Farnsworth/Hulett/Lepper - Michael Hurd: Choral Music Volume 2 and complete songs

The Aspern Papers & The Night of the Wedding 'The English composer Michael Hurd (1928-2006) wrote many different kinds of music, most of it vocal. This recording consists of two of his operas: his setting of Henry James's novella The Aspern Papers and the 16- minute farce The Night of the Wedding. The first thing that strikes me about Hurd's music is that he is not afraid to write a tune. One could easily play this recording just to enjoy the music. Yet the drama is not sacrificed, providing that music can be pleasant to listen to and dramatically effective at the same time. The recoording is an unexpected pleasure.