17 January 2016

Peter Pears sings... Britten. Serenade -&- Vaughan Williams. On Wenlock Edge - Decca 1944/1945

Benjamin Britten:  Serenade, op.31 - for Tenor, Horn & Strings
Peter Pears, Tenor - Dennis Brain, horn  - Boyd Neel String Orchestra  conducted by  Benjamin Britten    

Ralph Vaughan Williams:  "On Wenlock Edge"
Peter Pears, Tenor - Benjamin Britten, piano - Zorian String Quartet   
2 files zip FLAC  Mega Download
Decca  ECM 814   1982 Phonogram UK pressing. Matrices: ARL14309 -2G / ARL14308 -1A  (slightly superior to the 1979 '1A' LP - & superior to the 1986 LP: 417 183-1).   Recorded: 25 May/8 October 1944 -&- 2/3 July 1945 - West Hampstead Studios.  Very considerable waveform repair.....      
Sleeve-note song texts / original 1945 "Serenade" 78's / 1979 HiFi News review >>>         Pears/Britten - HMV 1942-1950 >>>





4 comments:

  1. Wonderful! Thanks for this beautiful album.

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    1. I'll maybe do a few more Decca 78 transfers (all good-sounding - from 'noiseless' lacquers) before I knock this blog on the head!
      These Pears probably sound better (more 'alive') than elsewhere (also have the 9 Folksongs (78 dubs) on 10" LW5122 - but it's mid 50's - with Decca's old 1954 EQ on 1 side).

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  2. Splendid, Thank you. Pears in youthful (-ish) voice, Brain, and livelier tempi than Britten's later recordings ("Queen and Huntress" is a delight).
    Andrew

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    1. Hello Andrew,
      I'd be 'vaguely interested' (sometime; for the Private Blog) in Pears' next (with Lazy Luminations: LXT2941) as a 24/96 -even though it's on CD: the sound is extremely fine on the re-cut (probably have all his LXT's).
      Unlike the early ACL 78 material, here there were very bad retained clicks - and what sounded like near mis-tracking...so if this transfer (by Bryan Crimp?) was re-used for CD, then it would've been muffled by added noise-reduction.

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