This song trips so many of my triggers, with a vocal line that sounds like it could have been written by John Dowland, and an accompaniment that has some of the delicate twists, turns, and bizarre musical punctuation of Poulenc.
Read MoreThis is an absolutely gorgeous, albeit slightly tortured, love song from Argento’s choral cycle I Hate and I Love, based on poetry of Catullus.
Read MoreMeredith Monk is amazing, and the amount of concentration and virtuosity it must take for two singers to maintain the delicate balancing act of this piece seems super-human. High-wire act though it is, I find this song endlessly playful and fascinating.
Read MoreThe recent successful rescue of the soccer team from a cave in Thailand brought to mind the unsuccessful rescue attempt of Floyd Collins from a cave in the hills of Kentucky, and the gorgeous harmonies contained within Adam Guettel’s musical about him, his family, and the media circus that surrounded them. In this song, Floyd is trapped in Sand Cave, his foot painfully lodged in place by a stone. He is visited by his brother, Homer, who keeps vigil with him through the night.
Read MoreMy preferences change a lot, so only two things have earned from me the immutable stamp of “absolute favorite” over the years. My absolute favorite color: green. My absolute favorite art song: Poulenc’s “Montparnasse.”
Read MoreTo close out the week, here are the Beatles welcoming the summer sun in after the long, cold, lonely winter.
Read MoreThinking back on my years living in New York City, I remember how sweltering the summers could be. I’ll try to send NYFOS and NYC a Mediterranean breeze from my home in Barcelona, but in the meantime, here is Ms. Fitzgerald once again, telling us that it’s “Too Darn Hot.”
Read MoreWhile this song does not specifically mention summer, I think it beautifully captures the languid blissfulness of a warm summer evening spent in the best possible company. Here is Gérand Souzay to paint this beautiful picture for us “Au bord de l’eau.”
Read MoreTo continue with our celebration of summer, here is this Sondheim gem sung by Dawn Upshaw, warning us about the dangers of “The Girls of Summer.”
Read MoreI’m honored to be invited to contribute to NYFOS’s Song of the Day for a second time. As summer gets into full swing, this week I wanted to feature a few songs that celebrate the season. Here to start us off are the incomparable Louis and Ella with “Summertime.”
Read More