American Songs

The composition of art songs has played a part in the United States cultural history from the outset. The very first pieces of newly composed secular music to be published in the United States were art songs. These were the Seven Songs by Hopkinson a signatory of the Declaration of Independence in 1788. In the 1920s Copland set out to acquire an identifiable American sound and in 1950/52 he published two collections of Old American Songs. Niles had a brief career as an opera singer. He assumes a more self-effacing stance vis--vis the original songs of Copland or Heggie, whose settings fuse a distinctive personality with an absolute respect for the sources. Barber stood apart from his contemporaries, composing essentially conservative music that revelled in its European roots. One of the few notable composers to be trained to a professional level as a singer, he wrote melodies that are always gracious to the voice. Less well-known composers also made important contributions to the mid-century repertoire; John Duke, Lora Aborn & Charles Naginski. there is Samuel Barber, up there where he belongs with the very best that song has to offer. His two James Joyce settings are stunning. Antoine Palloc plays it here with an awareness and strength of purpose that mark out his contributions throughout the disc. Jennifer Larmore has chosen with care. It feels like a personal choice, sung with personal concern, this young woman from Atlanta, Georgia, seems to know where its coming from. (Gramophone, December 1997)