Immerse yourself in the enchanting world of Rutland Boughton's "The Immortal Hour," a captivating opera that transcends time and genre. Released on January 1, 1984, under the Hyperion label, this two-act masterpiece is a testament to Boughton's unique compositional style and his deep connection to Celtic mythology. Spanning a duration of 1 hour and 42 minutes, the album is a rich tapestry of vocal and instrumental artistry, featuring a diverse cast of characters and a lush orchestral accompaniment.
"The Immortal Hour" is a retelling of the ancient Irish legend of Etain, a beautiful immortal woman who is cursed to wander the earth, reincarnated time and again. The opera follows her journey as she encounters various characters, including the mortal king Eochaidh, who falls deeply in love with her. The libretto, also penned by Boughton, is a poetic and evocative exploration of love, loss, and the eternal struggle between the mortal and immortal realms.
The album is divided into two acts, each containing a series of musical numbers that propel the narrative forward. From the hauntingly beautiful "By Dim Moon-Glimmering Coasts and Sad Sea Wastes" to the triumphant "Hail, Eochaidh, King of Eiré!", the opera is a feast for the ears, showcasing Boughton's ability to convey a wide range of emotions and moods through his music. The vocal performances are particularly noteworthy, with each singer bringing a unique depth and nuance to their respective roles.
Rutland Boughton, a prominent figure in the early 20th-century British music scene, was known for his innovative approach to opera and his commitment to promoting British composers. "The Immortal Hour" is a shining example of his artistic vision and his ability to create a compelling and immersive theatrical experience. Whether you are a seasoned opera aficionado or a newcomer to the genre, this album is sure to captivate and inspire.
Tracks
The Immortal Hour, Act I Scene 1: No. 1, PreludeRutland Boughton, English Chamber Orchestra, Alan G. Melville
The Immortal Hour, Act I Scene 1: No. 2, By Dim Moon-Glimmering Coasts and Sad Sea Wastes (Dalua)Rutland Boughton, Alan G. Melville, English Chamber Orchestra, Roderick Kennedy
The Immortal Hour, Act I Scene 1: No. 3, Though You Have Travelled from One Darkness to Another (Voices in the Wood, Dalua)Rutland Boughton, Roderick Kennedy, English Chamber Orchestra, Alan G. Melville, Geoffrey Mitchell Choir
The Immortal Hour, Act I Scene 1: No. 4, And If I Tread the Long, Continuous Way (Dalua, Voices in the Wood)Rutland Boughton, Alan G. Melville, English Chamber Orchestra, Roderick Kennedy, Geoffrey Mitchell Choir
The Immortal Hour, Act I Scene 1: No. 5, I Have Come Hither, Led by Dreams and Visions (Dalua, Voices in the Wood)Rutland Boughton, Alan G. Melville, English Chamber Orchestra, Roderick Kennedy, Geoffrey Mitchell Choir
The Immortal Hour, Act I Scene 1: No. 6, Hail, Son of Shadow! (Spirit Voice)Rutland Boughton, Alan G. Melville, English Chamber Orchestra, Geoffrey Mitchell Choir, Patricia Taylor
The Immortal Hour, Act I Scene 1: No. 7, I Am Old; More Old, More Ancient Than the Gods (Dalua)Rutland Boughton, Alan G. Melville, English Chamber Orchestra, Roderick Kennedy
The Immortal Hour, Act I Scene 1: No. 8, Brother and Kin to All the Twilit Gods (Spirit Voice)Rutland Boughton, Alan G. Melville, English Chamber Orchestra, Patricia Taylor, Geoffrey Mitchell Choir
The Immortal Hour, Act I Scene 1: No. 9, [The Sound of Mocking Laughter Is Heard from the Wood]Rutland Boughton, Alan G. Melville, English Chamber Orchestra, Geoffrey Mitchell Choir
The Immortal Hour, Act I Scene 1: No. 10. For Lu and Œngus Laugh Not (Dalua)Rutland Boughton, Alan G. Melville, English Chamber Orchestra, Roderick Kennedy, Geoffrey Mitchell Choir
The Immortal Hour, Act I Scene 1: No. 11, Fair Is the Moonlight (Etain)Rutland Boughton, Anne Dawson, Alan G. Melville, English Chamber Orchestra
The Immortal Hour, Act I Scene 1: No. 12, Hail, Daughter of Kings (Dalua, Etain)Rutland Boughton, English Chamber Orchestra, Roderick Kennedy, Alan G. Melville, Anne Dawson
The Immortal Hour, Act I Scene 1: No. 13, Have You Forgot the Delicate Smiling Land? (Dalua)Rutland Boughton, Alan G. Melville, English Chamber Orchestra, Roderick Kennedy
The Immortal Hour, Act I Scene 1: No. 14, I Have Forgotton All (Etain, Dalua)Rutland Boughton, Alan G. Melville, Anne Dawson, English Chamber Orchestra, Roderick Kennedy
The Immortal Hour, Act I Scene 1: No. 15, A King of Men Has Wooed the Immortal Hour (Dalua, Etain)Rutland Boughton, English Chamber Orchestra, Roderick Kennedy, Anne Dawson, Alan G. Melville
The Immortal Hour, Act I Scene 1: No. 16, Led Here by Dreams (Dalua, Etain)Rutland Boughton, Roderick Kennedy, English Chamber Orchestra, Anne Dawson, Alan G. Melville
The Immortal Hour, Act I Scene 1: No. 17, I Will Go Back to the Country of the Young (Etain)Rutland Boughton, English Chamber Orchestra, Anne Dawson, Alan G. Melville
The Immortal Hour, Act I Scene 1: No. 18, Sir, I Am Glad. I Had Not Thought to See One Here (Eochaidh, Dalua)Rutland Boughton, Roderick Kennedy, David Wilson-Johnson, English Chamber Orchestra, Alan G. Melville
The Immortal Hour, Act I Scene 1: No. 19, I Have Come to This Lone Wood (Dalua, Eochaidh)Rutland Boughton, David Wilson-Johnson, Alan G. Melville, Roderick Kennedy, English Chamber Orchestra
The Immortal Hour, Act I Scene 1: No. 20. Look, O King … I See a Fountain (Dalua, Eochaidh)Rutland Boughton, Alan G. Melville, David Wilson-Johnson, Valery Hill, Roderick Kennedy, English Chamber Orchestra
The Immortal Hour, Act I Scene 1: No. 21, There Is No Backward Way for Such as I (Eochaidh, Dalua)Rutland Boughton, Alan G. Melville, English Chamber Orchestra, David Wilson-Johnson, Roderick Kennedy
The Immortal Hour, Act I Scene 1: No. 22, I Have Heard You Calling, Dalua (Eochaidh, Dalua)Rutland Boughton, English Chamber Orchestra, Roderick Kennedy, David Wilson-Johnson, Alan G. Melville
The Immortal Hour, Act I Scene 2: No. 1, I've Seen That Man Before Who Came Tonight (Manus, Maive)Rutland Boughton, English Chamber Orchestra, Alan G. Melville, Patricia Taylor, Roger Bryson
The Immortal Hour, Act I Scene 2: No. 2, Yes Woman, Yes, I Know (Manu, Etain, Maive)Rutland Boughton, English Chamber Orchestra, Patricia Taylor, Roger Bryson, Alan G. Melville, Anne Dawson
The Immortal Hour, Act I Scene 2: No. 3, But Sometimes. Tell Me, Have You Heard (Etain, Manus, Maive, Eochaidh)Rutland Boughton, Alan G. Melville, Anne Dawson, David Wilson-Johnson, English Chamber Orchestra, Patricia Taylor, Roger Bryson
The Immortal Hour, Act I Scene 2: No. 4, Good Folk, I Give You Greeting (Eochaidh, Etain, Manus)Rutland Boughton, Alan G. Melville, Anne Dawson, David Wilson-Johnson, English Chamber Orchestra, Roger Bryson
The Immortal Hour, Act I Scene 2: No. 5, Good Sir, Brave Lord! (Maive, Manus, Eochaidh, Etain)Rutland Boughton, Alan G. Melville, Anne Dawson, David Wilson-Johnson, English Chamber Orchestra, Patricia Taylor, Roger Bryson
The Immortal Hour, Act I Scene 2: No. 6, At Last I Know Why Dreams Have Led Me Hither (Eochaidh)Rutland Boughton, Alan G. Melville, English Chamber Orchestra, David Wilson-Johnson
The Immortal Hour, Act I Scene 2: No. 7, And Your Name, Fair Lord? (Etain, Eochaidh)Rutland Boughton, English Chamber Orchestra, Anne Dawson, Alan G. Melville, David Wilson-Johnson
The Immortal Hour, Act I Scene 2: No. 8, Truly, I Now Know Full Well (Eochaidh)Rutland Boughton, Alan G. Melville, David Wilson-Johnson, English Chamber Orchestra
The Immortal Hour, Act I Scene 2: No. 9, I, Too, Am Lifted with the Breath (Etain, Eochaidh)Rutland Boughton, David Wilson-Johnson, English Chamber Orchestra, Anne Dawson, Alan G. Melville
The Immortal Hour, Act I Scene 2: No. 10. Who Laughed? (Eochaidh, Manus, Maive, Etain)Rutland Boughton, Roger Bryson, Patricia Taylor, English Chamber Orchestra, David Wilson-Johnson, Anne Dawson, Alan G. Melville
The Immortal Hour, Act I Scene 2: No. 11, Dear Lord, Sit Here (Etain, Eochaidh)Rutland Boughton, Alan G. Melville, Anne Dawson, David Wilson-Johnson, English Chamber Orchestra
The Immortal Hour, Act I Scene 2: No. 12, How Beautiful They Are (Spirit Voices)Rutland Boughton, Alan G. Melville, English Chamber Orchestra, Geoffrey Mitchell Choir
The Immortal Hour, Act II: No. 1, By the Voice in the Corries (Druids)Rutland Boughton, Alan G. Melville, English Chamber Orchestra, Geoffrey Mitchell Choir
The Immortal Hour, Act II: No. 2, The Bells of Youth Are Ringing (Maidens)Rutland Boughton, Geoffrey Mitchell Choir, English Chamber Orchestra, Alan G. Melville
The Immortal Hour, Act II: No. 3, But This Was in the Old, Far-Off Days (Warriors)Rutland Boughton, Geoffrey Mitchell Choir, Alan G. Melville, English Chamber Orchestra
The Immortal Hour, Act II: No. 4, Hail, Eochaidh, High King of Eiré, Hail! (Bards, Maidens, Warriors)Rutland Boughton, Geoffrey Mitchell Choir, Alan G. Melville, English Chamber Orchestra, David Wilson-Johnson
The Immortal Hour, Act II: No. 5, Green Fire of Joy, Green Fire of LifeRutland Boughton, Geoffrey Mitchell Choir, Alan G. Melville, English Chamber Orchestra
The Immortal Hour, Act II: No. 6, Etain, Speak, My Queen (Eochaidh, Etain)Rutland Boughton, Alan G. Melville, English Chamber Orchestra, Anne Dawson, David Wilson-Johnson
The Immortal Hour, Act II: No. 7, No, No My Queen (Eochaidh)Rutland Boughton, English Chamber Orchestra, David Wilson-Johnson, Alan G. Melville
The Immortal Hour, Act II: No. 8, I, Too, Have Heard Strange Delicate Music (Etain)Rutland Boughton, English Chamber Orchestra, Anne Dawson, Alan G. Melville
The Immortal Hour, Act II: No. 9, The Queen! (Warriors, Maidens, Druids)Rutland Boughton, Geoffrey Mitchell Choir, David Wilson-Johnson, Alan G. Melville, English Chamber Orchestra
The Immortal Hour, Act II: No. 10. Hail, Eochaidh, King of Eiré! (Midir, Eochaidh)Rutland Boughton, Maldwyn Davies, David Wilson-Johnson, Alan G. Melville, English Chamber Orchestra
The Immortal Hour, Act II: No. 11, I Am a King's First Son (Midir)Rutland Boughton, English Chamber Orchestra, Alan G. Melville, Maldwyn Davies
The Immortal Hour, Act II: No. 12, Dagda, Lord of Thunder and Silence (Druids)Rutland Boughton, Geoffrey Mitchell Choir, English Chamber Orchestra, Alan G. Melville
The Immortal Hour, Act II: No. 13, Fair Lord, My Thanks I Give (Eochaidh, Midir)Rutland Boughton, David Wilson-Johnson, Alan G. Melville, Maldwyn Davies, English Chamber Orchestra
The Immortal Hour, Act II: No. 14, Have Not Great Poets Sung (Midir, Eochaidh)Rutland Boughton, Alan G. Melville, David Wilson-Johnson, English Chamber Orchestra, Maldwyn Davies
The Immortal Hour, Act II: No. 15, In the Days of the Great Fires (Midir)Rutland Boughton, Maldwyn Davies, English Chamber Orchestra, Alan G. Melville
The Immortal Hour, Act II: No. 16, Hear Us, Œngus, Beautiful, Terrible, Sun-Lord (Eochaidh)Rutland Boughton, English Chamber Orchestra, David Wilson-Johnson, Alan G. Melville
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