Confessions, an album of contemporary art songs from soprano Laura Strickling, is about personal relationships as much as anything else, and chief among these relationships is the longtime one with accompanist Joy Schreier. The quality of musicianship and communication of this partnership is evident throughout this recording. Strickling has a powerful voice, and her agility, adaptability, and ability to convey emotions beyond the text make it no wonder she has excelled in the art song repertoire. She has established ...
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Confessions, an album of contemporary art songs from soprano Laura Strickling, is about personal relationships as much as anything else, and chief among these relationships is the longtime one with accompanist Joy Schreier. The quality of musicianship and communication of this partnership is evident throughout this recording. Strickling has a powerful voice, and her agility, adaptability, and ability to convey emotions beyond the text make it no wonder she has excelled in the art song repertoire. She has established relationships with each of these composers and here presents the world premiere recordings for all but one work. The recital opens with the titular Confessions by Clarice Assad, a dark-tinged comedic view of some of the struggles experienced by women. Gilda Lyons' Songs of Lament and Praise sets texts from 10th to 12th century Ireland, and these are unlike anything else on the album. Lyons creates a sound world that is a combination of folk song and chant with 21st century harmony, and...
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