Recordings
| Click on a link to the left to see recordings arranged by various categories. For a complete discography, one of the links to the right will show either a list arranged by CD title, or by composer. For these tables, to search for an entry (a particular piece or composer, for instance), press 'Control (PC) or Command (Mac)+F, and type part of what you are looking for. | Peter Harvey - CDs Peter Harvey - pieces recorded |
New recordings:
MESSIAH:Handel's 'Messiah', with the Stuttgart Chamber Choir (which has a reputation as one of of the finest-sounding choirs anywhere), was released in April 2009, and Peter's performance is already attracting some glowing praise:
'In this new recording from Frieder Bernius the soloists are an impressive selection... Peter Harvey is, of course, one of the most experienced basses on the period-performance scene and it really shows. His aria 'Why do the nations' has astonishing gravitas and, with Bernius and his orchestra at their very best, makes for an incredibly exciting performance.' (www.musicalcriticism.com)
'Peter Harvey is absolutely superb in his tour de force arias "Why do the nations" and "The trumpet shall sound' (www.arkivmusic.com)
WINTERREISE:
Soon after the 'Messiah', Peter made a recording of Schubert's late masterpiece, 'Die Winterreise', with fortepianist Gary Cooper. This is in the process of being edited, and is hoped that it will be ready for a release date in March 2010. See news for more details.
WHITELOCKE COLLECTION:
A recording of a considerably less well-known body of music is also awaiting release - the 'Whitelocke Collection'. This is a collection of Italian compositions from the beginning of the Seventeenth Century (including works by Carissimi, amongst others), which was presented by Queen Christina of Sweden to the English Ambassador, Whitelocke, the music having since lain undisturbed in Oxford until recently. The Swedish soprano, Susanne Rydén is responsible for bringing it to light, and together with her and Emma Kirkby, Peter took part in the recording last summer, for the Swedish record company, BIS.
JOHANN CHRISTOPH BACH:
Just after Easter, Peter recorded a disc with the Monteverdi Choir of music by Johann Christoph Bach, Johann Sebastian's uncle. There remains only a small fraction of his compositions, sadly, but what there is displays a rare depth of feeling. Despite a tendency towards the gloomy, there is a wide range of mood, typified by the astonishingly erotic and rumbustious 'Meine Freundin, du bist schön' - a wedding cantata loosely based on a text from the Song of Songs which is only 'borderline sacred'.
NB: BACH CANTATAS - the lists mentioned above are not quite up-to-date, particularly with regard to the Bach cantatas recorded with the Monteverdi Choir. For the most recent information, please look at their website (www.solideogloria.co.uk/shop/).