An American Collage
D' Anna Fortunato (mezzo-soprano), Genevieve Feiwen Lee (piano), David Cover (organ), Bucknell University Rooke Chapel Choir, William Payn (conductor)
This collection of music for solo voice and chorus includes compositions by American composers Aaron Copland, John Duke, Jackson Hill, Richard Hundley, William Duckworth, Rudolph Palmer and Lee Hoiby. Several of the works were written expressly for D'Anna Fortunato (the mezzo-soprano soloist) and the Rooke Chapel Choir. Since her debut in 1971 with the Boston Symphony Orchestra, Fortunato has appeared as soloist with the New York Philharmonic, the orchestras of Cleveland and Louisville, and the Detroit, Pittsburgh, Atlanta, Houston, Dallas, and Minnesota symphonies. Ms. Fortunato has been featured in leading operatic roles with the New York City, Glimmerglass, Kentucky and Connecticut operas, as well as the Opera Company of Boston, Monadnock Festival, and Rochester Opera Theater. Andrew Porter of The New Yorker called her a "Handelian of crisp accomplishment," and Leighton Kerner of The Village Voice proclaimed her a "mezzo-soprano of profound musicality and technical aplomb." She has recorded on the Harmonia Mundi, Nonesuch, MusicMasters and Vox labels. Her album of songs by Amy Beach was voted "Best Record of the Year" by the New York Times, the Boston Globe, and New York Magazine. The Rooke Chapel Choir of Bucknell University, under the direction of William Payn, has gained international recognition for its creative interpretations of some of the most significant twentieth-century American sacred repertory.
Track Listing
| Title | Composer | Performer |
|---|---|---|
| In the Beginning | Aaron Copland | Rooke Chapel Choir, William Payn, conductor, Genevieve Lee, piano, David Cover, organ, D'Anna Fortunato, mezzo |
| Southern Harmony | William Duckworth | Rooke Chapel Choir, William Payn, conductor, Genevieve Lee, piano, David Cover, organ, D'Anna Fortunato, mezzo |
| Survivor | John Duke | Rooke Chapel Choir, William Payn, conductor, Genevieve Lee, piano, David Cover, organ, D'Anna Fortunato, mezzo |
| In the Fields | John Duke | Rooke Chapel Choir, William Payn, conductor, Genevieve Lee, piano, David Cover, organ, D'Anna Fortunato, mezzo |
| Acquainted with the Night | John Duke | Rooke Chapel Choir, William Payn, conductor, Genevieve Lee, piano, David Cover, organ, D'Anna Fortunato, mezzo |
| To the Thawing Wind | John Duke | Rooke Chapel Choir, William Payn, conductor, Genevieve Lee, piano, David Cover, organ, D'Anna Fortunato, mezzo |
| Love is Life | Jackson Hill | Rooke Chapel Choir, William Payn, conductor, Genevieve Lee, piano, David Cover, organ, D'Anna Fortunato, mezzo |
| A Sweet and Triune Harmony | Jackson Hill | Rooke Chapel Choir, William Payn, conductor, Genevieve Lee, piano, David Cover, organ, D'Anna Fortunato, mezzo |
| Beginning My Studies | Lee Hoiby | Rooke Chapel Choir, William Payn, conductor, Genevieve Lee, piano, David Cover, organ, D'Anna Fortunato, mezzo |
| The Shepherd | Lee Hoiby | Rooke Chapel Choir, William Payn, conductor, Genevieve Lee, piano, David Cover, organ, D'Anna Fortunato, mezzo |
| Lady of the Harbor | Lee Hoiby | Rooke Chapel Choir, William Payn, conductor, Genevieve Lee, piano, David Cover, organ, D'Anna Fortunato, mezzo |
| Let this Mind Be in You | Lee Hoiby | Rooke Chapel Choir, William Payn, conductor, Genevieve Lee, piano, David Cover, organ, D'Anna Fortunato, mezzo |
| Isaac Greentree | Richard Hundley | Rooke Chapel Choir, William Payn, conductor, Genevieve Lee, piano, David Cover, organ, D'Anna Fortunato, mezzo |
| The Astronomers | Richard Hundley | Rooke Chapel Choir, William Payn, conductor, Genevieve Lee, piano, David Cover, organ, D'Anna Fortunato, mezzo |
| Waterbird | Richard Hundley | Rooke Chapel Choir, William Payn, conductor, Genevieve Lee, piano, David Cover, organ, D'Anna Fortunato, mezzo |
| O Magnum Mysterium | Rudolph Palmer | Rooke Chapel Choir, William Payn, conductor, Genevieve Lee, piano, David Cover, organ, D'Anna Fortunato, mezzo |
Reviews
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"The art songs and choral works contained in this "collage"aren't marquee attractions by any means, but many of them deserve to be. And these performances by a world-class mezzo and the choir from her Alma Mater are good enough to make one wonder why everyone isn't lining up to sing (and buy anthologies of) songs like these that are so tonal, so lyrical, and sit so beautifully in the voice."
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