About this Artist

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Editorial Reviews

In the liner notes for this CD, Ian Bostridge compares the songs of Noël Coward to those of Kurt Weill, particularly those of Weill's "Threepenny Opera." The comparison is apt in that the renditions of Coward's songs from the 1920s and '30s are more like operetta excerpts. Many of the songs are from stage shows, not revues, so there is some dramatic context for them, and most include the verses before the more familiar refrains, setting the stage for the songs. Jeffrey Tate, who is more known for his opera conducting, and Bostridge, even though treating the songs as dramatic excerpts, seem to have a restrained emotional approach to them, which works for some, but not for others. One where it works is "Zigeuner," where Bostridge sings coyly, rather than with a gypsy's passion. Soprano Sophie Daneman joins Bostridge for the waltz "I'll See You Again," which is also restrained and not the clichéd schmaltz in which it's usually heard. Although the accompaniment has its quirks and Bostridge tries to sing it with humor, "Mad Dogs and Englishmen" is carefully enunciated and every note is in tune. Unlike Coward's classic version, it is formal, not stiff, but veddy proper, which adds an irony to it, as if it is only right for Englishmen to go out in the midday sun. In Colin Buckeridge's arrangements, the piano accompaniment does not attempt to imitate an orchestra, but provides more of an art song accompaniment, ably performed by Tate. Also lending to the art song perception is the balance between vocalist and pianist, sounding like an intimate recital venue; after all, it is recitals for which Bostridge is known. Patsy Morita, All Music Guide

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