Bryn Terfel seems to release discs in pairs; 2004′s Silent Noon is the second of his interpretations of English artsongs. The first was 1995′s Vagagond And Other Songs Of Vaughan Williams which I hope to review one day.
It is interesting to note that the disc in question contains several of the same songs as the first but in different, and in this humble author’s opinion, slightly more accessible settings. Songs by Roger Quilter (Now Sleeps The Crimson Petal, O Mistress Mine, Come Away Death) predominate on the disc. There are also songs by Vaughan Williams (his Shropshire Lad cycle) and Britten (Oliver Cromwell). Settings of Yeats and Shakespeare round out the some thirty tracks.
Accompanist Malcolm Martineau (Terfel’s regular) provides a sensitive backing to the rich baritone. A sense of maturity permeates the disc- Terfel is more comfortable with these songs than the one’s on his other English artsongs disc.
These are timeless, high class classics they sing of every day life and are rich as can be expected.
