Britten: Still Falls the Rain
Nicholas Phan (tenor), Myra Huang (piano), Jennifer Montone (horn), Sivan Magen (harp) & Alan Cumming (narrator)
Phan's first, swelling note immediately establishes his refinement and steel, rare among Britten's recent tenors...Phan's sophistication is easily matched by harpist Sivan Magen...The tenor...
Britten: Still Falls the Rain
Nicholas Phan (tenor), Myra Huang (piano), Jennifer Montone (horn), Sivan Magen (harp) & Alan Cumming (narrator)
Purchase product
Phan's first, swelling note immediately establishes his refinement and steel, rare among Britten's recent tenors...Phan's sophistication is easily matched by harpist Sivan Magen...The tenor...
About
‘Still Falls the Rain’ is the second solo recording by American tenor Nicholas Phan, whose debut Winter Words (AV2238) was internationally acclaimed. Anticipating Britten's centenary in 2013, the follow up features The Heart of the Matter with Scottish actor Alan Cumming narrating.
‘Winter Words’, last year’s solo debut album by American tenor Nicholas Phan, was one of the most lauded releases of the year. Phan (pronounced pahn) follows up with Still Falls the Rain, another intelligently devised album of Britten’s songs, this time focusing on works inspired by the composer’s key collaborators including horn player Dennis Brain, harpist Osian Ellis and poet Edith Sitwell. As with Winter Words (AV2238), Phan successfully intersperses great song cycles with popular folk song arrangements. The rarely recorded The Heart of the Matter includes the narration of Sitwell’s poems by Scottish actor Alan Cumming.
Contents and tracklist
- Myra Huang, Jennifer Montone, Nicholas Phan (tenor), Alan Cumming
- Sivan Magen, Nicholas Phan (tenor)
- Sivan Magen, Nicholas Phan (tenor)
- Sivan Magen, Nicholas Phan (tenor)
- Myra Huang, Nicholas Phan (tenor)
- Myra Huang, Nicholas Phan (tenor)
Awards and reviews
January 2013
Phan's first, swelling note immediately establishes his refinement and steel, rare among Britten's recent tenors...Phan's sophistication is easily matched by harpist Sivan Magen...The tenor turns in a first-class performance, and pianist Myra Huang lends the songs personality throughout. More please!
December 2012
Phan sings with a fine mixture of poetry and strength...In Canticle V, The Death of Saint Narcissus, Phan and Sivan Magen, the harpist, give themselves time to create a nicely wonderous atmosphere and this well-sung performance compares well with the market leaders...an attractive Britten release from across the Atlantic.
15th June 2013
Cumming’s readings are effective, only suffering slightly from having been recorded in an audibly different acoustic...Phan’s expressive voice is a draw, as is Myra Huang’s pianism in the main work. Nice horn and harp too.
