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A Midsummer Night's Dream
A Midsummer Night's Dream had only had its world premiere one year before this performance took place. Interestingly enough instead of relying on the original singers, Covent Garden assembled an almost entirely new cast giving this young work an interesting new point of view. Russell Oberlin's ethereal countertenor is a perfect fit for the role of Oberon. Joan Carlyle offers a full-voiced Tytania (sadly these days this part has seemed to be relegated to the chirpiest of soubrettes.) Sir Geraint Evans lends his earthy baritone and refined acting skills to the role of Bottom to hilarious effect. Sir Georg Solti does a masterful job at crafting this mysterious and delicate score.
Track List
Act I
1. Over hill, over dale
2. Ill met by moonlight, Jealous Oberon
3. How now, my love?
4. Be it on Lion, Bear, or Wolf, or Bull
5. Welcome wanderer!
6. Is all our company here?
7. Fair love, you faint with wand'ring in the wood
8. Amen, amen, to that fair prayer say I
9. Come, come, now a roundel, and a fairy song
2. Ill met by moonlight, Jealous Oberon
3. How now, my love?
4. Be it on Lion, Bear, or Wolf, or Bull
5. Welcome wanderer!
6. Is all our company here?
7. Fair love, you faint with wand'ring in the wood
8. Amen, amen, to that fair prayer say I
9. Come, come, now a roundel, and a fairy song
Act II
10. Are we all met?
11. Most radiant Pyramus, most lively white of hue
12. What angel wakes me from my flow'ry bed?
13. Be kind and courteous
14. Hail, hail, hail mortal!
11. Most radiant Pyramus, most lively white of hue
12. What angel wakes me from my flow'ry bed?
13. Be kind and courteous
14. Hail, hail, hail mortal!
15. Sleep thou, and I will wind thee in my arms
16. How now mad spirit
17. Captain of our Fairy band
18. Puppet? Why so?
19. Up and down, up and down
20. On the ground, sleep sound
16. How now mad spirit
17. Captain of our Fairy band
18. Puppet? Why so?
19. Up and down, up and down
20. On the ground, sleep sound
Act III
21. My gentle Robin, see'st thou this sight?
22. Demetrius… Lysander…
23. When my cue comes, call me
24. Have you sent to Bottom's house?
25. Now fair Hippolyta, our nuptual hour draws on apace
26. If we offend, it is with our good will
27. O wall, full often hast thou heard my moans
28. This is Ninny's old tomb
29. Now, the hungry lion roars
22. Demetrius… Lysander…
23. When my cue comes, call me
24. Have you sent to Bottom's house?
25. Now fair Hippolyta, our nuptual hour draws on apace
26. If we offend, it is with our good will
27. O wall, full often hast thou heard my moans
28. This is Ninny's old tomb
29. Now, the hungry lion roars
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4.7
Based on 7 reviews
✓ Verified Buyer
United Kingdom
A Midsummer Night's Dream
This is a fascinating issue, most particularly for Oberlin's idiosyncratic Oberon: a rather self-indulgent performance and not the voice for which Britten wrote, but undeniably effective. Joan Carlyle is a full-voiced Tytania, quite different from Jennifer Vyvyan's creation of the role. It is also good to have Geraint Evans complete account of Bottom: he would later record the first commercially available extract from the opera, a few months before Britten's complete classic set. The Lovers are varied but the Mechanicals are an excellent team. Overall, well worth the purchase.
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✓ Top Reviewer
United States
Excellent and Funny Performance of Britten's Shakespeare Setting
This recording has already been praised by other reviewers on this site so I will only add that Russell Oberlin's other worldly timbre is magnificent as Oberon. He does not sound like a conventional countertenor; rather, like this is the natural placement of his voice. In addition, his diction is excellent. Carlyle is a sexy Tytania who sings the music with pellucid beauty and all of the other singers (including Andre Turp and Louis Quilico) are superb. Geraint Evans and his actor cohorts are genuinely funny, the audience interrupting with laughter more than once. A must for any Britten, Oberlin, or Midsummer fans!
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✓ Top Reviewer
United States
Covent Garden, Britten at their finest
Georg Solti conducts Benjamin Britten's Shakespearean phantasmagoria with both ravishing beauty and, for the rustics, spiky good humor. It would be invidious to single out members of the massive cast for special praise. Let is merely be said that the Covent Garden roster (plus guest star Russell Oberlin) was deep in talent back in 1961, arguably better than the contemporary Metropolitan Opera and inarguably deeper than Covent Garden today.
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✓ Top Reviewer
United States
Sterling ensemble of one's "Dream"!
Solti balances grace and gravitas, delineating the tonal worlds for Fairies, Lovers and Rustics. Oberlin, Carlyle, Evans and their company are peerless. Sound excellent.
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✓ Verified Buyer
United Kingdom
Richard Bernas
A fresh off the press performance. Solti conducts with Stravinskian attack and grace, making the opera sound less precious than it did under Britten. Overall, this is a nicely balanced ensemble, everyone works well together but the stand out roles (Bottom, Tytania, Oberon) are taken by strong personalities, as they should be.
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✓ Top Reviewer
United Kingdom
James Mertins
Solti again takes us by surprise.Solti enjoying himself. This is just amazing.Carlyle and Evans along with Langdon are the stars of this. The cast is very fine but those 3 stand out.
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✓ Verified Buyer
United Kingdom
Joseph Brand
It was this Covent Garden production that really launched this opera on its path to worldwide fame proving that big voices in a large theatre can work. I was at the 1st performance of this wonderful Gielgud production designed by John Piper and will never forget its impact. Oberlin's unusual countertenor timbre easily filled Covent Garden and blended beautifully with Carlyle's ravishing Tytania. Nobody since has matched Geraint Evans's Bottom which was sadly never commercially recorded. Not forgetting Solti as the seemingly unlikely conductor but producing excellent results as he was later to do with Billy Budd. Highly recommended.
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