Description
Recorded in Samueli Theater at Segerstrom Center of the Arts
November 3rd, 2015
Side A:
I have walked along many roads
Last night, as I was sleeping
Clouds ripped open
Side B:
The wind, one brilliant day
Is my soul asleep?
Executive Producer: Doug Weaver
Recording Engineer: Bob Attiyeh
“Best of all is Times Alone, a song cycle based on five poems by the Spanish Writer Antonio Machado (1875-1939), as translated by Robert Bly. Matheson doesn’t merely “set” the texts — he seems to take ownership of them like a singer-songwriter. The concerto recording scales the solo instrument correctly and the orchestral sonority is luminous. Times Alone captures the impressive dynamic power of soprano Laura Strickling and massive, dimensional piano sound.”
Andrew Quint, The Absolute Sound
Yarlung Records –
Voices from the Heart
…it is the vocal work, Times Alone, that is most immediately striking. It is a setting, in English, of five surrealist poems from the 1907 collection calledSoledades, galerias y otros poemas by Antonio Machado (1875-1939). The emotional progression of the poems is handled particularly adeptly by [soprano] Laura Strickling and [pianist] Thomas Sauer: the first three poems are on the light, even playful side, but the last two become more thoughtful, serious and introspective, and the works’ imagery is well-reflected in Matheson’s nicely proportioned settings. Like the other works here, Times Alone was recorded live in performance….
…Matheson is a highly interesting composer whose work genuinely seeks to reach out to audiences, and this recording is as good an introduction to (or exploration of) the forms in which he works as anyone is likely to offer. It is also a particularly handsomely produced release, with a very extended booklet packed with information and fine color photos – not a reason in and of itself to own the CD, but a particularly nice bonus for purchasers.
–Mark Estren, Voices from the Heart, INFODAD
Yarlung Records –
Strickling impressed with her powerful and expressive voice across a large range, her variety of timbre and character, and playful demeanor embodying lighter moments of this song-cycle.
–Classical Scene.com
…her voice is beautiful in all parts of her register. I especially loved the plummy low notes.
–Harry Saltzman, New York Concert Review
Sauer is mindful of the emotional range, and he produces more color, catching the shifting moods….
–Lee Passarella, Audiophile Audition
Armed with one of the truest legatos I’ve ever heard on record….
–Phil Muse, Atlanta
Note: These four reviews refer to earlier performances by Laura Strickling and Thomas Sauer, not the concert on this album.