Ithaka: vocal and choral works by Lydia Kakabadse
British composer Lydia Kakabadse (with roots in Greece, Austria, Russia and Georgia) reflects her cultural heritage in music that has western and mediterranean elements – while this is strongest in her choral music, it is heard to good effect in her chamber works, which are often written in modal intonation; her previous recorded collections have been very positively reviewed. This album is in two parts – first the stunning choral work ‘Odyssey’ – absolutely traditional in its rich harmony but carrying one or two surprises, a work commissioned by the Hellenic Institute at Royal Holloway University of London and premiered in2018; and a set of songs written in 2018 and 2019 spanning a range of styles from ballad, to arioso to folk jazz, Romantic, antiphonal and minimalistic!
The performers are all top rate: Clare McCaldin is an outstanding mezzo-soprano with a significant recorded legacy already. Paul Turner specializes in chamber music and has accompanied eminent singers and instrumentalists. Sara Trickey is well known as a fine violinist and Cecily Beer is in demand as both singer and harpist. The Choir of Royal Holloway is considered to be one of the finest mixed-voice collegiate choirs in Britain.
Odyssey: Choir of Royal Holloway, Cecily Beer (harp), directed by Rupert Gough
I Remember: Choir of Royal Holloway, Sara Trickey (violin), Cecily Beer (harp), directed by Rupert Gough
Other songs: Clare McCaldin (mezzo-soprano), Paul Turner (piano)
Track Listing
-
Lydia Kakabadse (b.1955):
- Odyssey - I. Archaic (6:56)
- Odyssey - II. Classical (5:51)
- Odyssey - III. Hellenistic (4:09)
- Odyssey - IV. Roman (4:29)
- Odyssey - V. Byzantine (4:49)
- Odyssey - VI. Post-Byzantine (3:40)
- Odyssey - VII. Modern (6:15)
- The House Where I was Born (2:30)
- As I Sat at the Café (3:01)
- Haunted Houses (4:05)
- Courage (1:58)
- Recitativo Arioso (5:15)
- I Remember (3:01)
- The Ruined Maid (3:25)
- A Vision (2:29)
- The Way through the Woods (1:45)
- Sancte Ioseph (4:01)
Reviews
“The CD opens with a seven-part choral suite titled Odyssey: each movement is based on a historical period of Greek culture and uses a representative text from the era. The second section of the CD presents nine art songs, sung effectively by mezzo-soprano Clare McCaldin and accompanied gracefully by pianist Paul Turner. The musical settings range from darkly austere to sprightly with motifs based on jazz and parlor music.
” —Tamara Cashour
“Odyssey is a very appealing work and it’s extremely well served here by Rupert Gough and his excellent choir. The singing is fresh, eager and full of vitality. Well worth hearing; the recordings have been well engineered and the booklet is comprehensive.
” —John Quinn
“A previous release of music by Lydia Kakabadse was very impressive; this present release offers further thoughtful, imaginative music. Clare McCaldin’s rich mezzo is perfect. The choir is well schooled, with pure-toned sopranos and fine tuning from all concerned, while the harpist Cecily Beer is simply superb. The music here is cleverly constructed without wearing its sophistication on its sleeve; the musical language is everywhere approachable.
” —Colin Clarke
“Considerable learning as well as freshly accessible music. Odyssey dominates the set and could have stood alone. A fine addition to Kakabadse’s Divine Art catalogue.
” —Brian Morton
“Amazing… an impeccable production and a masterpiece of interpretation of the magnificent “Odyssey” for choir and harp. I urge you to look for this album and get it as soon as possible.
” —Thomas Tamvakos
“This is probably a must-have CD for anyone who is interested in / enjoys choral music. All in all, essential for anyone with an interest in the variations of the human voice, but enjoyable for anyone else.
” —Jeremy Condliffe
“The sources of the texts clearly show Kakabadse’s many interests… Indeed, Kakabadse’s wide-ranging interests are made even clearer in Odyssey, which is a cycle, and a fascinating one. Even listeners who are not steeped in Greek history will find much of the musical material intriguing, and the work as a whole does a very fine job of taking an audience through thousands of years of experience in not much more than half an hour.
” —Mark J. Estren
“Richly textured music reflects Lydia Kakabadse’s wide cultural heritage. ‘Odyssey’ [is] a stunning and ambitious choral work… an inspiring musical journey. Clare MacCaldin sings ten elegant and thoughtful songs with assurance and subtlety.
” —John Pitt
“Odyssey and some of the songs featured on this disc do look to the musical cultures of the countries that gather around the Mediterranean seaboard. Always melodic music [that] is thoroughly approachable.
” —Rob Barnett
