Amy Johnson - Portrait of an Artist (2020)
BAND/ARTIST: Amy Johnson
- Title: Amy Johnson - Portrait of an Artist
- Year Of Release: 2020
- Label: MSR Classics
- Genre: Classical
- Quality: flac lossless
- Total Time: 01:09:44
- Total Size: 314 mb
- WebSite: Album Preview
Tracklist
01. Die Walküre, Act I: "Du bist der Lenz"
02. Séance On A Wet Afternoon: "One Little Lie"
03. Kát’a Kabanová, Act I: Scene I
04. Sacco and Vanzetti: Luigia’s Prayer
05. Arabella, Act I: "Mein Elemer!"
06. Simón Bolívar, Act II, Scene 9: "Nada dura"
07. Thaïs, Act II: "Dis-moi que je suis belle"
08. Salome, Op.54: Final Scene
09. Elmer Gantry, Act I: Sharon’s Entrance
This album shows the many facets of soprano Amy Johnson, an artist not easily defined, and one who has chosen a less-traveled path. The concept for the album was suggested to Johnson by John Fiore, former chief conductor of Deutsche Oper am Rhein and Artistic Director of the Norwegian Opera in Oslo. Over lunch in Düsseldorf, the discussions centered on the old saying, “If you can’t hide it, feature it.” The idea emerged to indeed feature what cannot, and should not, be hidden – Amy Johnson’s great versatility and breadth of repertoire. Through the temperament of various operatic characters, Johnson and Maestro Fiore have put together an exceptionally varied program of selections from Johnson’s repertoire. In the simplest sense, the characters express passion (Arabella, Kát’a and Manuela), innocence (Sharon, Sieglinde and Luigia) and near to absolute perversion (Thaïs, Myra and poor Salome). In all, seven languages are represented in the arias presented here, three of which are heard in their first recording.
When a singer, through force of will and effort, manages to succeed in even a single musical genre, one marvels at the result. When that singer succeeds in a variety of styles, respect for them is elevated to an even higher level. For anyone raised in a monoglot country, the road to operatic proficiency can present additional hurdles. American popular culture arguably permeates contemporary world culture as no other single nation’s “art” ever has. Historically, the admiration Americans have had for their home-grown classically trained artists has been well earned, for the best of the lot are far more than generalists. Rather, they are diligent students of operatic performance that assay each role with intelligence and attention to detail. Examples abound, dating back to Lillian Nordica, Clarence Whitehill and Lawrence Tibbett, and include Dorothy Kirsten, Eleanor Steber, James King, Blanche Thebom, Robert Weede, Rosalind Elias, Norman Treigle and numerous others. These recordings also showcase Johnson’s great skill in imbuing her vocal performances with a strong theatrical sense. She portrays young women celebrating their sense of self in the roles of Sieglinde, Kát’a and Arabella; a courtesan struggling with self-doubt as Thaïs; a charismatic and passionate servant of God as Sharon; a desperate sister praying to save her condemned brother from an unjust fate as Luigia; an equally desperate fortune-teller concocting a career-saving yet mad scheme as Myra; a fiercely independent woman swept up in the tide of revolution as Manuela; and a disturbingly depraved teenager reveling in the fulfillment of what turns out to be her last wish as the ill-fated Salome.
It is worth noting Johnson’s strong personal connection to much of the repertoire on this recording, especially the works by the living composers. Specifically, Johnson – ever a champion of new repertoire – created the role of Manuela in Musgrave’s Simón Bolívar at the Virginia Opera in 1995. Vernon Hartman, the executive producer of this album, was involved in the original productions and workshops, respectively, of both Sacco and Vanzetti and Elmer Gantry. A series of serendipitous encounters led Broadway legend Stephen Schwartz to grant Johnson permission to record the Séance excerpt in advance of its world premiere. In addition, Kát’a Kabanová was one of the first operatic works that captured Johnson’s attention as a student at Grinnell College. In the wide-ranging program presented here, Amy Johnson employs her breadth and depth of talent to explore every facet of the human experience. [Gregory Thomas]
01. Die Walküre, Act I: "Du bist der Lenz"
02. Séance On A Wet Afternoon: "One Little Lie"
03. Kát’a Kabanová, Act I: Scene I
04. Sacco and Vanzetti: Luigia’s Prayer
05. Arabella, Act I: "Mein Elemer!"
06. Simón Bolívar, Act II, Scene 9: "Nada dura"
07. Thaïs, Act II: "Dis-moi que je suis belle"
08. Salome, Op.54: Final Scene
09. Elmer Gantry, Act I: Sharon’s Entrance
This album shows the many facets of soprano Amy Johnson, an artist not easily defined, and one who has chosen a less-traveled path. The concept for the album was suggested to Johnson by John Fiore, former chief conductor of Deutsche Oper am Rhein and Artistic Director of the Norwegian Opera in Oslo. Over lunch in Düsseldorf, the discussions centered on the old saying, “If you can’t hide it, feature it.” The idea emerged to indeed feature what cannot, and should not, be hidden – Amy Johnson’s great versatility and breadth of repertoire. Through the temperament of various operatic characters, Johnson and Maestro Fiore have put together an exceptionally varied program of selections from Johnson’s repertoire. In the simplest sense, the characters express passion (Arabella, Kát’a and Manuela), innocence (Sharon, Sieglinde and Luigia) and near to absolute perversion (Thaïs, Myra and poor Salome). In all, seven languages are represented in the arias presented here, three of which are heard in their first recording.
When a singer, through force of will and effort, manages to succeed in even a single musical genre, one marvels at the result. When that singer succeeds in a variety of styles, respect for them is elevated to an even higher level. For anyone raised in a monoglot country, the road to operatic proficiency can present additional hurdles. American popular culture arguably permeates contemporary world culture as no other single nation’s “art” ever has. Historically, the admiration Americans have had for their home-grown classically trained artists has been well earned, for the best of the lot are far more than generalists. Rather, they are diligent students of operatic performance that assay each role with intelligence and attention to detail. Examples abound, dating back to Lillian Nordica, Clarence Whitehill and Lawrence Tibbett, and include Dorothy Kirsten, Eleanor Steber, James King, Blanche Thebom, Robert Weede, Rosalind Elias, Norman Treigle and numerous others. These recordings also showcase Johnson’s great skill in imbuing her vocal performances with a strong theatrical sense. She portrays young women celebrating their sense of self in the roles of Sieglinde, Kát’a and Arabella; a courtesan struggling with self-doubt as Thaïs; a charismatic and passionate servant of God as Sharon; a desperate sister praying to save her condemned brother from an unjust fate as Luigia; an equally desperate fortune-teller concocting a career-saving yet mad scheme as Myra; a fiercely independent woman swept up in the tide of revolution as Manuela; and a disturbingly depraved teenager reveling in the fulfillment of what turns out to be her last wish as the ill-fated Salome.
It is worth noting Johnson’s strong personal connection to much of the repertoire on this recording, especially the works by the living composers. Specifically, Johnson – ever a champion of new repertoire – created the role of Manuela in Musgrave’s Simón Bolívar at the Virginia Opera in 1995. Vernon Hartman, the executive producer of this album, was involved in the original productions and workshops, respectively, of both Sacco and Vanzetti and Elmer Gantry. A series of serendipitous encounters led Broadway legend Stephen Schwartz to grant Johnson permission to record the Séance excerpt in advance of its world premiere. In addition, Kát’a Kabanová was one of the first operatic works that captured Johnson’s attention as a student at Grinnell College. In the wide-ranging program presented here, Amy Johnson employs her breadth and depth of talent to explore every facet of the human experience. [Gregory Thomas]
Year 2020 | Classical | FLAC / APE
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