In A Grove
In A Circle, 2023
8/10
An opera with music by the always impressive Christopher Cerrone, we’re treated to the soprano Lindsay Kesselman, countertenor Chuanyuan Liu, tenor Andrew Turner, and baritone John Taylor Ward, plus the Metropolis Ensemble and libretto from Stephanie Fleischmann for these 2 in depth pieces.
The atmospheric “Prelude” opens the listen with a bit of mysteriousness amid the blurry electronics, before segueing into the expressive voice of Ward and Ian Rosenbaum’s animated percussion on “Scene 1: The Woodcutter”
Further into Part I. Testimonies, Lui’s bright pipes populate the dreamy “Scene 2: The Priest”, while “Scenes 3 and 4: The Mother & the Policeman“ has Turner and Kesselman’s eloquent singing alongside the light strings and stirring climate.
The back half of the listen, Part II. Confessions, offers the talk/singing of “Scene 5: The Outlaw”, which uses keys strategically, and the captivating “Scene 6: The Missing Woman”, which highlights Kesselman’s gorgeous singing that suits the cryptic intimacy. Near to the end, “Scene 7: The Murdered Man, Channeled by a Medium” emits plenty of harmonic gestures and a superbly rich landscape.
The winds, brass, strings and keys are used sparingly but effectively, and Cerrone’s haunting, sonically appealing vision makes for a very unique meshing of electronic and classical sounds that few others could replicate.
Travels well with: Johnny Gandelsman- This Is America: An Anthology 2020-2021; Hemingway- Hemingway: A Film By Ken Burns And Lynn Novick