Lennox Berkeley: A Dinner Engagement Op.45 - Opera (Chandos Audio CD)

Opera - A Dinner Engagement

Lennox Berkeley (1903-1989)

premiere recording
A Dinner Engagement, Op. 45 59:31
An Opera in Two Scenes
Libretto by Paul Dehn
Scene 1
1 'Salt, pepper, olive oil' 4:00
Lord Dunmow, Lady Dunmow, Boy
2 'I'm sorry, Milady, I came through the front door' 3:25
Mrs Kneebone, Lady Dunmow, Lord Dunmow
3 'In the summer of my time' 4:05
Lord Dunmow, Lady Dunmow, Mrs Kneebone
4 'At Missis Ellibank's in Wimbledon' 2:27
Mrs Kneebone, Lady Dunmow, Lord Dunmow
5 'Mother, please can I help?' 5:26
Susan, Lady Dunmow, Mrs Kneebone, Lord Dunmow
6 'He was a quiet little boy' 3:30
Lady Dunmow, Susan, Mrs Kneebone, Lord Dunmow
7 'Prenez six belles tomates' 3:31
Lady Dunmow, Lord Dunmow, Mrs Kneebone, Susan
8 'Is this the residence of the Earl and Countess of Dunmow?' 1:45
Prince Philippe, Mrs Kneebone

Scene 2
9 'So this, dear Lady Dunmow, is your drawing room' 2:12
Duchess, Lady Dunmow, Prince Philippe, Lord Dunmow
10 'I never moved a muscle' 2:20
Lord Dunmow, Lady Dunmow, Duchess, Prince Philippe
11 'Forgive my curiosity, but is your servant that young girl. . .?' 3:28
Prince Philippe, Lord Dunmow, Lady Dunmow, Duchess
12 'Come and see our little garden' 2:05
Lady Dunmow, Lord Dunmow, Prince Philippe, Duchess
13 'This way, Ma'am, through the back door' 2:49
Lord Dunmow, Duchess, Prince Philippe, Susan
14 'Oh, shall I kneel in shame. . .?' 2:50
Susan, Prince Philippe
15 'I like to imagine how these must have looked' 4:14
Susan, Prince Philippe
16 'Mon aimée attend la lune' 2:08
Prince Philippe
17 'Kiss her at once!' 3:24
Duchess, Prince Philippe, Susan, Lord Dunmow, Lady Dunmow, Boy
18 'Let her beauty be her dowry' 2:43
Duchess, Susan, Prince Philippe, Lord Dunmow, Lady Dunmow, Boy, Mrs Kneebone
19 'My Lords, Ladies, Duchess and gentlemen!' 3:01
Mrs Kneebone, Prince Philippe, Susan
Roderick Williams baritone - The Earl of Dunmow
Yvonne Kenny soprano - The Countess of Dunmow
Claire Rutter soprano - Susan
Jean Rigby mezzo-soprano - Mrs Kneebone
Anne Collins mezzo-soprano - HRH The Grand Duchess of Monteblanco
Robin Leggate tenor - HRH Prince Philippe
Blake Fischer tenor - An Errand Boy
City of London Sinfonia
Richard Hickox
Recorded in:
Blackheath Halls, London
23-27 September 2003
Producer(s)
Brian Couzens
Sound Engineer(s)
Ralph Couzens
Michael Common (Assistant)
Format: DDD
Bit Rate: 24 Bit / 96K