American composer Aaron Jay Kernis, born in 1960, has become a fixture of American concert halls with his absorbing symphonies and chamber works, Romantic but technically tough-minded. Here the listener gets something different and more intimate: Kernis song cycles that in at least one case are quite personal; all are distinguished by the range of poetry involved and the subtlety of the composer's response to them. Most remarkable, perhaps, is Valentines, written in memory of Kernis' teacher Jacob Druckman to texts by ...
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American composer Aaron Jay Kernis, born in 1960, has become a fixture of American concert halls with his absorbing symphonies and chamber works, Romantic but technically tough-minded. Here the listener gets something different and more intimate: Kernis song cycles that in at least one case are quite personal; all are distinguished by the range of poetry involved and the subtlety of the composer's response to them. Most remarkable, perhaps, is Valentines, written in memory of Kernis' teacher Jacob Druckman to texts by British poet Carol Ann Duffy and, more than other Kernis works, reflective of his approach. "Not a red rose or a satin heart." Duffy writes (heard in Valentines, track 6). "I give you an onion." Try it sometime for Valentine's Day! The mystical mood of the opening Simple Songs, for soprano and chamber group, builds up through a pair of psalm texts, a prayer of Hildegard of Bingen, a poem by the Japanese writer Ryokan, and Rumi in Robert Bly's well-known translation ("You are the notes,...
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Very Good. CD, jewel case, and inserts all in very good condition. No scratches or skips. Buy with confidence. Guaranteed skip free or your money refunded.
