No Song is Safe From Us

No Song Is Safe From Us - The NYFOS Blog
 |  Amy Owens

Clarice Assad constantly surprises and delights me with her inventive audio-visual offerings. I discovered this music video and I absolutely love it! Check out her crazy vocal effects around 1:28 and appreciate all the vocal colors that feel like instruments layered throughout. I can’t put it any better way: she’s just cool.




 |  Amy Owens

Tonight’s American premiere of Roberto Sierra’s composition 33 Sueños will be quite an epic musical journey. I have also really enjoyed listening to some of his vocal music for soprano, so here is the cycle Décimas. It is lyrical and beautiful, playful and stylistic. I particularly enjoy the spirited Amanecer which begins at 2:09 and Agua Maldita which begins at 7:13. If you have time to listen to the whole cycle, it’s absolutely worth it.




 |  Amy Owens

Today, take a listen to some Persian music from Parisa and the Dastan Ensemble. Parisa is a Persian classical singer introduced to me by Daniel Sabzghabaei, whose piece we will hear in tomorrow’s concert. I am intrigued by the vocal style, especially “tahrir,” or what sounds like “breaking” of the voice. It is incredibly passionate and expressive, and the soaring vocals over the deeply rhythmic sounds of the ensemble are hypnotic. Enjoy!




 |  Amy Owens

I’m honored to be sharing songs with you this week, the week of the “Hyphenated Americans” concert at Merkin Hall! I have loved exploring the music of two of the composers featured on Wednesday’s program: Bright Sheng and Daniel Sabzghabaei. This is a chance to hear many different styles of music influenced from the hybrid experiences of the composers. I’m particularly struck by how the language affects the style and even my vocal approach to this music.




 |  Amy Owens

It’s a day for favorites: My favorite composer, Richard Strauss, my favorite song, “Ständchen”, and my favorite singer, Kathleen Battle. As soon as I declare a favorite, my mind immediately thinks of a dozen other “favorites,” but I don’t intend to be dishonest! You music lovers know what I mean. There are always many favorites.




 |  Amy Owens

For years, I have adored the Chants d’Auvergne, folk songs from the Auvergne region of France in the local language, Occitan. The collector and arranger of these landscape-inspired songs was Auvergne native Joseph Canteloube, who took more than thirty years (1924-1955) to complete his compilation.




 |  Amy Owens

“The singer recounts all the lovely memories of spending new year in Iran: the smell of the flowers, the excitement of people buying new clothes, the smell of gift wrap papers, the sound of grandma’s prayers, etc. Then he repeats (chorus): With these memories I am able to get through the winter. With these thoughts I can comfort my tired mind and body.”




 |  Amy Owens

I am grateful and excited to contribute to this week’s Song of the Day, which gives us something beautiful to ponder about in the midst of chaos. Today, I have chosen a song by the great Leonard Bernstein: “Silhouette,” or “Galilee.”