Rufus Wainwright has all the trappings of a lounge act: the pathos, the piano, the sense of humour. But unlike most like of his breed he writes most of his own songs and goes high brow by setting three of Shakespeare's sonnets to music and composing an opera. For his new album All Days Are Nights: Songs For Lulu he went back to basics: it's him, a microphone and a piano.
The Wainwrights take things personal - so there is a song about his sister Martha, only mentioning his father Loudon in passing. He sings about his mother Kate McGarrigle, whi succumbed to cancer, in A Dream. His highhood sweetheart Zebulon is fondly remembered. The core of All Days Are Nights: Songs For Lulu is family matters. It's a bit too much at times and it makes you wonder why the rest of the world would want to hear about all the shenanigans. On the upside: this will keep Rufus Wainwright out of the Las Vegas circuit for a little while longer.
The sparse rendering of Les Feux d’artifice t’appellent, the final aria from his Prima Donna, proofs that he was right when he quipped: "After hiding behind a 70-piece orchestra with my opera you can blame everything on the tuba player. With this album, when the curtain is raised it’s me on my own".
All Days Are Nights: Songs For Lulu is released on Decca Records.
Tracks:- Who Are You New York?
- Sad With What I Have
- Martha
- Give Me What I Want And Give It To Me Now!
- True Loves
- When Most I Wink (Sonnet 43)
- A Woman's Face (Sonnet 20)
- Shame (Sonnet 10)
- The Dream
- What Would I Ever Do With A Rose?
- Les Feux d'artifice t'appellent
- Zebulon
- Les Feux d'artifice t'appellent (Alternate Version) {UK Bonus Track}
Video: Douglas Gordon’s Tour Visuals for Rufus Wainwright
The first part of the live show will be devoted to the new album. His audience is invited to vote for the songs they want to see him to perform.
Live dates:- 04/23 Colston Hall Bristol, UK
- 04/25 Royal Concert Hall Nottingham, UK
- 04/26 New Theatre Oxford, UK
- 04/28 Grand Canal Theatre Dublin, Ireland
- 04/29 Ipswich Regent Theatre Ipswich, UK
- 04/30 Danube Festival (Halle 1) Krems, Austria
- 05/02 Palais des Beaux Arts Brussels, Belgium
- 05/03 Theatre Mogador Paris, France
- 05/05 Teatro Circo Price Madrid, Spain
- 05/06 Coliseu Porto, Portugal
- 05/07 Aula Magna Lisbon, Portugal
- 05/09 Palacio Euskalduna Bilbao, Spain
- 05/11 Grand Teatre del Liceu Barcelona, Spain
- 05/12 Le Transbordeur Lyon, France
- 05/13 Teatro Communale Firenze, Italy
- 05/15 Conservatorio Milan, Italy
- 05/16 Kaufleuten Zurich, Sweden
- 05/17 Muffathalle Munich, Germany
- 05/19 Volksbuhne Berlin, Germany
- 05/21 Lundakarnevalen Lund, Sweden
- 05/22 Sentrum Scene Oslo, Norway
- 05/24 Nokia Concert Hall Tallinn, Estland
- 05/25 House of Culture Helsinki, Finland
- 05/27 Filadelfiakyrkan Stolkholm, Sweden
- 05/29 Palladium Warsaw, Poland
- 05/30 Radio Concert Hall Copenhagen, DK
- 05/31 Kampnagel Hamburg, Germany
- 06/2 Theater am Tanzbrunnen Cologne, Germany
- 06/3 Carre Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- 06/4 Carre Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- 06/15 Elgin Theatre Toronto, ON
- 06/17 Elgin Theatre Toronto, ON
- 06/20 Salle Albert-Rousseau Sainte-Foy, PQ
- 06/21 Theatre St-Denis Montreal, PQ
- 07/03 Kenwood House Hamstead Heath, London
- 07/04 Brighton Centre Brighton, East Sussex
- 07/11 Westhampton Beach Performing Arts Center Westhampton Beach, NY
- 08/04 Mann Center for the Performing Arts Philadephia, PA
- 08/23 The Mountain Winery Saratoga, CA
- 11/22 Royal Albert Hall London, UK
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