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The Travelling Companion was Charles Villiers Stanford's final opera, and it had a rocky road after Stanford finished it in 1916. It went unproduced during World War I, became caught up in wrangling over a British national opera house, and was finally produced after Stanford's death. It had its champions at the time, including the young Michael Tippett, but by the late 1920s, it came off as a curiosity. It still does, to an extent, but as with much of Stanford's music, it's worth rediscovering. The opera is an adaptation, with a libretto by Henry Newbolt, of a kind of psychological fairy tale by Hans Christian Andersen. It features a princess who poses a riddle to a young man who wants to win her hand. However, the princess feels ambivalent about the whole thing, posing an odd riddle indeed, and the young man is accompanied by the mysterious titular companion, who inserts himself into the story violently. If you were going to be uncharitable, you could say that Stanford's music resembles what might have happened had Wagner and Arthur Sullivan collaborated on an opera (sample, perhaps the "Suitors?" chorus), but it's not dull, and Stanford effectively balances the story's festive aspects and its darker themes. The opera could certainly be put on a festival bill with Dvorák, or for that matter, with the similarly themed Turandot. The performances by the little-recorded New Sussex Opera are ideal, with performers fully audible despite the limitations of a live recording (the full text is also provided for CD buyers). Recommended.
© TiVo
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The Travelling Companion, Op. 146 (Sir Charles Villiers Stanford)
Charles Villiers Stanford, Composer - Toby Purser, Conductor - New Sussex Opera Orchestra, Orchestra, MainArtist
(C) 2019 SOMM Recordings (P) 2019 SOMM Recordings
The Travelling Companion, Op. 146, Act I Scene 1 (Sir Charles Villiers Stanford)
Charles Villiers Stanford, Composer - Toby Purser, Conductor - David Horton, Artist, MainArtist - New Sussex Opera Orchestra, Orchestra
(C) 2019 SOMM Recordings (P) 2019 SOMM Recordings
Charles Villiers Stanford, Composer - Toby Purser, Conductor - David Horton, Artist - New Sussex Opera Orchestra, Orchestra - Ian Beadle, Artist, MainArtist - Felix Kemp, Artist
(C) 2019 SOMM Recordings (P) 2019 SOMM Recordings
Charles Villiers Stanford, Composer - Toby Purser, Conductor - David Horton, Artist, MainArtist - New Sussex Opera Orchestra, Orchestra
(C) 2019 SOMM Recordings (P) 2019 SOMM Recordings
The Travelling Companion, Op. 146, Act I Scene 2 (Sir Charles Villiers Stanford)
Charles Villiers Stanford, Composer - Toby Purser, Conductor - David Horton, Artist, MainArtist - New Sussex Opera Orchestra, Orchestra - Lucy Urquhart, Artist - Tamzin Barnett, Artist - New Sussex Opera Chorus, Choir
(C) 2019 SOMM Recordings (P) 2019 SOMM Recordings
Charles Villiers Stanford, Composer - Toby Purser, Conductor - David Horton, Artist, MainArtist - New Sussex Opera Orchestra, Orchestra - Julien Van Mellaerts, Artist
(C) 2019 SOMM Recordings (P) 2019 SOMM Recordings
Charles Villiers Stanford, Composer - Toby Purser, Conductor - David Horton, Artist, MainArtist - New Sussex Opera Orchestra, Orchestra - New Sussex Opera Chorus, Choir - Julien Van Mellaerts, Artist
(C) 2019 SOMM Recordings (P) 2019 SOMM Recordings
Charles Villiers Stanford, Composer - Toby Purser, Conductor - David Horton, Artist, MainArtist - New Sussex Opera Orchestra, Orchestra - Julien Van Mellaerts, Artist
(C) 2019 SOMM Recordings (P) 2019 SOMM Recordings
The Travelling Companion, Op. 146, Act II (Sir Charles Villiers Stanford)
Charles Villiers Stanford, Composer - Pauls Putnins, Artist - Toby Purser, Conductor - New Sussex Opera Orchestra, Orchestra - Kate Valentine, Artist, MainArtist
(C) 2019 SOMM Recordings (P) 2019 SOMM Recordings
Charles Villiers Stanford, Composer - Toby Purser, Conductor - David Horton, Artist, MainArtist - New Sussex Opera Orchestra, Orchestra - New Sussex Opera Chorus, Choir
(C) 2019 SOMM Recordings (P) 2019 SOMM Recordings
Charles Villiers Stanford, Composer - Toby Purser, Conductor - David Horton, Artist - New Sussex Opera Orchestra, Orchestra - Lucy Urquhart, Artist, MainArtist - New Sussex Opera Chorus, Choir - Julien Van Mellaerts, Artist
(C) 2019 SOMM Recordings (P) 2019 SOMM Recordings
Charles Villiers Stanford, Composer - Pauls Putnins, Artist - Toby Purser, Conductor - David Horton, Artist - New Sussex Opera Orchestra, Orchestra - Felix Kemp, Artist, MainArtist - New Sussex Opera Chorus, Choir - Julien Van Mellaerts, Artist - Kate Valentine, Artist
(C) 2019 SOMM Recordings (P) 2019 SOMM Recordings
Charles Villiers Stanford, Composer - Toby Purser, Conductor - David Horton, Artist - New Sussex Opera Orchestra, Orchestra - Felix Kemp, Artist, MainArtist - New Sussex Opera Chorus, Choir - Kate Valentine, Artist
(C) 2019 SOMM Recordings (P) 2019 SOMM Recordings
DISC 2
The Travelling Companion, Op. 146, Act III Scene 1 (Sir Charles Villiers Stanford)
Charles Villiers Stanford, Composer - Toby Purser, Conductor - David Horton, Artist, MainArtist - New Sussex Opera Orchestra, Orchestra - Julien Van Mellaerts, Artist
(C) 2019 SOMM Recordings (P) 2019 SOMM Recordings
Charles Villiers Stanford, Composer - Toby Purser, Conductor - New Sussex Opera Orchestra, Orchestra - Julien Van Mellaerts, Artist - Kate Valentine, Artist, MainArtist
(C) 2019 SOMM Recordings (P) 2019 SOMM Recordings
The Travelling Companion, Op. 146, Act III Scene 2 (Sir Charles Villiers Stanford)
Charles Villiers Stanford, Composer - Toby Purser, Conductor - New Sussex Opera Orchestra, Orchestra - Ian Beadle, Artist, MainArtist
(C) 2019 SOMM Recordings (P) 2019 SOMM Recordings
Charles Villiers Stanford, Composer - Toby Purser, Conductor - New Sussex Opera Orchestra, Orchestra - Ian Beadle, Artist, MainArtist - New Sussex Opera Chorus, Choir - Kate Valentine, Artist
(C) 2019 SOMM Recordings (P) 2019 SOMM Recordings
Charles Villiers Stanford, Composer - Toby Purser, Conductor - New Sussex Opera Orchestra, Orchestra - Ian Beadle, Artist - Kate Valentine, Artist, MainArtist
(C) 2019 SOMM Recordings (P) 2019 SOMM Recordings
Charles Villiers Stanford, Composer - Toby Purser, Conductor - New Sussex Opera Orchestra, Orchestra, MainArtist
(C) 2019 SOMM Recordings (P) 2019 SOMM Recordings
Charles Villiers Stanford, Composer - Toby Purser, Conductor - New Sussex Opera Orchestra, Orchestra - Ian Beadle, Artist - Julien Van Mellaerts, Artist - Kate Valentine, Artist, MainArtist
(C) 2019 SOMM Recordings (P) 2019 SOMM Recordings
The Travelling Companion, Op. 146, Act IV (Sir Charles Villiers Stanford)
Charles Villiers Stanford, Composer - Toby Purser, Conductor - New Sussex Opera Orchestra, Orchestra - Julien Van Mellaerts, Artist - Kate Valentine, Artist, MainArtist
(C) 2019 SOMM Recordings (P) 2019 SOMM Recordings
Charles Villiers Stanford, Composer - Toby Purser, Conductor - New Sussex Opera Orchestra, Orchestra - Felix Kemp, Artist, MainArtist - Tamzin Barnett, Artist - New Sussex Opera Chorus, Choir
(C) 2019 SOMM Recordings (P) 2019 SOMM Recordings
Charles Villiers Stanford, Composer - Pauls Putnins, Artist - Toby Purser, Conductor - David Horton, Artist - New Sussex Opera Orchestra, Orchestra - Felix Kemp, Artist, MainArtist - New Sussex Opera Chorus, Choir - Kate Valentine, Artist
(C) 2019 SOMM Recordings (P) 2019 SOMM Recordings
Charles Villiers Stanford, Composer - Pauls Putnins, Artist - Toby Purser, Conductor - David Horton, Artist - New Sussex Opera Orchestra, Orchestra - Felix Kemp, Artist - New Sussex Opera Chorus, Choir - Julien Van Mellaerts, Artist - Kate Valentine, Artist, MainArtist
(C) 2019 SOMM Recordings (P) 2019 SOMM Recordings
Charles Villiers Stanford, Composer - Toby Purser, Conductor - David Horton, Artist, MainArtist - New Sussex Opera Orchestra, Orchestra - New Sussex Opera Chorus, Choir - Julien Van Mellaerts, Artist - Kate Valentine, Artist
(C) 2019 SOMM Recordings (P) 2019 SOMM Recordings
Album review
The Travelling Companion was Charles Villiers Stanford's final opera, and it had a rocky road after Stanford finished it in 1916. It went unproduced during World War I, became caught up in wrangling over a British national opera house, and was finally produced after Stanford's death. It had its champions at the time, including the young Michael Tippett, but by the late 1920s, it came off as a curiosity. It still does, to an extent, but as with much of Stanford's music, it's worth rediscovering. The opera is an adaptation, with a libretto by Henry Newbolt, of a kind of psychological fairy tale by Hans Christian Andersen. It features a princess who poses a riddle to a young man who wants to win her hand. However, the princess feels ambivalent about the whole thing, posing an odd riddle indeed, and the young man is accompanied by the mysterious titular companion, who inserts himself into the story violently. If you were going to be uncharitable, you could say that Stanford's music resembles what might have happened had Wagner and Arthur Sullivan collaborated on an opera (sample, perhaps the "Suitors?" chorus), but it's not dull, and Stanford effectively balances the story's festive aspects and its darker themes. The opera could certainly be put on a festival bill with Dvorák, or for that matter, with the similarly themed Turandot. The performances by the little-recorded New Sussex Opera are ideal, with performers fully audible despite the limitations of a live recording (the full text is also provided for CD buyers). Recommended.
© TiVo
About the album
- 2 disc(s) - 25 track(s)
- Total length: 02:01:38
- 1 Digital booklet
- Main artists: David Horton
- Composer: Sir Charles Villiers Stanford
- Label: SOMM Recordings
- Genre: Classical Opera
(C) 2019 SOMM Recordings (P) 2019 SOMM Recordings
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