What She Saw is a new album of vocal music by New York composer Douglas Anderson.  There are two works on the record.  There’s a cycle of eleven Cassandra Songs for mezzo-soprano and piano and a monodrama for mezzo-soprano, piano and percussion called Through/In.

The Cassandra Songs each set an episode in Cassandra’s life dwelling, inevitably, on the “always right but never believed” motif and the ill treatment that gets her.  The texts, by Andrew Joffe, are really rather good and they get a somewhat atonal setting; especially in the piano line.  The vocal style varies from conversational to declamatory.  The settings are actually quite varied though very much in the same sound world.  It’s well performed by mezzo-soprano Rachel Arky and pianist Elizabeth Rodgers.  The recording. was made in 2023 at Martin Patrych Memorial Studios in the Bronx an it’s clean and well balanced.

The second piece is designed to be staged and has a woman reflecting on her reflection in her dressing table mirror.  The vocal line here is more dramatic but the accompaniment; piano and (mostly) tuned percussion, is more tonal and gentler.  It’s only 23 minutes long but it’s quite interesting.  Elizabeth Rodgers is the pianist again with mezzo-soprano Nicole Salamon and percussionist Scott Still.  This piece was recorded in the Klavierhaus in New York and is also a good capture.

It’s a digital only release with MP3 and CD quality and 44.1kHz/24bit FLAC options.  I listened to the hi-res version.  It’s also available on streaming services and Youtube.  There’s no booklet but, as always with this label, texts, bios and much more are available on their website.  Here’s the link.

Catalogue information: Ravello Records RR8099