Search - Osvaldo Golijov, Dawn Upshaw, Luciano Berio :: Osvaldo Golijov: Ayre

Creative Magic Courtesy Golijov, Berio, Upshaw and Andalucia

Grady Harp | Los Angeles, CA United States | 09/28/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"In what must be the most intriguing and creative recording yet this year, AYRE, a work for soprano and instrumentalists by Osvaldo Golijov, is a winner. Dawn Upshaw and a fascinating instrumental group called the Andalucian Dogs perform this amalgam of musical ideas of Christian, Arab, and Sephardic Jewish cultures in Spain with traditional instruments, tribal, Klezmer, jazz, and unclassifiable types of compositions by the ever creative Golijov. The work is peppery, moody, lusty and a total joy to hear.



Translations of some of the titles of the individual songs include 'A mother roasted her child', 'Until you return', 'My eyes weep', 'Be a string, water, to my guitar', 'Ariadne in her labyrinth' and the breathtaking 'Oh where shall I find you' in which Upshaw offers otherworldly primal chanting, speaking, and singing. Golijov writes vividly for the harp, percussion, strings and wind instruments, weaving the voice as not only a communicator of the poetry but as an integral part of the instrumental sound. This is an extraordinary composition and one that Dawn Upshaw (this time with the eighth blackbird ensemble) will tour the country. If you are near a performance, don't miss it. Meanwhile the recording is so superb that it seems bound for Grammy awards.



Rounding out this CD are the Folksongs by Luciano Berio (written for his wife Cathy Berberian who also recorded them) as sung by the incredibly gifted Dawn Upshaw. The songs (ten in number) are from the US, France, Italy, Sardinia, Auvergne - France, Sicily, Armenia, and Azerbaijan. And yes, Upshaw sings each in native tongue! The settings are minimally orchestrated for maximum effect and the performances are gently magnificent. This is a CD that deserves the attention of all types of music lovers. And it serves even more notice of the genius that is Osvaldo Golijov. Highly Recommended! Grady Harp, September 05"

Amazing! Simply Amazing!

Steven J. Bissell | Denver, CO USA | 10/26/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"For the past few years I have traveled across the country several times in order to hear Dawn Upshaw perform. I own some of her recordings dating back a few years and they remain among my favorites. However on this recording Ms Upshaw goes far beyond my expectations. I saw her perform `The Rake's Progress' at the Metropolitan Opera in New York, and I saw her perform this summer at Santa Fe Opera in the first theatrical staging of `Aindamar' by Osvaldo Golijov and librettist David Henry Hwang. I saw her a couple of years ago in `L'Amour de Loin' by Kaija Saariaho, also in Santa Fe. While these performances were outstanding, in fact `L'Amour de Loin' was spectacular; they pale next to this recording.



This CD consists of two sets of songs, the first are songs from Andalusia, with emphasis on the Arab and Jewish traditions. The second are `folk songs' of various traditions, from the USA to Europe and central Asia. There are also narrations, background sounds, and Ms Upshaw's spoken voice.



I'm not sure what I expected, but I have been listening to this CD almost daily since I got it. It is haunting and uplifting and just plain fun to listen to. While I am obviously a fan of Ms Upshaw, I think this recording lifts her to a whole new level among American singers. It would be impossible to classify her at this point. Some of the songs on this CD made me pause; I wanted to make some of my young friends who are fascinated with `hip hop' and `rap' and make them listen to this and then say, "See? This is what music is supposed to sound like!"



By the way, `L'Amour de Loin' is available of DVD but I have not seen it. If it compares to the Peter Sellers production in Santa Fe, I'd say buy it! I can only hope a CD comes out soon.

"

Exotic cultural crossover at its most tuneful

Santa Fe Listener | Santa Fe, NM USA | 10/31/2005

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Oswaldo Golijov wrote his 2004 song cycle, Ayre, as a mirror of the Berio song cycle, Folk Songs, from 1964. Both are easy listening in a somewhat updated modernist vein. Dawn Upshaw sings in at least seven languages, inclduing the lost language of Sephardic Jews from southern Spain. Golijov asks her to imitate the melismatic style of Arab vocalism, but with many twists and turns into other styles, Christian and Jewish. His cycle is the more adventurous in form, gliding seamlessly from spoken word to song, sometimes wordless vocalise, sometimes set to modern or ancient poetry. The texts are very obscure, and a listener can easily ignore the words and enjoy Ayre as a tour de force of pure singing centered on gorgeous, exotically perfumed melody.



The infectious Berio cycle is more conventional, in that one song follows another with a clear separation and mostly easy tunes. Some of the songs are as familiar as "Black is the color of my true love's hair" and "I wonder as I wander," and for these Berio has devised clever, engaging chamber accompaniments, atlthough these often wander independently of the tune. Things get wilder with items like the yowled Sicilian ballad, "Femminisca," with its clanging percussive accompaniment. Upshaw is asked to adapt her voice to conflicting vocal styles here, too.



I won't go so far as to call it dated, but the Berio is less coherent and stylistically unified than the Golijov cycle. Its diverse singing styles are a savory mish-mash, while Ayre, which is firmly centered in Spanish medieval folk singing, feels more satisfying as it rises and falls in mood.



Overall, this CD is tuneful and simple enough that it could catch on as pop or world music. Golijo clearly has found a niche for himself, and his talent at vocal settings and exotic atmosphere is driving his fast-rising career qquite successfully."