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer - Gerald Barry, Composer, Lyricist - Peter Tantsits, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer
2014 NMC Recordings 2014 (P) NMC Recordings
Thomas Ades, Conductor, MainArtist - Birmingham Contemporary Music Group, Ensemble, MainArtist - Oscar Wilde, Lyricist - Alan Ewing, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer - Katalin Károlyi, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer - Barbara Hannigan, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer - Gerald Barry, Composer, Lyricist - Peter Tantsits, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer - Joshua Bloom, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer
2014 NMC Recordings 2014 (P) NMC Recordings
Thomas Ades, Conductor, MainArtist - Birmingham Contemporary Music Group, Ensemble, MainArtist - Oscar Wilde, Lyricist - Alan Ewing, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer - Katalin Károlyi, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer - Hilary Summers, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer - Barbara Hannigan, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer - Joseph Hart, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer - Gerald Barry, Composer, Lyricist - Rob Jenkins, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer - Peter Tantsits, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer - Joshua Bloom, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer - Benjamin Bevan, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer - Matt Durkan, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer
2014 NMC Recordings 2014 (P) NMC Recordings
Album review
The recognition given this album by U.S. Grammy nominators at the end of 2015 should perform the welcome service of exposing listeners to a highly enjoyable work. You need to get a taste to get an idea of what Barry's treatment is like; the album is decidedly not recommended to those wanting a faithful reproduction of Oscar Wilde's late Victorian farce. Instead, composer Gerald Barry uses Wilde as a jumping-off point for a mad caper that's equal parts Gilbert & Sullivan patter song, Looney Tunes, fun-poking at modernist music and Germanic tradition (sample track four, "Freude, schöner Götterfunken," which recurs several times throughout the two-act opera), and sheer anarchy. What might stop the opera from attaining general currency is that it's actually quite difficult to perform; the singers have to blaze through tightly packed (or heavily drawn-out) syllables while keeping their place among blasting brasses, a megaphone, and at one point breaking plates. Lady Bracknell's part is given to a bass, posing challenges that Alan Ewing surmounts with smart energy, and the rest of the singers in this concert presentation from 2012 handle the difficulties well. A good measure of the credit goes to Thomas Adès, here in the unusual role of conductor, who keeps things moving at a hair-trigger pace. This opera is a great deal of fun, and it offers many possibilities for future productions: a television version could work wonders if done right.
© TiVo
About the album
- 1 disc(s) - 37 track(s)
- Total length: 01:19:27
- 1 Digital booklet
- Main artists: Barbara Hannigan Peter Tantsits Katalin Károlyi Joshua Bloom Birmingham Contemporary Music Group Thomas Adès
- Composer: Gerald Barry
- Label: NMC Recordings
- Genre: Classical Opera
2014 NMC Recordings 2014 (P) NMC Recordings
Distinctions:
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