Description
Stranger is the world-premiere recording of Nico Muhlys song cycle commissioned by Grammy-nominated tenor Nicholas Phan. It compliments Nicos other works for tenor – Lorne Ys My Liking and Impossible Things with a roll call of collaborators string quartet Brooklyn Rider countertenor Reginald Mobley pianist Lisa Kaplan and Brooklyn-based orchestral collective The Knights led by brothers Colin and Eric Jacobsen. pTwice Grammy-nominated tenor Nicholas Phan is one of the worlds most remarkable singers (Boston Globe). Nico Muhly is one of todays most sought-after composers. Nick and Nicos collaboration began with a commission when Nick curated a series for the Philadelphia Chamber Music Society in 2020. The resulting song cycle Stranger finds common ground in the musicians reflections on identity and immigration themes that resonate as much today as they have through the centuries. This world-premiere recording of Stranger compliments Nicos Lorne Ys My Liking a setting of the 19th Chester Mystery Play and Impossible Things a triptych of poems by the Greek poet C.P. Cavafy. Nick has recorded with a roll call of collaborators the adventurous string quartet Brooklyn Rider shimmering countertenor Reginald Mobley bold pianist Lisa Kaplan and transformative Brooklyn-based collective The Knights led by brothers Colin and Eric Jacobsen. pNico Muhly born in 1981 is an American composer who writes orchestral music works for the stage chamber music and sacred music. Hes received commissions from The Metropolitan Opera Two Boys (2011) and Marnie (2018) Carnegie Hall the Los Angeles Philharmonic the Philadelphia Orchestra the San Francisco Symphony Wigmore Hall the Tallis Scholars Kings College and St Johns College Cambridge among others. He is a collaborative partner at the San Francisco Symphony and has been featured at the Barbican and the Philharmonie de Paris as composer performer and curator. An avid collaborator he has worked with choreographers Benjamin Millepied at the Paris Opra Ballet Bobbi Jene Smith at the Juilliard School Justin Peck and Kyle Abraham at New York City Ballet artists Sufjan Stevens The National Teitur Anohni James Blake and Paul Simon. His work for film includes scores for for The Reader (2008) and Kill Your Darlings (2013) and the BBC adaptation of Howards End (2017). Among his concerti are works for violin (Shrink for Pekka Kuusisto) organ (Register for James McVinnie) viola (Nadia Sirota) two pianos (In Certain Circles for Katia and Marielle Labeque) and his vocal collaborators include Iestyn Davies Rene Fleming and Nicholas Phan. He has collaborated with visual artists Maira Kalman and Oliver Beer and has created site-specific pieces for the National Gallery London and the Art Institute of Chicago and written articles for the Guardian the New York Times and the London Review of Books. Recordings of his works have been released by Decca and Nonesuch and he is part of the artist-run record label Bedroom Community which released his first two albums Speaks Volumes (2006) and Mothertongue (2008). p Critical Acclaim pthe wordless but emotive violin (played by Colin Jacobsen) expresses the unspoken feelings and desires in Cavafys poetry deepening the meaning of the works and the impact of Phans entrancing and enigmatic performance. Opera News Critics Choice October 2022 phis [Muhly] Brittenish writing for piano and voice is suffused with warmth and bleakness. The clarity of Phans singing and on Lorne ys my Likinge that of the countertenor Reginald Mobley gives the texts emotional force The Sunday Times pCritical Acclaim for Nicholas Phanbr This personal and deeply-felt album from star tenor Nicholas Phan offers a powerful exploration of what national identity might mean.br Phan on splendidly expressive form is well matched by violinist Colin Jackson and chamber collective The Knights. – BBC Music Magazine Performance 4 STARS Recording 4 STARS p Its hard to imagine these Boulanger songs could have more convincing advocacy. The Guardian (on Clairires AV2414)br one of the most beautiful young lyric voices around Opera Newsbr Phans singing is both sultry and refined WQXR-NYC (on Illuminations AV2382)br Phans sheer sensitivity is a delight. An absorbing disc and an ideal introduction to the joys of lieder. TheArtsDesk.com (on Gods Monsters AV2368)
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