The Canadian Art Song Project presented their latest commission in the RBA on Wednesday lunchtime. But first we got Jorelle Williams and Steven Philcox with four songs by iconic Canadian/American composer R. Nathaniel Dett. I confess that early 20th century American song is rarely to my taste and the first three Dett songs I found workmanlike but not especially interesting. The fourth though; The Winding Road to a text by Tertius Van Dyke I found much more interesting. It seemed that Dett had allowed himself to be more “American”. There were influences from both “Negro music” and marching band here with an overall effect not unlike some of Charles Ives’ songs. I can’t knock the performance though. It did full justice to the songs; especially the last.
Sounds and Sweet Airs: A Shakespeare Songbook is a long and unusual CD by Carolyn Sampson, Roderick Williams and Joseph Middleton. The songs set texts (mostly) by Shakespeare but some of it is translated into German or French and in the case of Hannah Kendall’s Rosalind it’s fragments stitched together. Some of the material will be familiar to amateurs of art song but less than one might expect. There’s no Finzi or Quilter!
Deutsche Grammophon has just re-released the recital by Bryn Terfel and Llyr Williams that was recorded live at the Verbier Festival in 2011. It’s a generous package. It kicks off with a couple of exquisitely sung Schubert songs which are followed by Schumann’s Liederkreis Op.39. This is gorgeous lieder singing with the voice sounding very fresh, the diction spot on and lovely accompaniment.
The Royal Conservatory of Music did a partial reveal of their classical and jazz programming for Koerner Hall in the 2022/3 season. It’s a pretty typical mx; heavy on piano, strings and chamber music, but there are a few interesting classical vocal concerts. Here are the highlights:
There’s not exactly a flood of events in my calendar for march yet but there are a few. Running March 1st to 20th at Crow’s Theatre is Branden Jacobs-Jenkins’ satirical play Gloria about a Manhattan magazine staff seeking fame and glory as the internet turns the industry upside down. It’s not an opera but it’s directed by the very talented André Sills which is reason enough for me.
operaramblings 