Gramophone Magazine
March 2024
Editor's Choice

Alessandro Fisher (tenor), Anna Tilbrook (piano)

Schubert: Die Blumensprache D519 (Platner)
Mendelssohn: Das erste Veilchen, Op. 19a No. 2
Schumann: Die Lotosblume, Op. 25 No. 7
Schumann, Clara: Das Veilchen
Schumann: Meine Rose, Op. 90 No. 2
Sibelius: Six Songs, Op. 88 'Flower Songs'
Fauré: Le papillon et la fleur, Op. 1 No. 1
Chausson: Les Papillons, Op. 2 No. 3 (Gautier)
Toldrà: Cançó de grumet (A l’ombra del Leidoner)
Toldrà: Menta i farigola
Toldrà: Floreix l'ametller
Guastavino: La rosa y el sauce
Guastavino: Cortadera, Plumerito... (from Flores Argentinas)
Herbert, M: Violets
Herbert, M: To daffodils
Elgar: The Language of Flowers
Wood, Haydn: Love's Garden of Roses
Michael Flanders, Donald Swann: At the Drop of a Hat: Misalliance

During the period of lockdown in 2020, tenor Alessandro Fisher and his wife spent many hours in their garden. A heightened awareness of the beauty of nature, the flowers in their garden and the changes to the garden as winter moved to spring, and then to summer formed the basis of this beautifully curated recital.

All the songs are about flowers, the language of flowers, and flowers as a tokens of love. Above all, the album is about the way songs of the many composers on this album reference deep human emotions and the role of flowers in these emotions.

Where words fail, the language of flowers and nature take over. Nature regenerates, life continues, though for some composers, the short- lived glory of flowers is also an allegory for loss, or indeed the transience of romantic love.

"I’d suggest that not since Martin Isepp accompanied Janet Baker on that bargain Saga long-player from many moons ago has a British singer made a more auspicious recital debut on record." - Gramophone Magazine, March 2024