Heggie – Hear/After – Songs of Lost Voices
Stephen Costello; Joyce DiDonato; Nathan Gunn; Talise Trevigne; Carol Wincenc; Alexander String Quartet
PentaTone PTC 5186 515
Art song is alive and well in North America as evidenced by this rich two disc collection of collaborations by Jake Heggie (music) and Gene Scheer (texts). The lost voices represented are “silenced individuals whose stories deserve to be heard,” including victims and survivors of 9/11 (Pieces of 9/11: Memories from Houston). In 9/11, the duo is successful in their intention to bring forward “the hope and newness that can come from grief” through excerpts obtained through 30 hours of interviews from first responders, families and community members. Woven throughout are echoes of the “Prelude” from Bach’s Cello Suite in G Major, providing a poignant and moving undercurrent to the memories.
Another of the “lost voices” is French sculptor Camille Claudel (Camille Claudel: Into the Fire) whose tumultuous relationship with Rodin and frustrated ambitions resulted in commitment to an asylum. The duo take as their inspiration six of her sculptures with each movement evoking the story that each represents. Performances by mezzo Joyce DiDonato and the Alexander String Quartet are absolutely stunning in their tender, exquisite phrasing.
Art as inspiration is a prominent theme throughout this recording with two more song cycles: Rise and Fall, which gives voice to famous sculptures, and A Question of Light, inspired by six major artworks in the Dallas Museum of Art.
