The Folly of Desire

For the film sometimes known by this name, see The Shulamite (film).

The Folly of Desire
Studio album by Brad Mehldau, Ian Bostridge
Released	2 June 2023
Recorded	July 2022
Studio	Alpheton New Maltings
Length	67:46
Label	Pentatone
Producer	Mark Brown
Brad Mehldau chronology
Jacob's Ladder (2022) The Folly of Desire (2022)

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	[1]
Financial Times	[2]

The Folly of Desire is a collaborative album by American jazz pianist Brad Mehldau and British tenor Ian Bostridge.[3][4] It was recorded in July 2022 and released by Pentatone on 2 June 2023.[5]

Track listing

All tracks are written by Brad Mehldau except where noted

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
1.	"The Sick Rose"		1:42
2.	"Leda and the Swan"		4:17
3.	"Sonnet 147"		2:55
4.	"Sonnet 75"		2:49
5.	"Über die Verführung von Engeln"		3:14
6.	"Ganymede I"		6:27
7.	"Ganymede II"		3:28
8.	"The Boys I Mean Are Not Refined"		4:50
9.	"Sailing to Byzantium"		2:22
10.	"Night II"		6:41
11.	"Lullaby"		7:54
12.	"These Foolish Things"	Eric Maschwitz, Jack Strachey	5:12
13.	"In the Wee Small Hours of the Morning"	Bob Hilliard, David Mann	3:08
14.	"Every Time We Say Goodbye"	Cole Porter	5:05
15.	"Nacht und Träume, D 827"	Franz Schubert	3:47
16.	"Night and Day"	Cole Porter	3:55
Total length:			67:46

Personnel

• Brad Mehldau – piano, composing, liner notes
• Ian Bostridge – tenor (vocal), liner notes

References

1. Manheim, James. "The Folly of Desire by Ian Bostridge / Brad Mehldau". AllMusic. Retrieved 22 August 2023.
2. Loomis, George (25 October 2019). "Ian Bostridge and Brad Mehldau set e.e. cummings and Shakespeare to music | Financial Times". Financial Times. Retrieved 22 August 2023.
3. Bostridge, Ian (15 February 2022). "Pavarotti, Billie Holiday and me: the secrets of what makes a great singer". The Guardian. Retrieved 22 August 2023.
4. Bostridge, Ian (4 June 2023). "Ian Bostridge on Music's Fuzzy Boundaries of Identity". The New York Times. Retrieved 22 August 2023.
5. "Jazz news: Brad Mehldau & Ian Bostridge Present 'The Folly Of Desire'". All About Jazz. 24 May 2023. Retrieved 22 August 2023.