Paul Sperry Sings Romantic American Songs
Paul Sperry (tenor), Irma Vallecillo (piano)
"Since I first started going to song recitals, I wondered why I heard so few American songs," says Paul Sperry in the booklet notes. "Was it that there weren't many good ones? I doubted it, and I have subsequently learned that I was right. While researching little known American songs for three Bicentennial celebration recitals, I discovered that songwriting has always attracted American composers and that they have given us a large and fascinating repertory encompassing every conceivable style. The only difficulty I face as a performer is to choose which ones to sing, or, in this case, to record. I have chosen these five composers because they are all "Romantics:" they favor tonal harmonies, attractive melodies, and a close relationship between words and music; they seek to convey the emotional content of the poetry in musical terms. But more specifically, I chose them because I love their songs."
Track Listing
| Title | Composer | Performer |
|---|---|---|
| Once a Lady Was Here | Paul Bowles | Paul Sperry, tenor, Irma Vallecillo, piano |
| Three | Paul Bowles | Paul Sperry, tenor, Irma Vallecillo, piano |
| Letter to Freddy | Paul Bowles | Paul Sperry, tenor, Irma Vallecillo, piano |
| April Fool Baby | Paul Bowles | Paul Sperry, tenor, Irma Vallecillo, piano |
| Baby, Baby | Paul Bowles | Paul Sperry, tenor, Irma Vallecillo, piano |
| O Mistress Mine | Theodore Chanler | Paul Sperry, tenor, Irma Vallecillo, piano |
| These, My Ophelia | Theodore Chanler | Paul Sperry, tenor, Irma Vallecillo, piano |
| The Doves | Theodore Chanler | Paul Sperry, tenor, Irma Vallecillo, piano |
| Memory | Theodore Chanler | Paul Sperry, tenor, Irma Vallecillo, piano |
| I Rise When You Enter | Theodore Chanler | Paul Sperry, tenor, Irma Vallecillo, piano |
| Eleven Poems of Emily Dickinson | Arthur Farwell | Paul Sperry, tenor, Irma Vallecillo, piano |
| Ballad on Queen Anne' Death | Richard Hundley composer | Paul Sperry, tenor, Irma Vallecillo, piano |
| Bartholomew Green | Richard Hundley composer | Paul Sperry, tenor, Irma Vallecillo, piano |
| Come Ready and See Me | Richard Hundley composer | Paul Sperry, tenor, Irma Vallecillo, piano |
| Sweet Suffolk Owl | Richard Hundley composer | Paul Sperry, tenor, Irma Vallecillo, piano |
| Spring Song | Richard Hundley composer | Paul Sperry, tenor, Irma Vallecillo, piano |
| Waterbird | Richard Hundley composer | Paul Sperry, tenor, Irma Vallecillo, piano |
| I Do | Richard Hundley composer | Paul Sperry, tenor, Irma Vallecillo, piano |
| Isaac Greentree | Richard Hundley composer | Paul Sperry, tenor, Irma Vallecillo, piano |
| On a Wife | Richard Hundley composer | Paul Sperry, tenor, Irma Vallecillo, piano |
| The Astronomers | Richard Hundley composer | Paul Sperry, tenor, Irma Vallecillo, piano |
| Some Sheep are Loving | Richard Hundley composer | Paul Sperry, tenor, Irma Vallecillo, piano |
| A Prayer to St. Catherine | Virgil Thomson | Paul Sperry, tenor, Irma Vallecillo, piano |
| There is a Garden in Her Face | Virgil Thomson | Paul Sperry, tenor, Irma Vallecillo, piano |
| English Usage | Virgil Thomson | Paul Sperry, tenor, Irma Vallecillo, piano |
| Take, O Take those Lips Away | Virgil Thomson | Paul Sperry, tenor, Irma Vallecillo, piano |
| Preciosilla | Virgil Thomson | Paul Sperry, tenor, Irma Vallecillo, piano |
Reviews
- “
"Paul Sperry is firmly established as a leading champion of American art song, premiering new works, programming them on recitals, and editing published song volumes. His insightful liner notes contain an informative overview of the songs....Sperry's performance is confident and sure - an artist in his element, presenting literature which caters to his greatest strength, the interpretive presentation of text."
*Album cover provided for Editorial use only. ©Albany Records. The Albany Imprint is a registered trademark of PARMA Recordings LLC. The views and opinions expressed in this media are those of the artist and do not necessarily represent or reflect the views and opinions held by PARMA Recordings LLC and its label imprints, subsidiaries, and affiliates.