A Musical Zoo Ashley Riches & Joseph Middleton

• Franz Schubert (1797 - 1828):
• 1 Schubert: Die Forelle, Op. 32, D. 550 02:20
• 2 Schubert: Die Vögel, Op. 172 No. 6, D. 691 01:13
• Robert Schumann (1810 - 1856):
• 3 Schumann: 3 Gesänge, Op. 31: No. 1, Die Löwenbraut 08:06
• Hugo Wolf (1860 - 1903):
• 4 Wolf: Goethe-Lieder: No. 11, Der Rattenfänger 02:37
• Johannes Brahms (1833 - 1897):
• 5 Brahms: 4 Lieder, Op. 46: No. 4, An die Nachtigall 02:58
• Richard Strauss (1864 - 1949):
• 6 Strauss: Die Drossel, TrV 49 02:28
• Gabriel Fauré (1845 - 1924):
• 7 Fauré: 2 Songs, Op. 1: No. 1, Le papillon et la fleur 02:06
• Maurice Ravel (1875 - 1937):
• 8 Ravel: Histoires naturelles, M. 50: No. 1, Le paon 04:34
• 9 Ravel: Histoires naturelles, M. 50: No. 2, Le grillon 03:08
• 10 Ravel: Histoires naturelles, M. 50: No. 3, Le cygne 02:59
• 11 Ravel: Histoires naturelles, M. 50: No. 4, Le martin-pêcheur 02:56
• 12 Ravel: Histoires naturelles, M. 50: No. 5, La pintade 03:07
• Modest Mussorgsky (1839 - 1881):
• 13 Mussorgsky: Mephistopheles's Song in Auerbach's Cellar 03:18
• Dmitri Shostakovich (1906 - 1975):
• 14 Shostakovich: 4 Verses of Captain Lebyadkin, Op. 146: No. 2, The Cockroach 03:44
• John Ireland (1879 - 1962):
• 15 Ireland: The Three Ravens 04:28
• Herbert Howells (1892 - 1983):
• 16 Howells: King David 05:09
• Samuel Barber (1910 - 1981):
• 17 Barber: Hermit Songs, Op. 29: No. 8, The Monk and His Cat 02:24
• Vernon Duke (1903 - 1969):
• 18 Duke: Ogden Nash's Musical Zoo: No. 13, The Jelly Fish 00:26
• 19 Duke: Ogden Nash's Musical Zoo: No. 17, The Fly 00:19
• 20 Duke: Ogden Nash's Musical Zoo: No. 4, Our Dog 00:53
• 21 Duke: Ogden Nash's Musical Zoo: No. 3, The Ant 00:24
• 22 Duke: Ogden Nash's Musical Zoo: No. 9, The Pig 00:27
• 23 Duke: Ogden Nash's Musical Zoo: No. 1, The Duck 00:25
• 24 Duke: Ogden Nash's Musical Zoo: No. 19, The Termite 00:32
• 25 Duke: Ogden Nash's Musical Zoo: No. 11, The Calf 00:58
• 26 Duke: Ogden Nash's Musical Zoo: No. 7, The Turkey 00:27
• 27 Duke: Ogden Nash's Musical Zoo: No. 16, The Sea Gull 00:45
• 28 Duke: Ogden Nash's Musical Zoo: No. 12, The Rooster 00:24
• 29 Duke: Ogden Nash's Musical Zoo: No. 14, The Germ 00:59
• 30 Duke: Ogden Nash's Musical Zoo: No. 10, The Centipede 00:30
• 31 Duke: Ogden Nash's Musical Zoo: No. 18, The Firefly 00:50
• 32 Duke: Ogden Nash's Musical Zoo: No. 15, The Sparrow 00:30
• 33 Duke: Ogden Nash's Musical Zoo: No. 2, The Cow 00:49
• 34 Duke: Ogden Nash's Musical Zoo: No. 8, The Kitten 00:38
• 35 Duke: Ogden Nash's Musical Zoo: No. 6, The Mouse 00:34
• 36 Duke: Ogden Nash's Musical Zoo: No. 20, The Pigeon 00:45
• 37 Duke: Ogden Nash's Musical Zoo: No. 5, The Frog 00:29
• Benjamin Britten (1913 - 1976):
• 38 Britten: The Crocodile 05:19
• Total Runtime 01:14:58

Info for A Musical Zoo

A Musical Zoo with Ashley Riches and Joseph Middleton is a veritable tour de force, featuring compositions spanning nearly 160 years, from Schuberts The Trout to Shostakovichs Once there lived a cockroach, and four languages (German, French, Russian, and English). A strong representation of the German Lieder tradition (Schubert, Schumann, Wolf, Brahms, and Richard Strauss) is balanced by the French mélodie (Fauré, Ravel) and English lyricism (Ireland, Howells). We humans seem to have an endless fascination with the animal kingdom, and animals have proved an inspiration for artists, composers and writers alike. This recital demonstrates what a rich seam this has proved for a diverse range of composers. Ashley Riches comments: The text [of a song] may outline to us what we see. But the flutterings of Schuberts Birds, the flicking antennae of Shostakovichs Cockroach, the rush of notes with which Ravels Peacock spreads its tail these are movements and energies accessible to music alone.

Ashley Riches, bass-baritone
Joseph Middleton, piano

Ashley Riches
studied English at King’s College, Cambridge where he sang in the Chapel Choir under Stephen Cleobury. From 2012-14 he was a member of the Jette Parker Young Artist Programme at the Royal Opera House, where he made his debut in a duet with Robert Alagna and represented the house at a gala celebrating Young Artist Programmes at the Bolshoi Theatre. He is currently a BBC New Generation Artist.

Highlights of this season include Creon in Stravinsky “Oedipus Rex” with Sir John Eliot Gardiner and the Berlin Philharmonic, Purcell “The Fairy Queen” with Richard Egarr and the Academy of Ancient Music, a European tour of Bach “Christmas Oratorio” with Masaki Suzuki and the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment, Ferryman in Britten “Curlew River” with the Britten Sinfonia at the new Elbphilharmonie in Hamburg, the Pirate King in Mike Leigh’s production of “The Pirates of Penzance” at English National Opera and the title role in Mozart “Don Giovanni” for Opera Holland Park, along with song recitals and recordings with Simon Lepper, Sholto Kynoch, Anna Tilbrook and Joseph Middleton.

His song discography includes Poulenc Chansons “Gaillardes” with Graham Johnson (Hyperion), the songs of Arthur Sullivan with David Owen Norris (Chandos) and a world premier recording of the Shakespeare Sonnets of Mario Castelnuovo-Tedesco with Emma Abbate (Resonus). He has also recorded Handel “L’Allegro, il Pensieroso ed il Moderato” with the Gabrieli Consort, Paul McCreesh (Gabrieli)Bach “St Matthew Passion” (Bass arias, Pilate) with the Monteverdi Choir (Soli Deo Gloria) and Bach “St John Passion” (Jesus) with Crouch End Festival Chorus, the first recording in English for over fifty years.

Booklet for A Musical Zoo