Thomas Hampson - I Hear America Singing

An essential set for fans of Hampson's flexible and eloquent voice

Record and Artist Details

Composer or Director: John Jacob Niles, Sergius Kagen, Paul Hindemith, Frank Bridge, Ernst Bacon, Hugo (David) Weisgall, Ralph Vaughan Williams, Richard Hageman, Charles Villiers Stanford, Erich Wolfgang Korngold, Charles Naginski, Mario Castelnuovo-Tedesco, Stephen Collins Foster, Ned Rorem, Kurt Pahlen, Leonard Bernstein, Jean Berger, Edward (Alexander) MacDowell, Henry Thacker Burleigh, Paul Bowles, Hermann Reutter, Charles Martin Loeffler, William Grant Still, Frédéric Louis Ritter, Ernest Gold, Charles T(omlinson) Griffes

Genre:

Vocal

Label: Festspiel Dokumente

Media Format: CD or Download

Media Runtime: 137

Mastering:

Stereo
DDD

Catalogue Number: C707062I

Tracks:

Composition Artist Credit
(6) Love Songs, Movement: O, Lovely Rose Edward (Alexander) MacDowell, Composer
Edward (Alexander) MacDowell, Composer
Thomas Hampson, Baritone
Wolfram Rieger, Piano
(4) Poems, Movement: 3. To Helen (E A Poe) Charles Martin Loeffler, Composer
Charles Martin Loeffler, Composer
Thomas Hampson, Baritone
Wolfram Rieger, Piano
Evening song Charles T(omlinson) Griffes, Composer
Charles T(omlinson) Griffes, Composer
Thomas Hampson, Baritone
Wolfram Rieger, Piano
(8) Songs, Movement: (The) Sea (Wds. W. D. Howells) Edward (Alexander) MacDowell, Composer
Edward (Alexander) MacDowell, Composer
Thomas Hampson, Baritone
Wolfram Rieger, Piano
Dirge for Two Veterans Frédéric Louis Ritter, Composer
Frédéric Louis Ritter, Composer
Thomas Hampson, Baritone
Wolfram Rieger, Piano
(The) Last Invocation Frank Bridge, Composer
Frank Bridge, Composer
Thomas Hampson, Baritone
Wolfram Rieger, Piano
(A) Clear Midnight Ralph Vaughan Williams, Composer
Ralph Vaughan Williams, Composer
Thomas Hampson, Baritone
Wolfram Rieger, Piano
Joy, Shipmate, Joy! Ralph Vaughan Williams, Composer
Ralph Vaughan Williams, Composer
Thomas Hampson, Baritone
Wolfram Rieger, Piano
(3) Songs, Movement: 1. Louisiana Mario Castelnuovo-Tedesco, Composer
Mario Castelnuovo-Tedesco, Composer
Thomas Hampson, Baritone
Wolfram Rieger, Piano
Sing on there in the Swamp Paul Hindemith, Composer
Paul Hindemith, Composer
Thomas Hampson, Baritone
Wolfram Rieger, Piano
(6) Songs of Faith, Movement: No. 4, To the Soul (wds. Whitman) Charles Villiers Stanford, Composer
Charles Villiers Stanford, Composer
Thomas Hampson, Baritone
Wolfram Rieger, Piano
Songs of Love and Parting, Movement: 5. Parting (Emily Dickinson) Ernest Gold, Composer
Ernest Gold, Composer
Thomas Hampson, Baritone
Wolfram Rieger, Piano
Drum Sergius Kagen, Composer
Sergius Kagen, Composer
Thomas Hampson, Baritone
Wolfram Rieger, Piano
Shiloh Hugo (David) Weisgall, Composer
Hugo (David) Weisgall, Composer
Thomas Hampson, Baritone
Wolfram Rieger, Piano
Blue Mountain Ballads Paul Bowles, Composer
Paul Bowles, Composer
Thomas Hampson, Baritone
Wolfram Rieger, Piano
As Adam early in the morning Ned Rorem, Composer
Ned Rorem, Composer
Thomas Hampson, Baritone
Wolfram Rieger, Piano
Ethiopia saluting the colours Henry Thacker Burleigh, Composer
Henry Thacker Burleigh, Composer
Thomas Hampson, Baritone
Wolfram Rieger, Piano
Look down fair moon Charles Naginski, Composer
Charles Naginski, Composer
Thomas Hampson, Baritone
Wolfram Rieger, Piano
One thought ever at the fore Ernst Bacon, Composer
Ernst Bacon, Composer
Thomas Hampson, Baritone
Wolfram Rieger, Piano
Songfest, Movement: Solo: To what you said... (wds. W. Whitman) Leonard Bernstein, Composer
Leonard Bernstein, Composer
Thomas Hampson, Baritone
Wolfram Rieger, Piano
Grief William Grant Still, Composer
Thomas Hampson, Baritone
William Grant Still, Composer
Wolfram Rieger, Piano
Black is the color of my true love's hair John Jacob Niles, Composer
John Jacob Niles, Composer
Thomas Hampson, Baritone
Wolfram Rieger, Piano
Beautiful dreamer Stephen Collins Foster, Composer
Stephen Collins Foster, Composer
Thomas Hampson, Baritone
Wolfram Rieger, Piano
(Der) ich, in Zwischenräumen Paul Hindemith, Composer
Malcolm Martineau, Piano
Paul Hindemith, Composer
Thomas Hampson, Baritone
O, nun heb du an, dort in deinem Moor Paul Hindemith, Composer
Malcolm Martineau, Piano
Paul Hindemith, Composer
Thomas Hampson, Baritone
Schlagt! Schlagt! Trommein! Paul Hindemith, Composer
Malcolm Martineau, Piano
Paul Hindemith, Composer
Thomas Hampson, Baritone
Meine dunklen Hände, Movement: Trommel Hermann Reutter, Composer
Hermann Reutter, Composer
Malcolm Martineau, Piano
Thomas Hampson, Baritone
Meine dunklen Hände, Movement: Lied für ein dunkles Mädchen Hermann Reutter, Composer
Hermann Reutter, Composer
Malcolm Martineau, Piano
Thomas Hampson, Baritone
Erlebnis Kurt Pahlen, Composer
Kurt Pahlen, Composer
Malcolm Martineau, Piano
Thomas Hampson, Baritone
Auch ich bin Amerika Kurt Pahlen, Composer
Kurt Pahlen, Composer
Malcolm Martineau, Piano
Thomas Hampson, Baritone
(The) Banks of the Yellow Sea Ernst Bacon, Composer
Ernst Bacon, Composer
Malcolm Martineau, Piano
Thomas Hampson, Baritone
Wild Nights Ernst Bacon, Composer
Ernst Bacon, Composer
Malcolm Martineau, Piano
Thomas Hampson, Baritone
Let Down the Bars Ernst Bacon, Composer
Ernst Bacon, Composer
Malcolm Martineau, Piano
Thomas Hampson, Baritone
(The) Postponeless Creature Ernst Bacon, Composer
Ernst Bacon, Composer
Malcolm Martineau, Piano
Thomas Hampson, Baritone
Heart Jean Berger, Composer
Jean Berger, Composer
Malcolm Martineau, Piano
Thomas Hampson, Baritone
Lonely People Jean Berger, Composer
Jean Berger, Composer
Malcolm Martineau, Piano
Thomas Hampson, Baritone
(The) Rich Man Richard Hageman, Composer
Malcolm Martineau, Piano
Richard Hageman, Composer
Thomas Hampson, Baritone
Richard Cory Charles Naginski, Composer
Charles Naginski, Composer
Malcolm Martineau, Piano
Thomas Hampson, Baritone
Gods Ned Rorem, Composer
Malcolm Martineau, Piano
Ned Rorem, Composer
Thomas Hampson, Baritone
(5) Lieder, Movement: Glückwunsch (wds R Dehmel) Erich Wolfgang Korngold, Composer
Erich Wolfgang Korngold, Composer
Malcolm Martineau, Piano
Thomas Hampson, Baritone
(5) Lieder, Movement: Der Kranke (wds Eichendorff) Erich Wolfgang Korngold, Composer
Erich Wolfgang Korngold, Composer
Malcolm Martineau, Piano
Thomas Hampson, Baritone
At first sight this looks like a ragbag of songs from both established and obscure composers. It's all recorded live with introductions from Hampson, some in German, before an appreciative Salzburg audience. The many settings of Whitman give the collection its focus, but no sooner have we had one composer than the next song comes up with another. There are exceptions. Paul Bowles's Black Mountain Ballads is done complete, but the last song is not “in absolutely strict tempo” as specified. There's a powerful set of Whitman songs by Hindemith written as early as 1919. Then we discover that Stanford set Whitman in 1906: Vaughan Williams is less of a surprise.

Hampson has come up with some real curiosities. The 19th-century composer Frédéric Louis Ritter set Whitman's “Dirge for Two Veterans” as a kind of spoken melodrama. Henry Thacker Burleigh, who sang for Dvorák and made fine arrangements of spirituals, is represented by an impressively intense setting of Whitman's “Ethiopia saluting the colors” - a poem about a black woman watching the Civil War troops march past. There's a Bernstein number from Songfest (1977) that shows his easy but personal way with diatonic melody on or off Broadway. Foster's “Beautiful Dreamer” is charming with an interpolated high F sharp. It's weird to think of Hermann Reutter, who joined the Nazi party and ran the Frankfurt Staatliche Hochschule, setting the black American poet Langston Hughes. Ernest Bacon wrote some 250 songs and his four settings of Emily Dickinson ring true.

A gloomy poem by Eichendorff about invalids in hospital makes an odd ending to this collection. Not all texts are given in English and there's an essay by Hampson instead of information about the composers. Hampson's voice is a flexible and eloquent instrument and for his fans this set is essential.

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