Unlimited Streaming
Listen to this album in high quality now on our apps
Start my trial period and start listening to this albumEnjoy this album on Qobuz apps with your subscription
SubscribeEnjoy this album on Qobuz apps with your subscription
Digital Download
Purchase and download this album in a wide variety of formats depending on your needs.
Michael Nyman's 2004 opera Man and Boy: Dada is a fictionalized account of the end of Dada artist Kurt Schwitters' life when he was living in poverty in London after the Second World War. It's appropriate that, while Michael Hastings' engaging libretto follows a comprehensible narrative, it has enough Dada elements to leave listeners occasionally scratching their heads, but in a good way. The story concerns Schwitters' relationship with a boy (with whom he is brought together by a shared obsession with bus tickets) and the boy's mother. The music is vintage Nyman, heavily influenced by minimalist textures and repetitive patterns. In each scene of the opera he tends to set up a groove, usually thickly orchestrated, that continues for while, sometimes throughout the scene. With this approach, the music doesn't always follow the dramatic arc of the scene with the subtlety that characterizes the most compelling operatic writing. Taken on its own terms, though, the music is often effective -- driving, lively, and colorful -- and the vividness with which the characters are drawn makes the opera an engaging emotional experience. Nyman's text setting here tends to be somewhat stiff, due to his avoidance of long-held notes and melisma. There's one terrific, memorable tune, a sentimental tango, that appears with gratifying frequency throughout the opera. The piece receives a fine performance based on a production by the Almeida Opera, featuring the Michael Nyman band conducted by Paul McGrath. Tenor John Graham-Hall, soprano Vivian Tierney and boy soprano William Sheldon sing passionately and embody the characters with conviction. The sound is clean and bright, but the balance is a little heavy on the instruments.
© TiVo
You are currently listening to samples.
Listen to over 100 million songs with an unlimited streaming plan.
Listen to this playlist and more than 100 million songs with our unlimited streaming plans.
From £10.83/month
Michael Nyman, Composer - John Graham-Hall, MainArtist - Paul McGrath, MainArtist - Michael Nyman Band, MainArtist - Michael Hastings, Lyricist - Vivian Tierney, MainArtist - William Sheldon, MainArtist
(C) 2016 Michael Nyman Records (P) 2016 Michael Nyman Records
Michael Nyman, Composer - John Graham-Hall, MainArtist - Paul McGrath, MainArtist - Michael Nyman Band, MainArtist - Michael Hastings, Lyricist - Vivian Tierney, MainArtist - William Sheldon, MainArtist
(C) 2016 Michael Nyman Records (P) 2016 Michael Nyman Records
Michael Nyman, Composer - John Graham-Hall, MainArtist - Paul McGrath, MainArtist - Michael Nyman Band, MainArtist - Michael Hastings, Lyricist - Vivian Tierney, MainArtist - William Sheldon, MainArtist
(C) 2016 Michael Nyman Records (P) 2016 Michael Nyman Records
Michael Nyman, Composer - John Graham-Hall, MainArtist - Paul McGrath, MainArtist - Michael Nyman Band, MainArtist - Michael Hastings, Lyricist - William Sheldon, MainArtist
(C) 2016 Michael Nyman Records (P) 2016 Michael Nyman Records
Michael Nyman, Composer - John Graham-Hall, MainArtist - Paul McGrath, MainArtist - Michael Nyman Band, MainArtist - Michael Hastings, Lyricist - Vivian Tierney, MainArtist - William Sheldon, MainArtist
(C) 2016 Michael Nyman Records (P) 2016 Michael Nyman Records
Michael Nyman, Composer - Paul McGrath, MainArtist - Michael Nyman Band, MainArtist - Michael Hastings, Lyricist - William Sheldon, MainArtist
(C) 2016 Michael Nyman Records (P) 2016 Michael Nyman Records
Michael Nyman, Composer - John Graham-Hall, MainArtist - Paul McGrath, MainArtist - Michael Nyman Band, MainArtist - Michael Hastings, Lyricist - Vivian Tierney, MainArtist - William Sheldon, MainArtist
(C) 2016 Michael Nyman Records (P) 2016 Michael Nyman Records
Michael Nyman, Composer - John Graham-Hall, MainArtist - Paul McGrath, MainArtist - Michael Nyman Band, MainArtist - Michael Hastings, Lyricist - William Sheldon, MainArtist
(C) 2016 Michael Nyman Records (P) 2016 Michael Nyman Records
Michael Nyman, Composer - Paul McGrath, MainArtist - Michael Nyman Band, MainArtist - Michael Hastings, Lyricist - William Sheldon, MainArtist
(C) 2016 Michael Nyman Records (P) 2016 Michael Nyman Records
DISC 2
Michael Nyman, Composer - John Graham-Hall, MainArtist - Paul McGrath, MainArtist - Michael Nyman Band, MainArtist - Michael Hastings, Lyricist - Vivian Tierney, MainArtist
(C) 2016 Michael Nyman Records (P) 2016 Michael Nyman Records
Michael Nyman, Composer - John Graham-Hall, MainArtist - Paul McGrath, MainArtist - Michael Nyman Band, MainArtist - Michael Hastings, Lyricist - William Sheldon, MainArtist
(C) 2016 Michael Nyman Records (P) 2016 Michael Nyman Records
Michael Nyman, Composer - John Graham-Hall, MainArtist - Paul McGrath, MainArtist - Michael Nyman Band, MainArtist - Michael Hastings, Lyricist - Vivian Tierney, MainArtist - William Sheldon, MainArtist
(C) 2016 Michael Nyman Records (P) 2016 Michael Nyman Records
Michael Nyman, Composer - John Graham-Hall, MainArtist - Paul McGrath, MainArtist - Michael Nyman Band, MainArtist - Michael Hastings, Lyricist - William Sheldon, MainArtist
(C) 2016 Michael Nyman Records (P) 2016 Michael Nyman Records
Michael Nyman, Composer - John Graham-Hall, MainArtist - Paul McGrath, MainArtist - Michael Nyman Band, MainArtist - Michael Hastings, Lyricist - Vivian Tierney, MainArtist
(C) 2016 Michael Nyman Records (P) 2016 Michael Nyman Records
Michael Nyman, Composer - John Graham-Hall, MainArtist - Paul McGrath, MainArtist - Michael Nyman Band, MainArtist - Michael Hastings, Lyricist - Vivian Tierney, MainArtist - William Sheldon, MainArtist
(C) 2016 Michael Nyman Records (P) 2016 Michael Nyman Records
Michael Nyman, Composer - John Graham-Hall, MainArtist - Paul McGrath, MainArtist - Michael Nyman Band, MainArtist - Michael Hastings, Lyricist - Vivian Tierney, MainArtist
(C) 2016 Michael Nyman Records (P) 2016 Michael Nyman Records
Michael Nyman, Composer - John Graham-Hall, MainArtist - Paul McGrath, MainArtist - Michael Nyman Band, MainArtist - Michael Hastings, Lyricist - Vivian Tierney, MainArtist
(C) 2016 Michael Nyman Records (P) 2016 Michael Nyman Records
Michael Nyman, Composer - John Graham-Hall, MainArtist - Paul McGrath, MainArtist - Michael Nyman Band, MainArtist - Michael Hastings, Lyricist - William Sheldon, MainArtist
(C) 2016 Michael Nyman Records (P) 2016 Michael Nyman Records
Michael Nyman, Composer - John Graham-Hall, MainArtist - Paul McGrath, MainArtist - Michael Nyman Band, MainArtist - Michael Hastings, Lyricist - Vivian Tierney, MainArtist - William Sheldon, MainArtist
(C) 2016 Michael Nyman Records (P) 2016 Michael Nyman Records
Album review
Michael Nyman's 2004 opera Man and Boy: Dada is a fictionalized account of the end of Dada artist Kurt Schwitters' life when he was living in poverty in London after the Second World War. It's appropriate that, while Michael Hastings' engaging libretto follows a comprehensible narrative, it has enough Dada elements to leave listeners occasionally scratching their heads, but in a good way. The story concerns Schwitters' relationship with a boy (with whom he is brought together by a shared obsession with bus tickets) and the boy's mother. The music is vintage Nyman, heavily influenced by minimalist textures and repetitive patterns. In each scene of the opera he tends to set up a groove, usually thickly orchestrated, that continues for while, sometimes throughout the scene. With this approach, the music doesn't always follow the dramatic arc of the scene with the subtlety that characterizes the most compelling operatic writing. Taken on its own terms, though, the music is often effective -- driving, lively, and colorful -- and the vividness with which the characters are drawn makes the opera an engaging emotional experience. Nyman's text setting here tends to be somewhat stiff, due to his avoidance of long-held notes and melisma. There's one terrific, memorable tune, a sentimental tango, that appears with gratifying frequency throughout the opera. The piece receives a fine performance based on a production by the Almeida Opera, featuring the Michael Nyman band conducted by Paul McGrath. Tenor John Graham-Hall, soprano Vivian Tierney and boy soprano William Sheldon sing passionately and embody the characters with conviction. The sound is clean and bright, but the balance is a little heavy on the instruments.
© TiVo
About the album
- 2 disc(s) - 19 track(s)
- Total length: 01:44:38
- Main artist: Various Artists
- Composer: Michael Nyman
- Label: Michael Nyman Records
- Genre: Classical Opera
(C) 2016 Michael Nyman Records (P) 2016 Michael Nyman Records
Improve album informationWhy buy on Qobuz...
-
Stream or download your music
Buy an album or an individual track. Or listen to our entire catalogue with our high-quality unlimited streaming subscriptions.
-
Zero DRM
The downloaded files belong to you, without any usage limit. You can download them as many times as you like.
-
Choose the format best suited for you
Download your purchases in a wide variety of formats (FLAC, ALAC, WAV, AIFF...) depending on your needs.
-
Listen to your purchases on our apps
Download the Qobuz apps for smartphones, tablets and computers, and listen to your purchases wherever you go.