{"id":21309,"date":"2026-06-08T09:59:26","date_gmt":"2026-06-08T07:59:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/countermelodypodcast.com\/?p=21309"},"modified":"2026-06-08T10:09:04","modified_gmt":"2026-06-08T08:09:04","slug":"episode-470-peter-pears-plays-around","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/countermelodypodcast.com\/index.php\/2026\/06\/08\/episode-470-peter-pears-plays-around\/","title":{"rendered":"Episode 470. Peter Pears Plays Around"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"mega-menu-wrap-primary\" class=\"mega-menu-wrap\"><div class=\"mega-menu-toggle\"><div class=\"mega-toggle-blocks-left\"><\/div><div class=\"mega-toggle-blocks-center\"><\/div><div class=\"mega-toggle-blocks-right\"><div class='mega-toggle-block mega-menu-toggle-animated-block mega-toggle-block-1' id='mega-toggle-block-1'><button aria-controls=\"mega-menu-primary\" aria-expanded=\"false\" aria-haspopup=\"true\" aria-label=\"Menu\" class=\"mega-toggle-animated mega-toggle-animated-slider\" type=\"button\">\n                  <span class=\"mega-toggle-animated-box\">\n                    <span class=\"mega-toggle-animated-inner\"><\/span>\n                  <\/span>\n                <\/button><\/div><\/div><\/div><ul id=\"mega-menu-primary\" class=\"mega-menu max-mega-menu mega-menu-horizontal mega-no-js\" data-event=\"hover_intent\" data-effect=\"slide\" data-effect-speed=\"200\" data-effect-mobile=\"slide\" data-effect-speed-mobile=\"200\" data-mobile-force-width=\"body\" data-second-click=\"go\" data-document-click=\"collapse\" data-vertical-behaviour=\"standard\" data-breakpoint=\"600\" data-unbind=\"true\" data-mobile-state=\"collapse_all\" data-mobile-direction=\"vertical\"><li class=\"mega-menu-item mega-menu-item-type-post_type mega-menu-item-object-page mega-menu-item-home mega-menu-item-19160\" id=\"mega-menu-item-19160\"><a class=\"mega-menu-link\" href=\"https:\/\/countermelodypodcast.com\/\">Home<\/a><\/li><li class=\"mega-menu-item mega-menu-item-type-post_type mega-menu-item-object-page mega-menu-item-19161\" id=\"mega-menu-item-19161\"><a class=\"mega-menu-link\" href=\"https:\/\/countermelodypodcast.com\/index.php\/about-daniel\/\">About Daniel<\/a><\/li><li class=\"mega-menu-item mega-menu-item-type-post_type mega-menu-item-object-page mega-current_page_parent mega-menu-item-19171\" id=\"mega-menu-item-19171\"><a class=\"mega-menu-link\" href=\"https:\/\/countermelodypodcast.com\/index.php\/all-episodes\/\">All Episodes<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Episode 470. Peter Pears Plays Around<\/h2>\n\n\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" width=\"340\" height=\"50\" src=\"https:\/\/countermelody.blubrry.net\/?powerpress_embed=2004-podcast&amp;powerpress_player=mediaelement-audio\" title=\"Blubrry Podcast Player\" frameborder=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-8f761849 wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-buttons is-horizontal is-content-justification-left is-layout-flex wp-container-core-buttons-is-layout-39697d9b wp-block-buttons-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-button\"><a class=\"wp-block-button__link no-border-radius wp-element-button\" href=\"https:\/\/countermelody.blubrry.net\/\">SUBSCRIBE VIA YOUR FAVORITE PODCAST PLATFORM<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:100px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"674\" height=\"719\" src=\"https:\/\/countermelodypodcast.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/Peter-Pears-Frilly.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-21436\" srcset=\"https:\/\/countermelodypodcast.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/Peter-Pears-Frilly.png 674w, https:\/\/countermelodypodcast.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/Peter-Pears-Frilly-281x300.png 281w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 674px) 100vw, 674px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<div style=\"height:38px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A year ago, I published as my final Pride 2025 episode, <em>Pears Sings Not-Britten<\/em>, which explored the voice and artistry of British tenor Peter Pears in repertoire other than that written for him by his partner Benjamin Britten. Today\u2019s episode, a refurbished bonus episode originally published nearly a year ago has a new, catchy title that carries that theme even further, in that Britten is entirely absent, either as composer or as Pears\u2019s usual accompanist. Today, I feature collections of songs by five different composers, Ludwig Van Beethoven, Claude Debussy, Robert Schumann, Alan Bush, and Michael Tippett, all featuring Pears accompanied by pianists other than Britten, including celebrated solo virtuosi Noel Mewton-Wood, Murray Perahia and Sviatoslav Richter; with composer Alan Bush himself accompanying Pears himself in the thornily difficult piano part of his self-described cantata <em>Voices of the Prophets<\/em>.Of today\u2019s setlist, all but the Bush are either live or radio recordings which span three separate decades of Pears\u2019s career, and show an artist who, whether in his vocal prime or in the inevitable decline of his later years (and even after Britten\u2019s death), was fixated on expressing the finest shades of textual nuance and vocal color.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:47px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-custom-size wp-block-paragraph\" style=\"font-size:30px\"><strong> RECORDINGS HEARD IN THIS EPISODE<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:55px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Ludwig van Beethoven, Alois Jeitteles: <em>An die ferne Geliebte<\/em>, Op. 98. Peter Pears, Noel Mewton-Wood [BBC recording 28.I.53].<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>I. Auf dem H\u00fcgel sitz ich sp\u00e4hend<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>II. Wo die Berge so blau<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>III. Leichte Segler in den H\u00f6hen<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>IV. Diese Wolken in den H\u00f6hen<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>V. Es kehret der Maien, es bl\u00fchet die Au<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>VI. Nimm sie hin denn, diese Lieder<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Claude Debussy, Paul Verlaine: <em>F\u00eates galantes I<\/em>, L. 80. Peter Pears, Sviatoslav Richter [live Aldeburgh 20.VI.67]<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>I. En sourdine<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>II. Fantoches<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>III. Clair de lune<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Alan Bush: <em>Voices of the Prophets<\/em>, Op. 41. Peter Pears, Alan Bush [1964]<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>I. From the <em>Sixty-fifth <\/em>Chapter of the Book of the Prophet Isaiah [For behold I create a new heaven and anew earth]<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>II. From the Oration Against the Scholastic Philosophy (John Milton). [So at length the spirt of man will reach out]<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>III. From Selections from Milton (William Blake) [Rouse up, O Young Men of the New Age]<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>IV. From My Song<em> is for All Men<\/em> (Peter Blackman) [Over the years I hear strong voices rise]<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Robert Schumann: <em>Vier Ges\u00e4nge<\/em>, Op. 142. Peter Pears, Murray Perahia [live Aldeburgh 1974]<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>I. Trost im Gesang (Justinus Kerner)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>II. Lehn deine Wang\u2019 an meine Wang\u2019 (Heinrich Heine)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>III. M\u00e4dchen-Schwermut (Lily Bernhard)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>IV. Mein Wagen rollet langsam (Heinrich Heine)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Michael Tippett: <em>The Heart\u2019s Assurance<\/em>. Peter Pears, Noel Mewton-Wood [BBC recording, 28.I.53]<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>I. Oh Journeyman (Sydney Keyes)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>II. The Heart\u2019s Assurance (Sydney Keyes)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>III. Compassion (Alun Lewis)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>IV. The Dancer (Alun Lewis)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>V. Remember Your Lovers (Sydney Keyes)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Episode 470. Peter Pears Plays Around A year ago, I published as my final Pride 2025 episode, Pears Sings Not-Britten,&hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":21440,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"advgb_blocks_editor_width":"","advgb_blocks_columns_visual_guide":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[1075,1625,5137,5806,2260,808,4801,2806,2550],"tags":[6438,9287,7917,3616,501,538,1197,8306,9288,9289,328,2459,7941,7915,550,9290,2795,4729,7944,7916,3138],"class_list":["post-21309","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-art-song","category-gay-pride","category-great-tenors","category-listeners-favorites","category-music-for-a-world-in-crisis","category-needle-drop","category-singers-in-old-age","category-twentieth-century-music","category-voiceless-wonders","tag-alan-bush","tag-alois-jeittteles","tag-alun-lewis","tag-an-die-ferne-geliebte","tag-claude-debussy","tag-fetes-galantes","tag-heinrich-heine","tag-john-milton","tag-justinius-kerner","tag-lily-bernhard","tag-ludwig-van-beethoven","tag-michael-tippett","tag-murray-perahia","tag-noel-mewton-wood","tag-paul-verlaine","tag-peter-blackman","tag-peter-pears","tag-sviatoslav-richter","tag-sydney-keyes","tag-the-hearts-assurance","tag-william-blake"],"author_meta":{"display_name":"admin","author_link":"https:\/\/countermelodypodcast.com\/index.php\/author\/admin\/"},"featured_img":"https:\/\/countermelodypodcast.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/Pears-and-Britten-Torso-300x134.png","coauthors":[],"tax_additional":{"categories":{"linked":["<a href=\"https:\/\/countermelodypodcast.com\/index.php\/category\/art-song\/\" class=\"advgb-post-tax-term\">Art Song<\/a>","<a href=\"https:\/\/countermelodypodcast.com\/index.php\/category\/gay-pride\/\" class=\"advgb-post-tax-term\">Gay Pride<\/a>","<a href=\"https:\/\/countermelodypodcast.com\/index.php\/category\/great-tenors\/\" class=\"advgb-post-tax-term\">Great Tenors<\/a>","<a href=\"https:\/\/countermelodypodcast.com\/index.php\/category\/listeners-favorites\/\" class=\"advgb-post-tax-term\">Listeners&#039; Favorites<\/a>","<a href=\"https:\/\/countermelodypodcast.com\/index.php\/category\/music-for-a-world-in-crisis\/\" class=\"advgb-post-tax-term\">Music for a World in Crisis<\/a>","<a href=\"https:\/\/countermelodypodcast.com\/index.php\/category\/needle-drop\/\" class=\"advgb-post-tax-term\">Needle Drop<\/a>","<a href=\"https:\/\/countermelodypodcast.com\/index.php\/category\/singers-in-old-age\/\" class=\"advgb-post-tax-term\">Singers in Old Age<\/a>","<a href=\"https:\/\/countermelodypodcast.com\/index.php\/category\/twentieth-century-music\/\" class=\"advgb-post-tax-term\">Twentieth Century Music<\/a>","<a href=\"https:\/\/countermelodypodcast.com\/index.php\/category\/voiceless-wonders\/\" class=\"advgb-post-tax-term\">Voiceless Wonders<\/a>"],"unlinked":["<span class=\"advgb-post-tax-term\">Art Song<\/span>","<span class=\"advgb-post-tax-term\">Gay Pride<\/span>","<span class=\"advgb-post-tax-term\">Great Tenors<\/span>","<span class=\"advgb-post-tax-term\">Listeners&#039; Favorites<\/span>","<span class=\"advgb-post-tax-term\">Music for a World in Crisis<\/span>","<span class=\"advgb-post-tax-term\">Needle Drop<\/span>","<span class=\"advgb-post-tax-term\">Singers in Old Age<\/span>","<span class=\"advgb-post-tax-term\">Twentieth Century Music<\/span>","<span class=\"advgb-post-tax-term\">Voiceless Wonders<\/span>"]},"tags":{"linked":["<a href=\"https:\/\/countermelodypodcast.com\/index.php\/category\/voiceless-wonders\/\" class=\"advgb-post-tax-term\">Alan Bush<\/a>","<a href=\"https:\/\/countermelodypodcast.com\/index.php\/category\/voiceless-wonders\/\" class=\"advgb-post-tax-term\">Alois Jeittteles<\/a>","<a href=\"https:\/\/countermelodypodcast.com\/index.php\/category\/voiceless-wonders\/\" class=\"advgb-post-tax-term\">Alun Lewis<\/a>","<a href=\"https:\/\/countermelodypodcast.com\/index.php\/category\/voiceless-wonders\/\" class=\"advgb-post-tax-term\">An die ferne Geliebte<\/a>","<a href=\"https:\/\/countermelodypodcast.com\/index.php\/category\/voiceless-wonders\/\" class=\"advgb-post-tax-term\">Claude Debussy<\/a>","<a href=\"https:\/\/countermelodypodcast.com\/index.php\/category\/voiceless-wonders\/\" class=\"advgb-post-tax-term\">Fetes galantes<\/a>","<a href=\"https:\/\/countermelodypodcast.com\/index.php\/category\/voiceless-wonders\/\" class=\"advgb-post-tax-term\">Heinrich Heine<\/a>","<a href=\"https:\/\/countermelodypodcast.com\/index.php\/category\/voiceless-wonders\/\" class=\"advgb-post-tax-term\">John Milton<\/a>","<a href=\"https:\/\/countermelodypodcast.com\/index.php\/category\/voiceless-wonders\/\" class=\"advgb-post-tax-term\">Justinius Kerner<\/a>","<a href=\"https:\/\/countermelodypodcast.com\/index.php\/category\/voiceless-wonders\/\" class=\"advgb-post-tax-term\">Lily Bernhard<\/a>","<a href=\"https:\/\/countermelodypodcast.com\/index.php\/category\/voiceless-wonders\/\" class=\"advgb-post-tax-term\">Ludwig van Beethoven<\/a>","<a href=\"https:\/\/countermelodypodcast.com\/index.php\/category\/voiceless-wonders\/\" class=\"advgb-post-tax-term\">Michael Tippett<\/a>","<a href=\"https:\/\/countermelodypodcast.com\/index.php\/category\/voiceless-wonders\/\" class=\"advgb-post-tax-term\">Murray Perahia<\/a>","<a href=\"https:\/\/countermelodypodcast.com\/index.php\/category\/voiceless-wonders\/\" class=\"advgb-post-tax-term\">Noel Mewton-Wood<\/a>","<a href=\"https:\/\/countermelodypodcast.com\/index.php\/category\/voiceless-wonders\/\" class=\"advgb-post-tax-term\">Paul Verlaine<\/a>","<a href=\"https:\/\/countermelodypodcast.com\/index.php\/category\/voiceless-wonders\/\" class=\"advgb-post-tax-term\">Peter Blackman<\/a>","<a href=\"https:\/\/countermelodypodcast.com\/index.php\/category\/voiceless-wonders\/\" class=\"advgb-post-tax-term\">Peter Pears<\/a>","<a href=\"https:\/\/countermelodypodcast.com\/index.php\/category\/voiceless-wonders\/\" class=\"advgb-post-tax-term\">Sviatoslav Richter<\/a>","<a href=\"https:\/\/countermelodypodcast.com\/index.php\/category\/voiceless-wonders\/\" class=\"advgb-post-tax-term\">Sydney Keyes<\/a>","<a href=\"https:\/\/countermelodypodcast.com\/index.php\/category\/voiceless-wonders\/\" class=\"advgb-post-tax-term\">The Heart\u2019s Assurance<\/a>","<a href=\"https:\/\/countermelodypodcast.com\/index.php\/category\/voiceless-wonders\/\" class=\"advgb-post-tax-term\">William Blake<\/a>"],"unlinked":["<span class=\"advgb-post-tax-term\">Alan Bush<\/span>","<span class=\"advgb-post-tax-term\">Alois Jeittteles<\/span>","<span class=\"advgb-post-tax-term\">Alun Lewis<\/span>","<span class=\"advgb-post-tax-term\">An die ferne Geliebte<\/span>","<span class=\"advgb-post-tax-term\">Claude Debussy<\/span>","<span class=\"advgb-post-tax-term\">Fetes galantes<\/span>","<span class=\"advgb-post-tax-term\">Heinrich Heine<\/span>","<span class=\"advgb-post-tax-term\">John Milton<\/span>","<span class=\"advgb-post-tax-term\">Justinius Kerner<\/span>","<span class=\"advgb-post-tax-term\">Lily Bernhard<\/span>","<span class=\"advgb-post-tax-term\">Ludwig van Beethoven<\/span>","<span class=\"advgb-post-tax-term\">Michael Tippett<\/span>","<span class=\"advgb-post-tax-term\">Murray Perahia<\/span>","<span class=\"advgb-post-tax-term\">Noel Mewton-Wood<\/span>","<span class=\"advgb-post-tax-term\">Paul Verlaine<\/span>","<span class=\"advgb-post-tax-term\">Peter Blackman<\/span>","<span class=\"advgb-post-tax-term\">Peter Pears<\/span>","<span class=\"advgb-post-tax-term\">Sviatoslav Richter<\/span>","<span class=\"advgb-post-tax-term\">Sydney Keyes<\/span>","<span class=\"advgb-post-tax-term\">The Heart\u2019s Assurance<\/span>","<span class=\"advgb-post-tax-term\">William Blake<\/span>"]}},"comment_count":"0","relative_dates":{"created":"Posted 1 hour ago","modified":"Updated 1 hour ago"},"absolute_dates":{"created":"Posted on 08\/06\/2026","modified":"Updated on 08\/06\/2026"},"absolute_dates_time":{"created":"Posted on 08\/06\/2026 09:59","modified":"Updated on 08\/06\/2026 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