Subject: Re: VOCALIST-Digest V8 #68
From: "jjh"
To: VOCALIST <vocalist>
Send reply to: VOCALIST <vocalist>

On Wed, Feb 2, 2000, Dennis J Wallisch wrote:

>I am looking for recordings of Duke songs,especially those with Elaine, Peggy
>Mitchell and I Watched the Lady Caroline.

Dennis:

I didn't find the 3 specific songs you mentioned (sorry), but I do have 4
CDs that include some other John Duke songs. They are:

1. "The Art Song in America," John Kennedy Hanks, tenor and Ruth
Friedberg, piano. This CD is available through Duke University Press. The
CD includes the Duke songs "in just spring," "i carry your heart," and "the
mountains are dancing" (all e.e. cummings poems). Actually, this was
originally recorded onto an LP set, and re-mastered and recently released
onto CD by Duke University Press. So you might find it listed as either an
LP or CD.

2. "My Native Land," Jennifer Larmore, Mezzo-soprano and Antoine Palloc,
piano. The songs included are "In the Fields," "Twentieth Century," and
"Heart! We Will Forget Him."

3. "i carry your heart," Ruth Ann Swenson, soprano and Warren Jones,
piano. The songs included are "Little Elegy," "Aubade," "The Bird," and "i
carry your heart."

4. "Paul Sperry Sings an American Sampler," Paul Sperry, tenor and Irma
Vallecillo, piano. This CD includes Duke's "Bells in the Rain."

For further references to Duke discography, you should take a look at the
book "A Singer's Guide to The American Art Song," by Victoria Villamil
(Scarecrow Press, 1993). Ruth Friedberg's "American Art song and American
Poetry," (Scarecrow Press, 2 volumes, circa 1984). There might be
references to some recordings in whichever volume covers John Duke.

I know of one older LP that includes 3 John Duke songs:

1. "But Yesterday is Not Today," which includes Donald Gramm (?) singing
"Luke Havergal," "Richard Cory," and "Miniver Cheevy." I don't have any
further information on the recording company or anything; sorry! This gem
is in the music library collection of the college where I used to teach.

My final suggestion is to consult the Schwann's (did I spell that
right?)/Opus guide to recordings, and to do a search of previous NATS
Journal/Journal of Singing articles, which may give you some additional
recordings to look for. I know there are also Master's theses and
dissertations written on John Duke; these might include discographies. Why
don't you search the WorldCat--I'm sure your friendly local librarian can
help you with a computer search.

Good luck! John Duke is a wonderful composer--enjoy! I'm not sure why John
Duke songs haven't been recorded more. I'm really hoping that changes in
the next few years--shouldn't we have a "Complete John Duke" CD? That would
be a great recording, wouldn't it?

Cheers!

Jana
--
Jana Holzmeier
Dept. of Music
Nebraska Wesleyan University
5000 Saint Paul Ave.
Lincoln, NE 68504
jjh-at-nebrwesleyan.edu
402-465-2284