Sting is back singing classical music
NewsYou may remember the flutter in classical dovecotes when the rock star Sting performed an album of John Dowland songs on Deutsche Grammophon.
Well, he’s back – though just with a cameo sing.
An album of piano trios by Stanley Silverman, played by the Kalichstein-Laredo-Robinson trio – features a lute song from Shakespeare’s Cymbeline ‘inspired by Sting’s performances of songs by John Dowland’ and sung by Sting in his inimitable hoarse vocalisation.
You can listen to the track below.
“Fear No More the Heat o’ the Sun” is out now from Stanley Silverman and the Kalichstein-Laredo-Robinson Trio featuring @OfficialSting ☀️
Written to commemorate 9/11.🎧 Listen/stream/pre order: https://t.co/KcaVIQ1jW5
The full album 💿 will be out on 3rd March
Sound on ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/taMU4e1zVO— Signum Classics (@SignumRecords) February 2, 2023
The composer, 85 this year, is a famed Broadway arranger much in demand by theatre luminaries.
Why should such a world-class trio want to be associated with such awful singing?
The KLR Trio must be desperate for attention to have made a recording with a *former* rock star who is no classical singer. Never was, never will be. That DGG recording of his is an embarrassment and an indignity for the label, as are Abba (also on DGG) by von Otter and Björk (on DrECCA) by Fleming. There are others.
Right……
They are not in the business of making music, they are in the business of making money through music.
Profits from Beyoncé + NYPhil or Eminem + Detroit could subsidize numerous small projects. Those pop artists would have a lot to gain too.
Try Justin Bieber with LAPhil first.
Gerry, how well do you know these greedy, profiteering lowlifes?
I’m just curious how money-grubbing they could be, considering one of the members on this recording is deceased and hadn’t performed for some years before his death. The trio has not existed for a while, naturally. This recording must have been made at least a decade ago.
Stanley Silverman is much more than a „Broadway arranger“!
Among the many highlights of his composing career he received a commission from New York City Opera for a program of three new American operas, and I adore the recording of his rock-opera „Elephant Steps“, premiered at Tanglewood in 1968, conducted by some unknown kid named Tilson Thomas.
He was music director for the legendary 1976 Richard Foreman production of „Threepenny Opera“ produced by Joe Papp at Lincoln Center and the following summer at the Delacorte; the original cast album remains my favourite recording of the work. He frequently collaborated with Foreman.
He was also kind enough to invite me for tea when I needed some career advice when I was just out of university back in the 1970s, for which I shall be forever grateful.
Oh Sting, where is thy death?
Sting is about as interesting and enjoyable as a dose of salts.
I knew Stanley in the 1960s [!] when he was composer-in-residence for the Greater Boston Youth Symphony Orchestra and have followed his career with pleasure ever since. A mensch, and a fine musician!
How quickly can he learn a role for a seldom performed Korngold opera (Berlin)?
I had the opportunity to chat with Sting a bit when he performed his music with the Chicago Symphony many years ago. A modest, brilliant and altogether charming guy.
Yes, his voice does not at all conform to our conceptions of what is beautiful in the classical world. That said, he is a sensitive and probing musician and the vitriol I see in this thread, while utterly predictable, is appalling.