William Walton - Troilus and Cressida (Foster) [2012]

Disc: 1
  1. Troilus And Cressida: Act I: Troilus- (Adagio) - Virgin Of Troas
  2. Troilus And Cressida: Act I: Calkas, Antenor- Ten Long Years Have Dragged
  3. Troilus And Cressida: Act I: Troilus, Antenor- Back To Your Hovels
  4. Troilus And Cressida: Act I: Is Cressida A Slave?
  5. Troilus And Cressida: Act I: Troilus- Child of the Wine-Dark Wave
  6. Troilus And Cressida: Act I: Troilus, Cressida- Morning And Evening
  7. Troilus And Cressida: Act I: Pandarus, Troilus- Forgive me... Pandarus!... Passing Through The City
  8. Troilus And Cressida: Act I: Priest, Calkas, Cressida, Evadne, Pandarus- O Pallas, Virgin Daughter
  9. Troilus And Cressida: Act I: Cressida, Evadne- Slowly It All Comes Back
  10. Troilus And Cressida: Act I: Pandarus, Cressida, Evadne- Nothing But Troilus' Patronage
  11. Troilus And Cressida: Act I: Soldier, PandarusTroilus, Priest- Prince Troilus
  12. Troilus And Cressida: Act I: Pandarus, Cressida, Troilus- Dear Child, You Need A Little Comfort
  13. Troilus And Cressida: Act II Scene One: Pnadarus, Cressida, Horaste, Evadne- (Allegretto) - Does Talking Put You Off?
  14. Troilus And Cressida: Act II Scene One: How Can I Sleep?
  15. Troilus And Cressida: Act II Scene One: Cressida- At The Haunted End of The Day
  16. Troilus And Cressida: Act II Scene One: Pandarus, Cressida, Troilus- Hush! Don't Be Alarmed!
  17. Troilus And Cressida: Act II Scene One: Troilus, Cressida- If One Last Doubt
  18. Troilus And Cressida: Act II Scene Two: Orchestral Interlude (A tempo tempestuoso)

Disc: 2
  1. Troilus And Cressida: Act II Scene One: From Isle To Isle Chill Waters (Cressida, Troilus)
  2. Troilus And Cressida: Act II Scene One: Who Would Go Drumming About The Town? (Pandarus, Cressida)
  3. Troilus And Cressida: Act II Scene One: My Name Is Diomede (Diomede, Pandarus)
  4. Troilus And Cressida: Act II Scene One: Oh, I'm No Use, No Use (Pandarus, Diomede, Troilus, Cressida, Evadne)
  5. Troilus And Cressida: Act III: (Lugbre) - Is There No Word? (Watchmen, Cressida, Evadne)
  6. Troilus And Cressida: Act III: No Answering Sign On The Walls (Cressida, Watchmen)
  7. Troilus And Cressida: Act III: Cressid, Daughter (Calkas)
  8. Troilus And Cressida: Act III: O Gods, O Deathless Gods (Cressida)
  9. Troilus And Cressida: Act III: Proud Wondrous Cressida (Diomede, Cressida)
  10. Troilus And Cressida: Act III: So Here's An End Of It All (Evande, Watchmen)
  11. Troilus And Cressida: Act III: Evadne...Evadne...Troilus (Troilus, Pandarus, Evadne, Cressida)
  12. Troilus And Cressida: Act III: Will I Please Himm Thus? (Cressida, Evadne, Troilus, Pandarus)
  13. Troilus And Cressida: Act III: What Is This Sudden Alarm? (Troilus, Chorus, Cressida, Pandarus, Diomede)
  14. Troilus And Cressida: Act III: Troy, False of Heart, Yet Fair! (Diomede, Troilus, Cressida, Pandarus, Calkas, Evadne, Chorus)
  15. Troilus And Cressida: Act III: Troilus, You Must Not Die For Me (Cressida, Troilus, Diomede, Calkas, Pandarus)
  16. Troilus And Cressida: Act III: Diomede!...Father!... (Cressida)

Evadne – Elizabeth Bainbridge (Mezzo Soprano) 
Troilus – Richard Cassilly (Tenor) 
Diomede – Benjamin Luxon (Baritone)
Cressida – Dame Janet Baker (Mezzo Soprano) 
Pandarus – Gerald English (Tenor)
Calkas – Richard Van Allan (Bass)
Antenor – Malcolm Rivers  (Baritone)

Royal Opera House Covent Garden Orchestra
Royal Opera House Covent Garden Chorus
Lawrence Foster - conductor

William Walton's only full length opera was not well-recieved by critics upon its 1954 premiere, but heard in a revised form in 1976, it comes off rather well. Walton is clearly borrowing a bit from his contemporary and rival Benjamin Britten, and yes, he is more at home when his characters turn introspective than in romantic duets, but the opera has an appealing urgency and vigor even in its more prosaic moments. Richard Cassilly and Janet Baker, as the doomed Trojan lovers, help immensely: Cassilly is at his most impassioned and Baker swings from a haunting rendition of Cressida's mournful act three aria to a frenzied mad scene at the end of the opera. Gerald English is a charming, wheedling presence as Cressida's Uncle Pandarus (a role written for Peter Pears) and Benjamin Luxon gives alluring power to the Greek rival for Cressida's love. Best of all is the undervalued british basso Richard Van Allen, in a stern portrayal of Cressida's treacherous father. --- operadepot.com

...The failure of Troilus and Cressida was a source of great distress to Walton. He felt that it had not been given a fair 'crack of the whip' by Covent Garden. In 1971 he decided on yet further revisions. Gillian Widdecombe suggested Janet Baker for the role and next time he was in London Walton saw Janet Baker on stage and was captivated. She agreed to perform in the opera which meant that the part of Cressida would have to be transposed down. Act II was the first to be ready and was performed on its own at a Promenade Concert in 1972 conducted by André Previn. At last Walton had found the conductor he wanted and Previn had always admired Walton's music and was his pre-eminent interpreter at the time. However, Janet Baker did not sing at the Prom, Cressida being performed by Jill Gomez...When the score was finally ready for the 1976 revival at Covent Garden the jinx on the opera displayed itself yet again. Walton himself was ill from stress and then André Previn developed bursitis (a swelling in the joints) and had to withdraw. He was replaced by Lawrence Foster who had to learn the score at short notice. The Troilus, Alberto Remedios, also backed out to be replaced by Richard Cassilly. Finally, Covent Garden only made £15,000 available, all of which went on costumes so the scenery had to be borrowed from other productions together with what could be salvaged from the original productions. (In that same year Covent Garden spent 10 times that much on La Fanciulla del West!). Nevertheless, in spite of luke warm reviews, the tickets sold well and Walton was finally happy. EMI did issue a recording with the 1976 cast which has finally made it onto CD. Its glory is the singing of Janet Baker... --- MusicWeb International

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