Britten: Serenade for tenor, horn & strings / Les Illuminations, Op. 18 / Nocturne for tenor

"Having these three song cycles on a single disc with the singer whose voice Britten knew better than any other is of course convenient. We have to be grateful to Eloquence for making these recordings available again after so many years. Whatever one's opinion of Peter Pears there is no denying the authenticity of his singing in Britten. Unless one is allergic to the mono sound, at Eloquence price anyone can afford this disc - either as a first foray into this repertoire or as a complement to other versions."
(MusicWeb Sept 2006)

The three orchestral song cycles collected here are central to the Britten canon of recorded repertoire and whereas Pears' other recordings of the Serenade and Les Illuminations (with Boyd Neel and Benjamin Britten as conductors) have been in circulation, this mono recording with Goossens receives its first and much-anticipated release on CD. All three recordings date from the 1950s and catch Pears in full vocal flight.

*** 'The Decca performance [of the Nocturne] is as nearly definitive as anything could be. Pears as always is the ideal interpreter, the composer a most efficient conductor, and the fiendishly difficult obbligato parts are played superbly. The recording is brilliant and clear, with just the right degree of atmosphere' Penguin Guide