Description
"Folk Songs is an excellent recording, displaying the Ensemble SONGS and Sarah Maria Sun's passion for multilingual traditional vocal repertoires cast for a decidedly contemporary chamber music sound palette The album pays homage to Luciano Berio (1925-2003) and his direct influence to composers of the ensemble, Oscar Strasnoy, who received the 2000 Orpheus Prize for his chamber opera Midea from Berio. The album premieres Samuel Blaser's Worksongs for Soprano and 10 instruments alongside Oscar Strasnoy's Chanzuns Popularas Rumanchas for Soprano and 10 instruments (Swiss Folk Songs in Romansh language), and Luciano Berio's Folk Songs for Mezzo-Soprano and 7 instruments (1964). Each work is a collection of folk-sourced and inspired songs, arranged for voice and masterfully woven for contemporary chamber instrumentation. The quality of the recording arms the multilingual vocal artistry of Sarah Maria Sun (soprano) alongside the SONGS ensemble:" - Peter Fielding
Songs Ensemble:
Sarah Maria Sun - soprano
Oscar Strasnoy - piano and Rhodes
Samuel Blaser - trombone
Mathieu Ogier DJ + electronics
Rebecca Lenton flute and piccolo
Theo Nabicht clarinet and bass-clarinet
Kirstin Maria Pientka - alto clarinet
Cosima Gerhardt Violoncello
Pascal Viglino & Guillaume Vairet - percussion
Manon Pierrhumbert - harp
Recorded in Basel, Switzerland on 15, 16 December 2020, this studio recording serves to build on earlier live performances by the ensemble in 2019