The Moon’s a Gong, Hung in the Wild: Songs by Jake Heggie
Angelika Kirchschlager, mezzo-soprano
Maurice Lammerts van Bueren, piano
4th September 2015
AV2349
£12.99 (1CD Jewel Case | 24-page booklet)
Summary:
The 64th Musical America Worldwide Composer of the Year: Jake Heggie
“Jake Heggie is that rare phenomenon, a contemporary composer whose operas, and especially Dead Man Walking, have become a part of the canon. Audiences clearly enjoy his dramatically astute, invariably lyrical, and emotionally rewarding works. Known as a singer’s composer, Heggie has been fortunate in being able to write for his favorite voices, but that is just one of the weapons in his musical armory. “Do your best work and trust,” is his advice. “Some things will disappear, and some things might last, but as long as you’re doing it for the right reason in the moment, sometimes that’s enough.”
American composer Jake Heggie has penned some of the most beautiful vocal music of our day, and his operas and songs have been championed by some of today’s foremost artists, including Joyce di Donato, Susan Graham and Frederica von Stade on the acclaimed AVIE release, Passing By (AV 2198). On The moon’s a gong, hung in the wild, Grammy-nominated Austrian mezzo-soprano Angelika Kirchschlager is joined by the great Dutch lieder pianist Maurice Lammerts van Bueren, a devotee of Heggie’s music who has given numerous premieres of the composer’s work. This sublime collection from the song cycles Statuesque, Songs to the Moon, The Breaking Waves and Folk Songs is by turns rhapsodic, humorous and nostalgic.
Tracklist:
JAKE HEGGIE (b. 1961)
Selections from Statuesque (2005)
1. Henry Moore: Reclining Figure of Elmwood (4:03)
2. Picasso: Head of a Woman, 1932 (2:01)
3. Winged Victory: We’re Through (5:01)
Songs to the Moon (1998)
4. Once More – To Gloriana (2:13)
5. Euclid (1:37)
6. The Haughty Snail King (3:34)
7. What the Rattlesnake Said (2:06)
8. The Moon’s the North-Wind’s Cooky (1:28)
9. What the Scarecrow Said (2:09)
10. What the Gray-Winged Fairy Said (1:34)
11. Yet Gentle Will the Griffin Be (2:33)
12. Looking West – Sweet Light from Winter Roses (2004) (4:14)
Selections from The Breaking Waves (2001)
13. Advent (2:36)
14. Darkness (2:53)
15. Music (3:09)
Folk Songs
16. Barb’ry Allen (1995) (2:54)
17. He’s gone away (1995) (2:33)
18. Danny Boy (1999) (3:19)
19. White in the Moon (1990) (2:38)
Total time: 52:38
Recorded January 5 – 8, 2015, Lisztzentrum Raiding, Austria
Producer: Guido Tichelman
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