Thursday - Vaughan Williams' The Poisoned Kiss
Celebrating the 90th Anniversary of the 成人快手 NOW, Kate Molleson marks their relationship with the conductor Richard Hickox in a performance of Vaughan Williams' The Poisoned Kiss.
Celebrating the 90th Anniversary of the 成人快手 NOW, Kate Molleson marks their relationship with the acclaimed conductor of British Music, Richard Hickox, and this performance recorded at the Brangwyn Hall in Swansea of Vaughan Williams' The Poisoned Kiss.
In a reworking by the librettist Evelyn Sharp of Richard Garnett's short story, The Poison Maid, Richard Hickox conducts Vaughan Williams' operatic setting of the tale of a magician and young empress whose desire to marry is outlawed by her parents. The protagonists marry others, but the jilted magician's instinct for revenge remains and is bestowed upon his daughter, with whom the empress's son is destined to fall in love. With sorcery, poisoned kisses, and the clever use of antidotes, their widowed parents' long-running differences are reconciled, everybody is married, and all live happily ever after.
Angelica (Tormentilla's Maid and Companion) ...... Pamela Helen Stephen (mezzo-soprano)
Gallanthus (the Prince's Attendant) ...... Roderick Williams (baritone)
Hob (one of the Magician's Hobgoblins) ...... John Graham-Hall (tenor)
Gob (one of the Magician's Hobgoblins) ...... Richard Suart (baritone)
Lob (one of the Magician's Hobgoblins) ...... Mark Richardson (bass)
Dipsacus (a Professional Magician) ...... Neal Davies (baritone)
Amaryllus (the Prince, Son of the Empress) ...... James Gilchrist (tenor)
Tormentilla (the Magician's Daughter) ...... Janice Watson (soprano)
First Medium (one of the Empress's Assistants) ...... Gail Pearson (soprano)
Second Medium (one of the Empress's Assistants) ...... Helen Williams (soprano)
Third Medium (one of the Empress's Assistants) ...... Emer McGilloway (mezzo-soprano)
Empress Persicaria (Reigning Sovereign in Golden Town) ..... Anne Collins (contralto)
Adrian Partington Singers
成人快手 National Orchestra of Wales
Richard Hickox (conductor)
Aidan Oliver (assistant conductor)
And at 4.10pm Kate Molleson continues this week's focus on the 成人快手 National Orchestra of Wales' 90th anniversary with a seminal performance made while on tour to Japan with conductor laureate Tadaaki Otaka
William Mathias - In Arcadia
成人快手 National Orchestra of Wales
Tadaaki Otaka (conductor).
Last on
Music Played
-
![]()
Ralph Vaughan Williams
The Poisoned kiss (Act 1)
Orchestra: 成人快手 National Orchestra of Wales. Conductor: Richard Hickox. Singer: Pamela Helen Stephen. Singer: Roderick Williams. Singer: John Graham Hall. Singer: Richard Suart. Singer: Mark Richardson. Singer: Neal Davies. Singer: James Gilchrist. Singer: Janice Watson. Singer: Gail Pearson. Singer: Helen Williams. Singer: Emer Mcgilloway. Singer: Anne Collins. Choir: Adrian Partington Singers. Conductor: Aidan Oliver. -
![]()
Ralph Vaughan Williams
The Poisoned kiss (Act 2)
Orchestra: 成人快手 National Orchestra of Wales. Conductor: Richard Hickox. Singer: Pamela Helen Stephen. Singer: Roderick Williams. Singer: John Graham Hall. Singer: Richard Suart. Singer: Mark Richardson. Singer: Neal Davies. Singer: James Gilchrist. Singer: Janice Watson. Singer: Gail Pearson. Singer: Helen Williams. Singer: Emer Mcgilloway. Singer: Anne Collins. Choir: Adrian Partington Singers. Conductor: Aidan Oliver. -
![]()
Ralph Vaughan Williams
The Poisoned kiss (Act 3)
Orchestra: 成人快手 National Orchestra of Wales. Conductor: Richard Hickox. Singer: Pamela Helen Stephen. Singer: Roderick Williams. Singer: John Graham Hall. Singer: Richard Suart. Singer: Mark Richardson. Singer: Neal Davies. Singer: James Gilchrist. Singer: Janice Watson. Singer: Gail Pearson. Singer: Helen Williams. Singer: Emer Mcgilloway. Singer: Anne Collins. Choir: Adrian Partington Singers. Conductor: Aidan Oliver. -
![]()
William Mathias
In Arcadia
Orchestra: 成人快手 National Orchestra of Wales. Conductor: Tadaaki Otaka. -
![]()
Maurice Ravel
Sonatine for piano (1st mvt)
Performer: Steven Osborne.- Ravel: The Complete Solo Piano Music: Steven Osborne, Piano.
- Hyperion.
- 4.
Synopsis
ACT ONE <?xml:namespace prefix = "o" ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" />
Once upon a time a young Magician and a young Empress hoped to marry, but her parents forbade the match. Both young people married others. But the magician, Dipsacus, hot for revenge against the Empress whom he, wrongly, blamed, brought up his only daughter, Tormentilla, on poisons, so that the first man she kissed would die. He knew the Empress had a son and he planned that his daughter should be the cause of her son's death. The Empress, cleverer than he, knew of this and brought up her son, Amaryllus, on antidotes.
ACT TWO
Act听two opens in Tormentilla鈥檚 apartment in Golden Town where Tormentilla and Angelica are living the high life. But no extent of shopping and material luxuries can distract Tormentilla from the thoughts of her sad plight 鈥� the fact she鈥檚 been fed poison all her life and will cause death to whoever she kisses.
The hobgoblins, however, can use magic spells to lead Amaryllus to Tormentilla and, overcome with emotion when they meet, the lovers kiss.听Because of this kiss he loses consciousness - not because he鈥檚 been poisoned - he was raised on antidote to the poison and so is immune -听but because he has fainted with joy. Unfortunately Tormentilla doesn鈥檛 realise this and she鈥檚 horrified that she might have killed the very man she loves.
听
ACT听THREE
Eventually the Empress relents and allows Tormentilla to see Amaryllus. His happiness is so great that his mother is touched to the heart 鈥� in fact she鈥檚 seemingly infected by the general mood of love so she summons Dipsacus and they patch up their differences and make another go of it. Actually everyone does, all paired off in true Gilbert and Sullivan fashion. The Empress marries Dipsacus, her ladies in waiting marry his attendant hobgoblins. The prince, of course, marries Tormentilla, and her faithful companion, Angelica, marries his friend and squire, Gallanthus.
Broadcast
- Thu 12 Apr 2018 14:00成人快手 Radio 3