Welcome to Hyperion Records, an independent British classical label devoted to presenting high-quality recordings of music of all styles and from all periods from the twelfth century to the twenty-first.

Hyperion offers both CDs, and downloads in a number of formats. The site is also available in several languages.

Please use the dropdown buttons to set your preferred options, or use the checkbox to accept the defaults.

Click cover art to view larger version
Track(s) taken from CDA67830

The Lost Chord

First line:
Seated one day at the organ
composer
Sir Arthur Sullivan (1842-1900)
early 1877
author of text
Adelaide Anne Proctor (1825-1864)

Gerald Finley (baritone), Julius Drake (piano)
Recording details: February 2010
All Saints' Church, East Finchley, London, United Kingdom
Produced by Mark Brown
Engineered by Julian Millard
Release date: June 2011
Total duration: 4 minutes 17 seconds

Cover artwork: La belle dame sans merci. Sir Frank Dicksee (1853-1928)
© Bristol City Museum and Art Gallery / Bridgeman Images
 

Other recordings available for download

Sir Thomas Allen (baritone), Malcolm Martineau (piano)
Robert White (tenor), Stephen Hough (piano)

Reviews

‘Finley, who has one of those exquisite voices that could make poetry of the telephone directory, vividly characterises the words without recourse to the exaggerated enunciation … Drake uses all the colouristic forces he can command with wit (The Flea), bravura (Erlkönig and Wolf's spellbinding Der Feurreiter) and imagination (Loewe's Die wandelnde Glocke). As these pages have said before, it's a great partnership’ (Gramophone)

‘A new idea for the anthology disc: here is Gerald Finley, in his vocal prime, as balladeer—telling tales of misadventure and gothic horror … Finley is a fine tale-teller. In Loewe, he sounds as though he's singing just for you, the listener, so rapt and intense is his communication’ (BBC Music Magazine)

‘Drake's playing has successfully suited the varied repertoire. Finley has enthralled with his interpretations and delighted with his singing purely as singing, combining the two expertly. If I were a reviewer who seems to think that it is mandatory to nominate a CD as outstanding each month I might consider proposing this well-recorded issue’ (International Record Review)

‘Listen to these wonderfully melodramatic, mostly Victorian ballads by candlelight in a haunted house … performances full of raging fortissimos and ghoulish tremolandos from Finley and his pianist Julius Drake’ (The Times)
Arthur Sullivan composed this moving example of Victorian faith after being confined to the bedside of his elder brother Frederic during his last illness. The words were by the poetess Adelaide Anne Procter, and the song was carried to popularity in Victorian Britain by the singer Antoinette Stirling. Its huge popularity is demonstrated by the fact that it was even sung by Caruso, who wrote out the words in Italian phonetics for the purpose.

from notes by Andrew Lamb © 2002

Other albums featuring this work

Bird Songs at Eventide
Robert White (tenor), Stephen Hough (piano)
CDH55156
Songs my father taught me
Sir Thomas Allen (baritone), Malcolm Martineau (piano)
CDA67290

[Return to top of page]

Waiting for content to load...
Waiting for content to load...