Chosen with Great Care
GEOFF PEARCE discovers contemporary songs for mezzo-soprano and piano
'... exceptional artists ...'
The title of this CD intrigued me, and I do not believe I have heard of either artist, or most of the composers featured. I was keen to give this a listen, and I admit to having a fondness for Ablaze Records, because of the mix of unfamiliar and new music they feature, as well as the superlative recorded sound quality and excellent informative booklets. This particular recording is no exception and does not disappoint.
The first work is entitled Centuries in the Hours by Lisa Bielawa (born 1968 in the US) and this is a setting of five songs. The composer comments, in the booklet:
Each song in Centuries in the Hours is a setting of a diary excerpt by an American woman whose life circumstances rendered her historically invisible.
Each song is given the first name of the woman whose diary notes are being used. The moods and subjects vary and the women featured age from thirteen to thirty-eight years. These are beautifully written and the vocal and piano writing is very effective. I enjoyed the first and the last songs the best, and loved the repeated note motif in the piano in the last song. The vocal dynamic range is impressive, as is the emotional range. The pianist, Michael Delfín, is an exceptional partner for the very impressive Leandra Ramm.
Listen — Lisa Bielawa: Sarah (Centuries in the Hours)
(ar-00072 track 5, 3:27-4:20) ℗ 2025 Ablaze Records Pty Ltd:
Douglas Knehans (born in the US in 1957) is next, and his work gives the disc its title, Watching glass, I hear you. The composer commissioned his daughter Katrina to write these poems in 2020 when COVID was rife, and these little songs reflect the love and loss of those days. The four songs that make up this cycle are entitled 'Hear', 'See', 'Touch' and 'Feel' and each song is about two and a half minutes in duration. I am familiar with some of Douglas Knehans' orchestral compositions, but these are the first of his works for singer and piano I have heard. I have a fondness for his music, these are fine songs, and Knehans is a master at writing effectively for voice and piano. The second song, 'See', is particularly effective with its dramatic and somewhat desperate mood and quite stormy accompaniment.
Listen — Douglas Knehans: See (Watching glass, I hear you)
(ar-00072 track 7, 0:00-0:43) ℗ 2025 Ablaze Records Pty Ltd:
The final song is reflective and uplifting and its arpeggiated piano writing reminds me somewhat of the music of Philip Glass (although this is not minimalistic in any way).
Listen — Douglas Knehans: Feel (Watching glass, I hear you)
(ar-00072 track 9, 1:29-2:06) ℗ 2025 Ablaze Records Pty Ltd:
David T Little (born in the US in 1978) is not a composer known to me, and his Eleven Fragments for the Book of Dreams was a work originally conceived for a baritone voice with electronic accompaniment, but was also designed to be a work of studies for solo voice. The fragments are based on texts by Sonja Krefting (1976-2001), a prolific writer of short stories, poetry and erotic fiction. These fragments are all about one minute in duration and really display the expressive and considerable technical and emotional qualities of this fine singer. The subject range is varied.
Listen — David T Little: And there is always a possibility
(Eleven Fragments for the Book of Dreams)
(ar-00072 track 11, 0:00-0:22) ℗ 2025 Ablaze Records Pty Ltd:
The composer states:
The text by poet Sonja Krefting depicts a strange world of sand, mirrors and scorpions; a dream labyrinth that foretells, and perhaps forges a connection with, the afterlife. The music itself reflects this strange world: dynamics bob and weave and scansion is sometimes askew; fragments blow by quickly, or become the subject of obsession.
Listen — David T Little: Perhaps your hands
(Eleven Fragments for the Book of Dreams)
(ar-00072 track 13, 0:00-0:16) ℗ 2025 Ablaze Records Pty Ltd:
Cyril Deaconoff, born in Russia, and educated in Russia and the USA, is a versatile and experienced composer and musician. The song cycle Transformations is a set of five songs using texts from five female US poets, encompassing a range of emotions. They are of varying length ranging from under a minute to four-and-a-half minutes. The titles are descriptive of the moods of the songs. The first and last songs, 'Dance of Love', are the same, mostly. They are thoroughly enjoyable and are skilfully composed.
Listen — Cyril Deaconoff: Sweet Sorrow (Transformations)
(ar-00072 track 24, 2:37-3:15) ℗ 2025 Ablaze Records Pty Ltd:
Four Songs for mezzo soprano and piano by Daron Hagen (born in the US in 1961) were written between 2014 and 2020, setting varying texts, including by Rilke and Verlaine, and they were given to Leandra Ramm, the mezzo soprano on this album, who, at the end of 2020, had asked the composer if he might have some works suitable for her. These pieces are very effective and reveal the composer as a fine songwriter. I found these works perhaps the most traditional sounding songs on the album, and like everything else presented here, will find a wide enjoyment.
Listen — Daron Hagen: La Flor de la Canela (Four Songs)
(ar-00072 track 28, 3:00-3:47) ℗ 2025 Ablaze Records Pty Ltd:
This compilation of songs has been chosen with great care and reveals a very fine mezzo soprano, and a pianist that I would regard as exceptional. The works present composers that are all unique but effective and there is not a weak one amongst them. If you like a disc of songs that you won't have heard before, with exceptional artists, then this is one for you.
Copyright © 9 March 2025
Geoff Pearce,
Sydney, Australia
