Lovely
singing. Let me tell you, that you gave me much pleasure on a
healthy and beautiful sounding way to these difficult songs. Your
accompanist is of the best qualities, strictly in the style called for
in these songs. Your german is excellant so that I assume you are
of German ancestors. The disk I would like to hold back. Who knows?
--Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau
About the recording:
Reiko and I made this recording in early June 2007 at the Academy of Arts and Letters in New York City. Judith Sherman produced and engineered the recording with the assistance of Jeanne Velonis. Philip Calabrese was the piano technician. The-M designed the package.
About the song selection:
Reiko and I picked some of our favorite Schubert songs from among the many dozens we've been performing over the years and arranged them in an order that roughly suggests the arc of a day. The recording begins with some morning songs about fishing and water, followed by a few songs celebrating the outdoors in the midday, and finally a set of nocturnal songs that starts out tragically but gradually gives way to a mood of celestial bliss.
About the piano:
We tried out several pianos, mostly modern grands, but kept coming back to an unusual instrument:
Behold the “Palatial” Grand Piano, built by the French firm Pleyel about a century ago, and currently residing at Klavierhaus in Manhattan. Its mellow yet luminous sound seemed perfect for Schubert.
To place a phone order, here is CDBaby's number: +1 503-595-3000 They're very reliable, and they ship anywhere in the world. You can also download the album as an mp3.
Download poems and translations HERE.
A nice review from my mother's hometown paper, HERE.
Another nice review from the Berkshire Review for the Arts, HERE.
Music blogger and law professor Arthur S. Leonard's review, HERE.
