Spirits In Bondage
Navona, 2022
8/10
The American composer Benjamin C.S. brings poetry and music together here, where he illuminates their kinship with several top notch singers and Laura Ward’s superb piano playing across these 2 discs.
“Lenoriana, Op. 4” opens the listen with Randall Scarlata’s powerful baritone alongside the agile keys across the 9 movements of expressive singing and charming music, and “Zelda’s Dream” continues the emotive climate with Kelly Ann Bixby’s stunning soprano guiding Ward’s very dreamy finger acrobatics.
Further on, “Trois Chansons, Op. 11” spotlights Sarah Shafer’s soaring soprano as Ward mesmerizes us with her heartfelt playing, while “Chansons De Diane, Op. 24” rumbles with Irini Kyriakidou’s soprano and Bryan Hymel’s tenor that welcomes ebullient moments of firm, exciting musicianship.
Deeper still, “Folksongs From Another World, Op. 25” illuminates Hannah Ludwig’s mezzo-soprano across 5 chapters of stirring, cautious folklore that can also get tense, and “Spirits In Bondage, Op. 40” exits the listen with baritone from Dan Teadt that elicits a lower register of harmonic beauty.
A very well thought out record that’s very distinct with its tonal language and illustrates much diversity with the many vocalists, the incredible fluidity with Ward’s incredible piano won’t go unnoticed, either.
Travels well with: Peter Dayton- Stories Out Of Cherry Stems; Michael Murray- Passages