Nicholas Maw/ Richard Rodney Bennett: Ancora

Life Studies, written for the virtuoso players of The Academy of St Martin-in-the Fields (the performers on this recording), is a series of vibrant character studies which range from the intensity of Penderecki and lyricism of Britten to a jazzy double bass solo (in Study V).

Richard Rodney Bennett's dramatic cantata Spells sets a sequence of haunting invocations by Kathleen Raine; it is performed by its dedicatee, soprano Jane Manning, with The Philharmonia Orchestra, Bach Choir and Sir David Willcocks.

Originally released on Continuum Records in 1992. Reissued with funding from Arts Council England.

"Maw treads a completely resolved path in his Life Studies between Bergian reserve and Tippett-like buoyant ecstasy... This is sheerly brilliant writing and the Academy trounces the challenge. [Jane Manning in Spells] is in splendid voice - try the Spell of Safekeeping - where she is at her wonderful best. Two brilliant retrievals from the fearsome mid-1970s."
MusicWeb 2006

Academy of St Martin-in-the-Fields, Sir Neville Marriner, Jane Manning, Bach Choir, Philharmonia Orchestra, Sir David Willcocks - Nicholas Maw/ Richard Rodney Bennett: Ancora (NMC D085)

Download Album

1.		Academy of St Martin-in-the-Fields/ Sir Neville Marriner, director - Life Studies: 1	6m 47s
2.		Academy of St Martin-in-the-Fields/ Sir Neville Marriner, director - Life Studies: 2	9m 32s
3.		Academy of St Martin-in-the-Fields/ Sir Neville Marriner, director - Life Studies: 3	3m 58s
4.		Academy of St Martin-in-the-Fields/ Sir Neville Marriner, director - Life Studies: 4	1m 41s
5.		Academy of St Martin-in-the-Fields/ Sir Neville Marriner, director - Life Studies: 5	4m 42s
6.		Academy of St Martin-in-the-Fields/ Sir Neville Marriner, director - Life Studies: 6	2m 36s
7.		Academy of St Martin-in-the-Fields/ Sir Neville Marriner, director - Life Studies: 7	3m 12s
8.		Academy of St Martin-in-the-Fields/ Sir Neville Marriner, director - Life Studies: 8	7m 36s
9.		Jane Manning, soprano/ Bach Choir/ Philharmonia Orchestra/ Sir David Willcocks, conductor - Spells - Spell against sorrow	6m 31s
10.		Jane Manning, soprano/ Bach Choir/ Philharmonia Orchestra/ Sir David Willcocks, conductor - Spells - Spell of safekeeping	5m 14s
11.		Jane Manning, soprano/ Bach Choir/ Philharmonia Orchestra/ Sir David Willcocks, conductor - Spells - Spell to bring lost creatures home	4m 21s
12.		Jane Manning, soprano/ Bach Choir/ Philharmonia Orchestra/ Sir David Willcocks, conductor - Spells - Spell of sleep	4m 7s
13.		Jane Manning, soprano/ Bach Choir/ Philharmonia Orchestra/ Sir David Willcocks, conductor - Spells - Love spell	8m 44s
14.		Jane Manning, soprano/ Bach Choir/ Philharmonia Orchestra/ Sir David Willcocks, conductor - Spells - Spell of creation	7m 9s

Academy of St Martin-in-the-Fields, Sir Neville Marriner, Jane Manning, Bach Choir, Philharmonia Orchestra, Sir David Willcocks - Nicholas Maw/ Richard Rodney Bennett: Ancora (NMC D085)

CD Album

1.		Academy of St Martin-in-the-Fields/ Sir Neville Marriner, director - Life Studies: 1
2.		Academy of St Martin-in-the-Fields/ Sir Neville Marriner, director - Life Studies: 2
3.		Academy of St Martin-in-the-Fields/ Sir Neville Marriner, director - Life Studies: 3
4.		Academy of St Martin-in-the-Fields/ Sir Neville Marriner, director - Life Studies: 4
5.		Academy of St Martin-in-the-Fields/ Sir Neville Marriner, director - Life Studies: 5
6.		Academy of St Martin-in-the-Fields/ Sir Neville Marriner, director - Life Studies: 6
7.		Academy of St Martin-in-the-Fields/ Sir Neville Marriner, director - Life Studies: 7
8.		Academy of St Martin-in-the-Fields/ Sir Neville Marriner, director - Life Studies: 8
9.		Jane Manning, soprano/ Bach Choir/ Philharmonia Orchestra/ Sir David Willcocks, conductor - Spells - Spell against sorrow
10.		Jane Manning, soprano/ Bach Choir/ Philharmonia Orchestra/ Sir David Willcocks, conductor - Spells - Spell of safekeeping
11.		Jane Manning, soprano/ Bach Choir/ Philharmonia Orchestra/ Sir David Willcocks, conductor - Spells - Spell to bring lost creatures home
12.		Jane Manning, soprano/ Bach Choir/ Philharmonia Orchestra/ Sir David Willcocks, conductor - Spells - Spell of sleep
13.		Jane Manning, soprano/ Bach Choir/ Philharmonia Orchestra/ Sir David Willcocks, conductor - Spells - Love spell
14.		Jane Manning, soprano/ Bach Choir/ Philharmonia Orchestra/ Sir David Willcocks, conductor - Spells - Spell of creation

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