In 2021 Hugh Cutting was the first countertenor to win the Kathleen Ferrier award. Since then, he’s been consistently admired for his warm tone, effortless musical line and theatrical originality. His debut recital album continues that trend, but don’t expect the usual lineup of Handel arias or Dowland lute songs. On Refound, a collection of art songs with reinvention at its heart, his choices are eclectic, idiosyncratic even, but also profoundly satisfying.
Connections and parallels abound. Ravel’s reworkings of Greek folk song pair with Vaughan Williams’ Linden Lea, Dvořák’s Biblical Songs mirror Howells’ medieval carol setting, Come Sing and Dance. It’s Cutting’s plush yet flexible voice, however, that ties it all together. His handling of text, a willingness to go deep, and an impeccable musical sensitivity illuminate each song, from Piers Connor Kennedy’s wartime reflections to Tom Lehrer’s Poisoning Pigeons in the Park (sung here as a baritone).
Audrey Hyland is a worthy partner throughout, whether cushioning the vocal line in French Melodies by Hahn and Bonis or bringing drama to Lieder by Wolf. Ending with the spoken word – a Schubert rarity for reciter and piano – is a surprise, but if Cutting has taught us anything by this point, it is to expect the unexpected.
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