Soprano Joyce DiDonato’s recording projects are seldom conventional. Her last, “Hopes and Dreams: The Lullaby Project” featured original songs to texts by new mothers, some of whom were experiencing financial insecurity. Her newest, Songplay, goes back to her roots as a budding singer.  She rediscovered the arias that all young singers are taught, and then set aside. What makes these new are the jazz greats who join her, including pianist and collaborator Craig Terry. Joining them are Charlie Porter (trumpet), Chuck Israels (bass), and Jimmy Madison (drums). The result proves that the music, and the lyrics, lend themselves well to other styles.

British-born Nicholas McGegan has been directing San Francisco’s Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra since the 1980s (about the time that this interviewer started in radio), and has had many sweet successes during that time in bringing great Baroque works to audiences around the world.  One of the sweetest for McGegan happened just a few years ago, when he mounted a production of Jean-Philippe Rameau’s opera, Le Temple de la Gloire (The Temple of Glory).  What made this production remarkable, besides the exquisite performance, is that the original manuscript had been in UC Berkeley’s archives during the time that McGegan was busy with the Philharmonia.  The music is dazzling, and full of life, humor and emotion.  Maestro McGegan shares the story with program director John Pitman.

Any time that a pianist undertakes to record a complete set of anything in classical music, it’s bound to be an endeavor taking considerable time and effort.  Take on the 32 piano sonatas of Beethoven, plus all the other solo piano pieces by one of music’s giants, and I imagine that it must be daunting.  Enter Llŷr Williams, who has been lauded for his interpretations of the great man’s music, who took a different approach than the many who have come before:  rather than arrange them in published order, the Welsh-born pianist paired pieces together by their relative character, and how well they sound together.  As a programmer of a radio station, this is something I can relate to (although for me, the work of performing has already been done!).

Williams shares his experiences recording late into the night with a live audience in London’s Wigmore Hall, and insight into the composer, who as his deafness increased, retreated into his own world.  As a result, we received the gift of some of the most sublime music for piano ever written.

The great 20th century cellist, Pablo Casals, was the first in the world to record all six of Bach’s suites for unaccompanied cello.  This was in 1939.  Before this, people only considered the suites as study pieces.  Casals proved them wrong, and now the suites are among the most beloved works for the instrument of all time.

Amit Peled, an Israeli-born former basketball player (he’s 6’ 5”), now a Peabody professor who happened upon an opportunity only granted a handful of cellists:  Casals’ widow (Marta Casals Istomin) entrusted Peled with this instrument, for six years.  Peled’s recording is the first, since Casals, performing all six suites on the very instrument that brought this music to the world.

Early in her career, violinist Hilary Hahn took on music that many before her wouldn’t approach until they were a little older.  She chose three of the six unaccompanied violin works of J.S. Bach, a set regarded as the pinnacle of solo violin repertoire.  Now, 21 years later, Hahn returns to complete the set.  Naturally, her interpretation may sound different, but one constant remains:  Hilary Hahn is very much at home with these 6 pieces.  She shares more about it with All Classical Portland’s program director John Pitman.

We of the Pacific Northwest consider Morten Lauridsen “one of our own”, as his roots can be traced here. Lauridsen was born in Colfax, Washington, lived not far from Mount St. Helens as a boy, and was in the first graduating class of Beaverton High School. While Lauridsen has spent much of his time teaching at USC, he maintains a connection to the Pacific Northwest by composing on an island in Puget Sound, and visiting his home town from time to time to collaborate with local choral groups. Two recordings were released very close to one another: “Shadows on the Stars” with Oregon Repertory Singers and Ethan Sperry; and “Eternal Light”, with the Chamber Choir of Europe, directed by Nicol Matt. Mr. Lauridsen has high praise for both in his conversation with program director John Pitman, who interjects the chat with Lauridsen’s transformative music.

Light Eternal: The Choral Music of Morten Lauridsen
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