Louise Alder & Joseph Middleton – Richard Strauss: Through Life & Love (2017) [FLAC 24bit/96kHz]

Hailed as one of the brightest lyric-sopranos of the younger generation, a radiant pe rformer and a born actress Louise has been held in high critical acclaim during he r early career, and has recently been declared Young Singer of the Year at the 2017 International Opera Awards. She is also no stranger to Lieder, and has worked wi th pianist Joseph Middleton previously at the Leeds Lieder Festival. Joseph is considered a specialist in the art of song accompaniment, and has be en described as one of the brightest stars in the world of song and Lieder by BBC Music Magazine, the cream of the new generation by The Times and a perfect accompanist by Opera Now. Through Life and Love sees Louise and Joseph perform some of the most beautiful Lieder in the repertoire, including Strauss Die Nacht, Standchen and Rote Rosen. Louise will be representing England at the BBC Cardiff Singer of the World competition this year, and this will be her debut recital recording.

A popular choice for the audience prize at the 2017 BBC Cardiff Singer of the World and a superb Sophie in WNO’s recent Der Rosenkavalier, Louise Alder has captured hearts in Wales and beyond. This disc of Richard Strauss songs comes at just the right moment in her ascent towards stardom. It’s grouped under headings such as youth, longing, loss, release. Some of the nearly two dozen choices are familiar, such as Zueignung, which she sings with unusual and touching introversion and contemplation. All are sung with vivid narrative skill, rich in colour and detail, and with a stunning purity of tone on long notes (as in the Ruhe of Ruhe, meine Seele!). Alder is beautifully partnered by pianist Joseph Middleton. -The Observer, June’17

Tracklist

Richard Strauss (1864-1949)
01. 8 Gedichte aus “Letzte Blätter”, Op. 10, TrV 141: No. 2, Nichts
02. 5 Lieder, Op. 39, TrV 189: No. 1, Leises Lied
03. 6 Lieder, Op. 17, TrV 149: No. 2, Ständchen
04. 3 Lieder, Op. 29, TrV 172: No. 2, Schlagende Herzen
05. 4 Lieder, Op. 27, TrV 170: No. 3, Heimliche Aufforderung
06. 5 Lieder, Op. 32, TrV 174: No. 2, Sehnsucht
07. 8 Lieder, Op. 49, TrV 204: No. 1, Waldseligkeit
08. 8 Lieder, Op. 49, TrV 204: No. 8, Ach, was Kummer, Qual und Schmerzen
09. 6 Lieder aus “Lotosblätter”, Op. 19, TrV 152: No. 2, Breit über mein Haupt
10. 6 Lieder aus “Lotosblätter”, Op. 19, TrV 152: No. 4, Wie sollten wir geheim sie halten
11. 4 Lieder, Op. 36, TrV 186: No. 1, Das Rosenband
12. 5 Lieder, Op. 48, TrV 202: No. 2, Ich schwebe
13. 3 Lieder, Op. 29, TrV 172: No. 3, Nachtgang
14. 5 Kleine Lieder, Op. 69, TrV 237: No. 3, Einerlei
15. Rote Rosen, TrV 119
16. Gesänge älterer deutscher Dichter: No. 2, Muttertändelei
17. 6 Lieder, Op. 37, TrV 187: No. 3, Meinem Kinde
18. 8 Gedichte aus “Letzte Blätter”, Op. 10, TrV 141: No. 3, Die Nacht
19. 5 Lieder, Op. 39, TrV 189: No. 4, Befreit
20. 4 Lieder, Op. 27, TrV 170: No. 1, Ruhe, meine Seele
21. 8 Gedichte aus “Letzte Blätter”, Op. 10, TrV 141: No. 1, Zueignung
22. Weihnachtsgefühl, TrV 198
23. 8 Gedichte aus “Letzte Blätter”, Op. 10, TrV 141: No. 8, Allerseelen