Paul Corfield Godfrey - Beren and Lúthien: Epic Scenes from The Silmarillion After the Mythology of J R R Tolkien, Pt. 2 (Compl

Following the successful release last year of The Fall of Gondolin, the closing segment of the series of 'epic scenes' drawn from J R R Tolkien's posthumous writings for The Silmarillion, Prima Facie Records in collaboration with Volante Opera Productions now presents a recording on 2 CDs of Beren and Lúthien, Part Two of Paul Corfield Godfrey's cycle written during the period 1982-97 and employing a large variety of posthumously published texts by the author with the permission of the Tolkien Estate.

The cycle, extending in performance over four evenings, is the largest-scale work of classical music written in Wales in the twentieth century, demanding a full roster of solo singers, chorus and orchestra, but has only ever been performed in excerpts until now.

As before, the singers are all professional artists from Welsh National Opera, and the sets make available for the first time a fully representative recording of the music with the complete lyrics by Tolkien. Because of budgetary and other constraints, the orchestra is represented by sampled sets (using the sounds of real instruments) which have been carefully balanced and adjusted in collaboration with the composer to obtain as close a result to the sound of an actual orchestra as possible. Commenting on this aspect, Brian Wilson in a review of The Fall of Gondolin for Music Web International remarked "I wondered how well this would work, but need have had no apprehensions; it works very well and it's the only way such a project could have been realised. I need only say that the music is often hauntingly beautiful."

The booklet with this set of Beren and Lúthien explains the methods of production in greater detail, and also includes an essay by the composer on the manner in which the author's text has been adapted for music. Chris Seeman, reviewing The Fall of Gondolin for the Tolkien Music Website, remarked that the work "delivers nearly two hours of pure Tolkienian epic - Tolkienian not simply by virtue of its subject matter but more importantly by its libretto, which is 100% Tolkien's own text. Or rather texts. In order to flesh out each essential movement of the story, Godfrey has made eclectic use of a variety of texts pertaining to the tale, much as the published Silmarillion was synthesised by Christopher Tolkien from the different manuscripts available to him." He described the set as "a superb rendition of an unparalleled story [whose] greatest virtue lies in its ability to enhance rather than overshadow that story."

This musical work was composed before the publication of Beren and Lúthien by J R R Tolkien, ed. C R Tolkien, in 2017 and is not associated with it. The literary work is © The Tolkien Estate Limited and C R Tolkien 2017. BEREN AND LÚTHIEN is a trade mark of The Tolkien Estate Limited

Tracklist:

CD1:

01. Beren and Lúthien, Prologue_ Dagor Bragollach, the Battle of Sudden Flame!
02. Beren and Lúthien, Interlude and Scene One_ Thus Felagund Escaped
03. Beren and Lúthien, Interlude and Scene Two_ But Still There Remained in Hiding Cold
04. Beren and Lúthien, I Hear Rumour of the Strength of Morgoth
05. Beren and Lúthien, A Great Darkness of Sleep Came Upon Him
06. Beren and Lúthien, Thy Death I Will Avenge
07. Beren and Lúthien, Interlude and Scene Three_ Southward He Turned
08. Beren and Lúthien, Interlude for flute_ The Leaves Were Long
09. Beren and Lúthien, Ir Ithil Ammon Eruchin
10. Beren and Lúthien, Enchantment Healed His Weary Feet
11. Beren and Lúthien, Slowly the Sundering Flood Rolls Past!
12. Beren and Lúthien, He Heard There Oft The Fying Sound
13. Beren and Lúthien, Now Withered Lay the Hemlock Sheaves
14. Beren and Lúthien, As Beren Looked into Her Eyes
15. Beren and Lúthien, Prelude And Scene Four
16. Beren and Lúthien, Who Are You That Come Hither as a Thief
17. Beren and Lúthien, Death You Have Earned With Those Words
18. Beren and Lúthien, I See the Ring
19. Beren and Lúthien, O King, You Have Designed Cunning Counsel
20. Beren and Lúthien, Interlude and Scene Five_ My Lord, I Have a Need of Friends
21. Beren and Lúthien, Be He Friend or Foe or Foul Offspring of Morgoth Bauglir



CD2:

01. Beren and Lúthien, O King, to Leave This Realm Is Now Our Fate
02. Beren and Lúthien, Interlude and Scene Six _ Where Have You Been, and What Have You Seen_
03. Beren and Lúthien, He Chanted a Song of Wizardry
04. Beren and Lúthien, It Would Be Little Loss If I Were Dead
05. Beren and Lúthien, Farewell, My Friend and Comrade!
06. Beren and Lúthien, In Western Lands
07. Beren and Lúthien, I Hear a Song Far Under Welling
08. Beren and Lúthien, Oh, Beren, Beren
09. Beren and Lúthien, Prelude and Scene Seven_ A Sable Hill, Gigantic, Rampart-Crowned
10. Beren and Lúthien, What Grievous Terror and Dread Guard
11. Beren and Lúthien, Shadow, Descend!
12. Beren and Lúthien, In Slothful Gardens
13. Beren and Lúthien, Lúthien's Dance
14. Beren and Lúthien, And All the Fires Faded and Were Quenched
15. Beren and Lúthien, Interlude and Scene Eight
16. Beren and Lúthien, Farewell Now Here, Ye Leaves of Trees
17. Beren and Lúthien, O Proud and Fearless Hand and Heart
18. Beren and Lúthien, I Return According to My Word
19. Beren and Lúthien, Interlude and Scene Nine_ And Lúthien Came to the Borders of the World
20. Beren and Lúthien, Long Are the Paths, of Shadows Made
21. Beren and Lúthien, Epilogue Long Was the Way That Fate Them Bore