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William Boyce (1711-1779)
 William
Boyce's reputation has been enhanced greatly by the recent series of four superb
recordings of Royal masques and odes by Graham Lea-Cox et al. on ASV. A student
of Maurice Greene, Boyce's musical style was much closer to the styles of Handel
and Greene than to the more modern styles of his European contemporaries such as
Pergolesi, Jommelli and Gluck or even Thomas Arne. Only a small fraction of
Boyce's surviving music has been performed or recorded.
Recordings
| William Boyce. Eight Symphonies, Op. 2.
Naxos 8.557278 (1 CD, April 2005). Kevin Mallon, Aradia
Ensemble.
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| Boyce. Pindar's Ode (Dublin Version, 1741) &
Ode for the New Year (1774). ASV Gaudeamus GAU 232 (1 CD
2001).
Details. Graham Lea-Cox, The Hanover Band (Director -
Caroline Brown), The Choir of New College, Cambridge (Director -
Edward Higginbottom). Patrick Burrowes, boy soprano; Andrew
Johnson, boy soprano; Christopher Josey, high tenor; Charles
Daniels, tenor; Michael George, bass-baritone. In this final
recording in the series, Christopher Josey, a haute-contre,
sings the extremely high music written for Dublin's John Church,
who was described as a tenor. On the earlier CDs, Church's parts
were performed by a falsettist. Church's music was even higher
than performed here at a=415, as Haynes has made a persuasive
case that opera/oratorio pitch in London had already reached
a=424 (Handel's tuning fork) by 1733. I wonder about tuning the
keyboard instruments in equal temperament, which was not a
common temperament for keyboard instruments during the period.
(I don't mean to single out these recordings for criticism,
since some of the best-known "authentic" directors routinely get
the pitch, temperament, orchestration, ornamentation, cadenzas,
etc. wrong.)
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| Boyce. David's Lamentation Over Saul and
Jonathan (Dublin version, 1744 with selections from the London
version, 1736) & Ode on St. Cecilia's Day "The Charms of Harmony
Display" (1737-8?). ASV Gaudeamus GAU 208 (1 CD 2000).
Details. Graham Lea-Cox, The Hanover Band (Director -
Caroline Brown), The Choir of New College, Cambridge (Director -
Edward Higginbottom). Patrick Burrowes, boy soprano; Andrew
Purefoy, alto; Andrew Watts, countertenor; Richard Edgar-Wilson,
tenor; Michael George, bass-baritone.
US |
UK |
DE |
FR |
CA |
| Boyce. Ode on St. Cecilia's Day "See Famed
Apollo and the Nine" (1739). ASV Gaudeamus GAU 200 (1 CD
2000).
Details. Graham Lea-Cox, The Hanover Band (Director -
Caroline Brown), The Choir of New College, Cambridge (Director -
Edward Higginbottom). Patrick Burrowes, boy soprano; Andrew
Purefoy, alto; Andrew Watts, countertenor; Richard Edgar-Wilson,
tenor; Michael George, bass-baritone.
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UK |
DE |
FR |
CA |
| Boyce. The Secular Masque & Overtures to
King's Ode for the New Year (1772), Ode for St. Cecilia's Day
(Lockman) & Birthday Ode for George III (1768). ASV
Gaudeamus GAU 176 (1 CD 1998).
Details. Graham Lea-Cox, The Hanover Band (Director -
Caroline Brown), The Choir of New College, Cambridge (Director -
Edward Higginbottom). Judith Howarth, soprano; Kathleen
Kuhlmann, mezzo-soprano; Charles Daniels, tenor; Timothy
Robinson, tenor; David Thomas, bass.
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UK |
DE |
FR |
CA |
| Music for St. Paul's. Boyce, "Lord, thou
hast been our refuge". Hyperion CDA 67009 (1 CD 1998).
Details. Also contains: Handel, Utrecht Te Deum and
Jubilante. (HWV 278 & 279, London 1713), and Blow, "I was glad
when they said unto me". John Scott & Peter Holman, The Parley
of Instruments & St. Paul's Cathedral Choir. Julia Gooding &
Sophie Daneman, sopranos; Robin Blaze, countertenor; Rogers
Covey-Crump & Mark Le Brocq, tenors; Andrew Dale Forbes, bass.
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UK |
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CA |
| Boyce. Peleus & Thetis (before 1740),
Florizel & Perdita (1756), Corydon & Miranda (1750) including
Overture from Ode for the King's Birthday (1758) & The Dirge
from Romeo & Juliet (1750). Hyperion CDA 66935 (1 CD 1996).
Details. Peter Holman, Opera Restor'd. Julia Gooding &
Philippa Hyde, sopranos; Robin Blaze, countertenor; Joseph
Cornwell, tenor; Andrew Dale-Forbes, bass; Jilly Bond & Jack
Edwards, narrators.
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UK |
DE |
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CA |
 Boyce.
Select Anthems. CRD 3483 (1 CD 1994). The Choir of New
College, Cambridge (Director - Edward Higginbottom). Also 10
Voluntaries. Gary Cooper, organ.
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| Boyce. Solomon (1742). Hyperion CDA
66378 (1 CD 1990).
Details. Peter Holman, The Parley of Instruments. She:
Bronwen Mills, soprano; He: Howard Crook, tenor.
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CA |
| Boyce. Trio Sonatas. Chandos CHAN 0648
(2 CDs 1999).
Details. Simon Standage, Collegium Musicum 90.
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CA |
| Boyce. Trio Sonatas. Hyperion CDA
67151/2 (2 CDs 1999).
Details. Peter Holman, The Parley of Instruments.
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UK |
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CA |
| Boyce. Symphonies Op. 2. L'Oiseau-Lyre
436 761-2 (1 CD 1994).
Details. Christopher Hogwood, The Academy of Ancient Music.
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CA
Reissued on Decca 473 081-2 (2002) in the British Music
Collection.
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| William Boyce. Eight Symphonies, Op. 2.
DG-Archiv 419 631-2 (1 CD, 1987). Trevor Pinnock, The English
Concert.
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JP |
www.newolde.com/boyce.htm
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Boyce.
Select Anthems. CRD 3483 (1 CD 1994). The Choir of New
College, Cambridge (Director - Edward Higginbottom). Also 10
Voluntaries. Gary Cooper, organ.
US |
UK |
DE |
FR |
CA