Purchase:
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)
-
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)
- 01 Odyssey – I. Archaic (6:56)
- 02 Odyssey – II. Classical (5:51)
- 03 Odyssey – III. Hellenistic (4:09)
- 04 Odyssey – IV. Roman (4:29)
- 05 Odyssey – V. Byzantine (4:49)
- 06 Odyssey – VI. Post-Byzantine (3:40)
- 07 Odyssey – VII. Modern (6:15)
- 08 The House Where I was Born (2:30)
- 09 As I Sat at the Café (3:01)
- 10 Haunted Houses (4:05)
- 11 Courage (1:58)
- 12 Recitativo Arioso (5:15)
- 13 I Remember (3:01)
- 14 The Ruined Maid (3:25)
- 15 A Vision (2:29)
- 16 The Way through the Woods (1:45)
- 17 Sancte Ioseph (4:01)