Dedicating a CD to the dark side of the Lied might seem inappropriate in these times of Covid, climate change and refugee crises, but as a mezzo-soprano Olivia has always been drawn to the darker roles in opera, the sad arias in oratorio and the deep laments in song. After our recent recording (‘Dirty Minds’), which focused on ‘la petite mort’, it seemed a natural progression to turn our attention to ‘la grande mort’! Darkness in the outside world and the inner self has always been – alongside Love – one of the chief themes of vocal music, and compositions and songs about death are legion during every period of musical history. The music on this recording is extremely diverse and we relished the idea of programming songs from different centuries in different styles and genres. We begin with a collection of songs about melancholia, inner abysses, longing for death and murderous lust. But the CD is also rich in songs about comfort and hope, light instead of despair – with lashings of black humour! Composers down the ages have used innovative approaches to render the theme of death. Chromaticism is used tellingly by Monteverdi and Schubert. Duparc’s sensuous ‘Extase’ (1878), is nothing short of a miniature Liebestod. Korngold and Wolfgang Rihm play with translucent semitone sighs, Schumann’s ‘Nachtlied’ is characterized by hovering harmonies; Strauss and Korngold use late-romantic opulence; while tonality with Charles Ives and Alban Berg begins to lose its hold, while Berg, abandons tonality entirely. John Cage goes a step further and directs the pianist to drum the notes on the lid of a completely closed piano. Randy Newman’s ‘In Germany before the war’ is wreathed in mystery.
Album Tracks
Lasciatemi morire (Rinuccini) from 'L'Arianna“ 1608
Listen before i go
Der Tod und das Mädchen Op. 7/3 D. 531 (Claudius)
The curse of Millhaven from “Murder Ballads” 1996
Der Jüngling und der Tod D. 545 (Spaun)
Dance of the moon in Santiago (García Lorca trad. Crumb) from “Sun and Shadow” 2009
In Germany before the war (Newman) From “Little Criminals” 1977
The crow (Lang) from “The cold Trip pt. 2” 2015
Ode an den Mord (Daniel Pongratz) From “Das ist alles von der Kunstfreiheit gedeckt” 2021
Charlie Rutlage S. 226 (traditional, collected by J. A. Lomax)
Death is just around the corner (Lippa) from “The Adams Family”
The wonderful widow of eighteen springs (Joyce)
Nachtlied Op. 96/1 (Goethe)
Zwei Gedichte von Marina Zwetajewa 2016 (trad. Waldemar Dege) ...bist fort
Zwei Gedichte von Marina Zwetajewa 2016 (trad. Waldemar Dege) Zeit sich vom Bernstein zu trennen
Urlicht (Des Knaben Wunderhorn)
Befreit Op. 39/4 (Dehmel)
Extase (Lahor)
Vier Gesänge Op. 2 Aus Dem Schmerz sein Recht (Hebbel)
Vier Gesänge Op. 2 Schlafend trägt man mich in mein Heimatland (Mombert)
Vier Gesänge Op. 2 Nun ich der Riesen Stärksten überwand (Mombert)
Vier Gesänge Op. 2 Warm die Lüfte (Mombert)
Als ik dood ben lig ik onder gras
from Lieder des Abschieds Op. 14 Sterbelied (Rosetti trad. Kerr)
from Lieder des Abschieds Op. 14 Dies eine kann mein Sehnen nimmer fassen (Ronsperger)
from Lieder des Abschieds Op. 14 Mond, so gehst Du wieder auf (Lothar)
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