Marcus Maroney asks:

>Is there a song cycle to words by Thomas Hardy (I believe written for D.
>Fischer-Dieskau but not the Songs & Proverbs of Blake Op 74)? I thought
>I saw someone program it here at Yale, but can't recall.  If so, is there
>a recording?

Winter Words, op 52.  Composed primarily for performance by Pears and
Britten, and recorded by them monaurally for Decca/London.  Reissued in
Decca's Eclipse series in vile fake stereo.

Here's what my database tells me is on hand:

Britten   Winter Words op 52   Rolfe Johnson/Graham Johnson
 Hyperion   CDA66209   21:40
Britten   Winter Words op 52   Partridge, Ian and Jennifer
 Enigma   VAR1027 [no timing]
Britten   Winter Words op 52   Pears/Britten
 Decca   ECS629   21:01   fake stereo

There are probably other recordings.  AFAIK this is Britten's only
solo-voice Hardy setting.

John Wiser
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