Jan van Gilse: Sulamith & Der Kreis des Lebens

[Alan Howe]

Two cantatas: Sulamith (1901-2) and Der Kreis des Lebens (1928-9), forthcoming from cpo:
https://www.prestomusic.com/classical/products/9801947--jan-van-gilse-sulamith-der-kreis-des-lebens

[Ilja]

An interesting coupling, combining the fairly early Sulamith (1902) towards Der Kreis (1929), and showing a progression from a clearly Mahler- and Strauss-influenced Germanic style towards a more individual and French-oriented (think Ravel's Daphnis et Chloë, with perhaps some slightly Regerian flourishes) idiom that is reminiscent of his later opera Thijl. I have the recording of Der Kreis and can offer a warm recommendation.

[Ilja]

This recording has now been released, and it can also be heard on streaming platforms (at least on Presto and Spotify) and on YouTube.