Song Cycles and Piano Music by Gwyneth Walker
Michelle Areyzaga, soprano; Jamie Shaak, piano
Though Love be a Day
songs on poems by e.e. cummings & Gwyneth Walker
1. thy fingers make early flowers
2. lily has a rose
3. after All White Horses Are In Bed
4. maggie and milly and molly and may
5. Still
6. Rhythms of the North Country- piano solo
Mornings Innocent
songs on poems by May Swenson
7. Women Should Be Pedestals
8. Mornings Innocent
9. In Autumn
10. I Will Be Earth
11. Semplice- piano solo
The Sun is Love
songs based on poems by Jelaluddin Rumi, translated by Coleman Barks
12. Circling the Sun
13. Quietness
14. Flirtation
15. The Sunrise Ruby
16. Dualities
17. A Waterbird (Flying Into The Sun)
2005 ~ Proteus 0015
CRITICS SAY…
“Soprano Michelle Areyzaga and pianist Jamie Shaak deliver performances of stunning beauty, clarity, and eloquence. Ms. Areyzaga’s voice has a luminous radiance from top to bottom, and she deploys that sound with elegant ease in even the most taxing of these songs. Beyond the exquisite sound she produces, the soprano also has a limitless palette of emotional and expressive colors and inflections from which she draws. One seldom encounters singing that is this richly communicative yet so unfailingly lovely. ”
—Gregory Berg – NATS: The Listener’s Gallery
“Sunny Days for the Aurora Soprano… Winter nights are a perfect setting for listening to these intimate songs and Areyzaga has just the right kind of songstress voice to communicate the magic of each offering. The poetry is as pleasing as the music. “I would love to kiss you. The price of kissing is your life.”
—Jim Edwards – Sun-Times News Group
“This album’s appeal owes much to the singing of Michelle Areyzaga, who has a sweet, unaffected voice and meticulous diction just right for these appealing tunes.”
—Sullivan – American Record Guide
“5 stars—Genuine honesty: This is an outstanding CD. Ms. Areyzaga’s vocal technique is flawless. She creates a sonic world that transports the listener. Her phrases intend to illuminate the music, and she uses the sheer beauty of her voice not to glorify herself but to express.”
—4cdmusic.com
“5 stars! Enriching and delightful! I find myself continually listening to this CD, it has such grace and richness. The voice of Michelle Areyzaga has crystal clarity and she is a gorgeous soprano. Both Ms. Shaak and Areyzaga have terrific synergy which comes through on this album. If you want something that is soothing and interesting I highly recommend purchasing this album!! ”
—4cdmusic.com
“Ms. Areyzaga’s voice floats above the piano, weaving in and out of songs and poems, always drawing the listener in. Ms. Shaak’s piano accompaniment is superbly rendered — there when needed, yet still a part of the proceedings when allowing the singer space.”
—John Crossett – soundstage.com
“This recording is a labor of love, as these two peerless artists team up to introduce a wider audience to the music of one of America’s most gifted composers.”
—Proteusentertainment.com