River Spirits
New Focus, 2025
9/10
The composer and soprano Susan Botti meshes ideas of Renaissance motet, operatic aria and the unpredictable nature of avant-garde for these 3 involved pieces.
The title track leads, and in 4 movements presents Tyler Neidermayer’s bass clarinet, Robert Eisenstein’s electric viola da gamba and a trio of voices for the rhythmic bouts, high register placement and building intensity that’s sometimes guttural, other times melodic.
The middle piece, “Narration of Prologue (“Once Upon Time”)”, is just Botti’s eloquent spoken word alongside the sounds of water, while “Eau de Waltz” allows for Neidermayer’s bass clarinet and Samuel Zagnit’s double bass to complement Botti’s expressive voice via the playful waltz that’s strong on timbre and meticulousness.
Botti’s musical language is full of lush and earthy sensibilities, where the classical, chamber and opera influences won’t be hard to appreciate.
Travels well with: Seamus- Seamus Vol. 34; Richard Festinger- Then And Now: Chamber Music Of Richard Festinger