Benjamin Britten; Samuel Barber - Les illuminations; Knoxville (Julia Kogan; Steven Lloyd-Gonzalez)

Information

Composer: Benjamin Britten; Samuel Barber

• Britten - Les illuminations, Op. 18
• Barber - Knoxville: Summer of 1915, Op. 24
• Britten - Les illuminations, Op. 18 (Sung in English)

Julia Kogan, soprano

Britten Sinfonia

Steven Lloyd-Gonzalez, conductor

Date: 2025

Label: First Hand Records

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This release features the first recording of Benjamin Britten’s Les Illuminations, Op. 18, sung in English using a newly commissioned translation by Timothy Ades, alongside the original French version. It is paired with Samuel Barber’s Knoxville: Summer of 1915, Op. 24, a deeply expressive vocal work composed only a few years later. Both pieces, setting texts by Rimbaud and Agee, stand among the most personal and emotionally powerful works for voice of the 20th century. Performed by award-winning soprano Julia Kogan with the Britten Sinfonia under Steven Lloyd-Gonzalez, the recording highlights the vivid colors and dramatic intensity of these enduring masterpieces.

Julia Kogan (b. 1971) is an internationally award-winning British American French opera singer, writer, and presenter. Born in Kharkiv, Ukraine, and raised in the United States after emigrating as a Soviet Jewish refugee, she studied English literature and music, earning a master’s degree in vocal performance. Kogan has appeared at major venues worldwide, including Carnegie Hall and Lincoln Center, and is acclaimed for roles spanning Mozart, Strauss, and Weill. She has recorded six solo albums, received wide critical recognition, and created award-winning broadcast and film projects, including a BBC Radio 4 documentary and the feature film Florence Foster Jenkins.

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