What a Piece of Work is Man
Shakespeare Concerts
Joseph Summer's preoccupation with the works of Shakespeare began in 1991, when he set the soliloquy "To Be or Not To Be" for tenor and piano. This project kindled a spark that grew rapidly and forcefully, and has burned undiminished to the present day. The tally now stands at over fifty settings contained in six books, known collectively as the Oxford Songs. These range from short arias for solo voice to fully orchestrated cantatas for several singers lasting over half an hour. In June 2000, a twenty-minute setting of the famous balcony scene from Romeo and Juliet was commissioned and premiered at Merkin Hall in New York City. Beyond the Oxfordian realm, Joseph Summer has completed seven operas and numerous orchestral works. In 2003, in collaboration with music director John McGinn, Summer founded The Shakespeare Concerts. To date, this series has presented concerts of Bard settings (by Summer and others) to audiences across Massachusetts, as well as St. Thomas in the Virgin Islands. In its second season, it featured singers from Opera Unlimited of London, England. This CD is drawn from the Oxford Songs and represents the debut album of the Shakespeare Concerts.
Track Listing
| Title | Composer | Performer |
|---|---|---|
| They Bore Him Barefaced on the Bier | Joseph Summer | Maria Ferrante, soprano, Alan Schneider, tenor, Miroslav Sekera, piano |
| Too Too Solid Flesh | Joseph Summer | Alan Schneider, tenor, Miroslav Sekera, piano |
| With Mirth in Funeral | Joseph Summer | Elem Eley, baritone, Miroslav Sekera, piano |
| To Be Or Not To Be | Joseph Summer | Alan Schneider, tenor, Miroslav Sekera, piano |
| Leda and the Swan | Joseph Summer | Ja-Naé Duane, mezzo-soprano, John McGinn, piano |
| Full Fathom Five | Joseph Summer | Ja-Naé Duane, mezzo-soprano, Alan Schneider, tenor, Miroslav Sekera, piano |
| Gallop Apace | Joseph Summer | Maria Ferrante, soprano, Barbara Shepherd, French horn, Miroslav Sekera, piano |
| Sonnet CXXXII | Joseph Summer | Elem Eley, baritone, John McGinn piano |
| Sonnet LX | Joseph Summer | Elem Eley, baritone, John McGinn piano |
| Sonnet VIII | Joseph Summer | Maria Ferrante, soprano, Ja-Naé Duane, mezzo-soprano, John McGinn, piano |
| The Quality of Mercy | Joseph Summer | Ja-Na Duane, mezzo-soprano, John McGinn, piano |
| What a Piece of Work Is Man | Joseph Summer | Alan Schneider, tenor, Barbara Shepherd, French horn, Miroslav Sekera, piano |
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