Voices Of Earth And Air Vol V: New Vocal Works
Navona, 2023
8/10
Listen to Voices Of Earth And Air Vol V: New Vocal Works
Six modern composers from around the globe present us diverse vocal pieces that comes with power storytelling and both bare and full moments of timeless song craft across this 5th installment of the Voices Of Earth And Air series.
“Friendship Song”, by Bruce Lazarus, opens the listen with Aliana de la Guardia’s mezzo-soprano and Karolina Rojahn’s piano making for a very intimate and expressive lead off, and Beth Wiemann’a “Young Charlotte” follows with Guardia’s vocal acrobatics amid Yoko Hagino’s unpredictable piano for the vivid storytelling and bright instrumentation.
The middle tracks belong to L Peter Deutsch, where “The Dimensions of Love” hosts Vox Futura and Andrew Shenton’s conducting skills for the harmonic gestures, while “A Bird Came Down the Walk”, by Anthony Wilson, makes great use of Alexis Peart’s mezzo-soprano and Hagino’s piano for the upbeat, melodic album highlight.
Close to the end, Martha Hill Duncan’s “Saskatchewan Songs Excerpts” showcases fluid and stirring interaction between Guardia’s mezzo-soprano and Hagino’s graceful piano, and “Litany”, by Arthur Gottschalk, meshes The Prairie View A&M Concert Choir, John Cornelius’ piano, and the Axiom String Quartet for a busy and precisely textured finish.
A listen that spans balladry to choral arrangements and can even soar with bursts of triumphant songwriting, each track here radiates in its own light.
Travels well with: Georgina Rossi/Silvie Cheng- Chorinho; Meira Warshauer- Ocean Calling