Bard Love...
RUFUS WAINWRIGHT UNVEILS NEW ALBUM ‘TAKE ALL MY LOVES: 9 SHAKESPEARE SONNETS’
Released 22 April on Deutsche Grammophon
Florence Welch, Helena Bonham Carter & William Shatner Guest
Rufus Wainwright celebrates the 400th anniversary of Shakespeare’s death in typically dramatic fashion by releasing a unique collection of nine sonnets in stunning performances by both actors and vocalists. Set for release on 22 April on Deutsche Grammophon, it also marks the first collaboration between Rufus and Marius de Vries since they co-produced the epic Want albums.
The performers on this new recording include vocalists Florence Welch, Martha Wainwright, Anna Prohaska and, of course, Rufus himself, as well as actors Siân Phillips, Helena Bonham Carter, Carrie Fisher and William Shatner.
The seeds for this album were sown back in 2009, when director Robert Wilson asked Rufus to compose music for his Shakespeare’s Sonnets production, first staged at the Berliner Ensemble. The San Francisco Symphony subsequently commissioned Rufus to orchestrate five of the sonnets, which they premiered in 2010.
Three of the sonnets featured on Take All My Loves first appeared on Rufus Wainwright’s 2010 album Songs For Lulu, albeit in different versions. These are: ‘When Most I Wink’ (Sonnet 43), ‘For Shame’ (Sonnet 10) and ‘A Woman’s Face’ (Sonnet 20).
‘For me, recording this album has been a marriage made in heaven, as it combines my love of classical music with my love of pop music,’ says Rufus. ‘It’s literally historically fun. And made all the better by working again with Marius.’
TRACKLIST
9 SHAKESPEARE SONNETS
1 Sonnet 43
Recitation: Siân Phillips
2 When Most I Wink (Sonnet 43)
Vocals: Anna Prohaska
3 Take All My Loves (Sonnet 40)
Vocals: Rufus Wainwright
Recitation: Marius de Vries
4 Sonnet 20
Recitation: Frally Hynes
5 A Woman’s Face (Sonnet 20)
Vocals: Anna Prohaska
6 For Shame (Sonnet 10)
Vocals: Anna Prohaska
7 Sonnet 10
Recitation: Peter Eyre
8 Unperfect Actor (Sonnet 23)
Recitation: Helena Bonham Carter
Vocals: Rufus Wainwright · Martha Wainwright · Fiora Cutler
9 Sonnet 29
Recitation: Carrie Fisher
10 When in Disgrace with Fortune and Men’s Eyes (Sonnet 29)
Vocals: Florence Welch
Backing Vocals: Rufus Wainwright · Ben de Vries
11 Sonnet 129
Recitation: William Shatner
12 Th’Expense of Spirit in a Waste of Shame (Sonnet 129)
Vocals: Anna Prohaska
13 All Dessen Müd (Sonnet 66)
Vocals: Christopher Nell · Jürgen Holtz · Rufus Wainwright
14 A Woman’s Face – Reprise (Sonnet 20)
Vocals: Rufus Wainwright
15 Sonnet 87
Recitation: Inge Keller
16 Farewell (Sonnet 87)
Vocals: Anna Prohaska
Bass: Chris Chaney (3, 8, 10, 14) · Ralph Graessler (13)
Guitar: Joel Shearer (8, 10) · Dom Bouffard (8, 13)
Acoustic Guitar: Nicholai Baxter (10)
Keyboard: Marius de Vries (3, 8, 10, 14) · ROLI Seaboard: Marius de Vries (3)
Piano: Hans-Jörn Brandenburg (13)
Drums: Gary Novak (8, 10) · Stefan Rager (13) · Percussion: Stefan Rager (8)
BBC Symphony Orchestra conducted by Jayce Ogren (2, 5, 6, 12, 16)
Berlin String Section (3, 8, 13, 14)
Cello: Hoon Sun Chae · Violin: Ilzoo Park · Sophiemarie Yeoungchie Won
Viola: Uhjin Choi
