Tell me the Truth about Love

on 22 February 2023

  • Roderick Williams and Iain Burnside

    Roderick Williams and Iain Burnside

  • Roderick Williams and Iain Burnside

    Roderick Williams and Iain Burnside

  • Roderick Williams

    Roderick Williams

  • Roderick Williams

    Roderick Williams

  • Roderick Williams

    Roderick Williams

  • Roderick Williams

    Roderick Williams

  • Roderick Williams and Iain Burnside

    Roderick Williams and Iain Burnside

  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5
  • 6
  • 7

 

Operatic, theatrical, storied, poetic, cross-generational and inclusive, it was all about love. The incredible joy the audience at Breinton felt in this performance by baritone Roderick Williams and pianist Iain Burnside will not be easily surpassed.

Roderick had this extraordinary ability to draw in the audience from the moment he walked on stage – a true performer in every sense. The programme they had curated for us portrayed the multidimensional aspects of love and dating from baroque to modern times, showcasing numerous tones of voice. What pure delight it was to hear Purcell’s songs, with lovely expression and crystal-clear diction. Young Rachmaninov’s passionate and desperate Oh No, I beg you, forsake me not and Debussy’s haunted calmness Beau Soir, both sung in their original language, made my hairs stand on the back of my neck.

The melodic and enchanting German songs were pure delights with shivering beauty, and what followed them was an astonishing set of entertaining works by living female composers, each making a strong statement.

By the time the performers reached their last song Tell me the Truth about Love by Benjamin Britten, the audience in the house was ready to roar with pleasure.

The partnership between Roderick and Iain was flawless – I so enjoyed the pianistic beauty expertly brought by Iain, ranging from the simple accompaniment of Purcell, atmospheric Debussy, dynamic flowing passages of Rachmaninov, the romantic beauty of the German songs, to powerfully charged modern songs.

Never mind that it was a mid-week evening, the sell-out recital was packed with music enthusiasts, who I am sure went home overjoyed and uplifted.

Roderick Williams

Roderick Williams is one of the most sought after baritones of his generation and performs a wide repertoire from baroque to contemporary music in the opera house, on the concert platform and in recital.  He enjoys relationships with all the major UK opera houses and has sung world premieres of operas by, among others, David Sawer, Sally Beamish, Michel van der Aa, Robert Saxton and Alexander Knaifel.  He performs regularly with all the BBC orchestras, and many other ensembles including the Royal Scottish National Orchestra, the Philharmonia, London Sinfonietta, Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra, the Hallé, Britten Sinfonia, Bournemouth Symphony and Scottish Chamber Orchestra. 


Iain Burnside

Thanks to prolific careers both as pianist and award-winning broadcaster, Iain Burnside is one of the UK’s best known musicians. Iain has worked with a huge number of international singers, notably Dame Margaret Price, Rosa Feola, Ailish Tynan, Joyce DiDonato, Laurence Brownlee, Roderick Williams, and Bryn Terfel, among many others.  He has recorded more than 60 CDs, often created around neglected composers, where his curatorial skills are displayed to the full.


  • Purcell
    • If music be the food of love
    • Ah, how sweet it is to love
    • Let the dreadful engines of eternal will
  • Fauré
    • from Cinq Mélodies de Venise
  • Rachmaninov
    • Ana, kak pold’en khorasha
    • Fchera mi fstr’etilis
    • O, n’et, mal’u, n’e ukhadi
    • Zd’es kharasho
    • Ya bil u n’ej
  • Debussy
    • Green
    • Beau Soir
  • Quilter
    • 7 Elizabethan Lyrics
  • Clara Schumann
    • Liebst du um Schönheit
  • Fanny Mendelssohn
    • Nähe des Geliebten
  • Lang
    • Abschied
  • Robert Schumann
    • Er, der Herrlichste von allen
  • Shaw
    • How do I find you Caroline Shaw
  • Beamish
    • Nightingale
  • Hoad
    • The Pros and Cons
  • Finzi
    • I said to Love
  • Britten
    • Tell me the truth about Love

Encore:

  • Bolcom
    • Toothbrush time