Bonds, Margaret

Soulscapes: Piano Music by African American Women
Average customer rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • Brava!
  • Piano Music by African American Women
 Soulscapes: Piano Music by African American Women

Manufacturer: Albany Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Chamber MusicChamber Music | Forms & Genres | Classical (c.1770-1830) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music
GeneralGeneral | Keyboard | Instruments | Classical | Styles | Music
GeneralGeneral | Classical | Styles | Music
GeneralGeneral | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music
Similar Items:
  1. From Spirituals to Symphonies: African-American Women Composers and Their Music
  2. Senku - Piano Music by Composers of African Descent
  3. Kaleidoscope: Music by African-American Women

ASIN: B000GW8RLQ
Release Date: 2006-08-22

Customer Reviews:

5 out of 5 stars Brava!.......2007-02-04

Soulscapes is a valuable and enjoyable contribution to the ever-growing body of recorded music of African American composers. Pianist Maria Corley presents a range of musical styles, including L. Viola Kinney's prize-winning, charmingly sentimental "Mother's Sacrifice" (her only extant composition), Valerie Capers' tribute "Portraits in Jazz," and Florence Price's wonderful "Sonata in E Minor" which won First Prize in the 1932 Rodman Wanamaker music contest.

My personal favorite is Margaret Bonds' "Troubled Water," which I feel is one of the best examples of a spirtual-inspired concert piece out there. It captures and enhances the meaning of the spiritual without gilding it beyond recognition, as too often happens. I compared Corley's subtle interpretation with Helen Walker-Hill's more dynamic performance on "Kaleidoscope: Music by African-American Women" (Leonarda Productions, 1995) and decided: I enjoy them both for different reasons. But mostly I'm delighted to know we've reached a point where works by African American composers are receiving more than one "take." Brava!

4 out of 5 stars Piano Music by African American Women.......2006-09-10

The preparation by pianist Maria Corley for this CD must have taken months of hard work. The music played here is by African American women composers who are virtually forgotten today and surely scores for some of these pieces would be hard to come by. So, a fair degree of musicological research was required. Corley has put together an altogether charming collection of works that span the twentieth century, from L. Viola Kinney's sentimental 'A Mother's Sacrifice' of 1909 to Zenobia Powell Perry's 1990 'Homage (to William Levi Dawson)'. (Dawson was an important African American composer whose 'Negro Folk Symphony' is still occasionally heard.) Along the way we also hear music by Valerie Capers, Dorothy Rudd Moore, Undine Smith Moore, Florence Price and Margaret Bonds.

Kinney's 'A Mother's Sacrifice' is her only extant composition. It is naively charming and more than a little sentimental. There are some awkward passages -- she gets caught up in a circle of fifths that threatens to go off the rails -- but this is counterbalanced by lovely melodies and some rhythmic interest. Dorothy Rudd Moore was a student of Nadia Boulanger; her 'A Little Whimsy' is a lightweight piece that she says she wrote in response to complaints that her music was 'too serious.' Undine Smith Moore's 'Before I'd Be a Slave', commissioned by a dance troupe, is marked by angry dissonances and ultimate triumph. Perry's 'Homage (to William Levi Dawson)', written for that composer's 90th birthday, is based on one of his favorite spirituals, 'I Been 'Buked.' Images of the Alvin Ailey's choreography to the same melody come flooding into one's mind at this music. Bonds's 'Trouble Water' is also based on a melody used to great effect by the Ailey Dance Theater: 'Wading in the Water.' Her treatment is basically a jazz-tinged set of variations and is possibly the most virtuosic of the pieces here.

For me the two pieces that stand out most are Florence Price's 'Sonata in E Minor' (1932) and Capers's 'Portraits in Jazz.' The former is a three-movement work that has reminiscences of Edward MacDowell wedded to early jazz inflections. Capers's suite contains twelve characteristic pieces written expertly (and in some cases with tongue in cheek) in various jazz styles (e.g., Ella Fitzgerald scatting, Miles Davis, Jelly Roll Morton [one of the best imitations of that master I've ever heard], Louis Armstrong, Thelonious Monk, John Coltrane). Capers, blind since age six, and a piano graduate of Juilliard had a long and distinguished career as a professor of music, but she was also a performing pianist who composed extensively. Of the composers heard here she is the one I'd like most to hear more from.

Pianist Maria Corley has fine technique, a lovely touch and a musicality that makes the best possible case for these works. In truth, none of these pieces is a deathless masterpiece but they do demonstrate that African American women have been composing right along and doing right well at it.

Scott Morrison
Senku - Piano Music by Composers of African Descent
Average customer rating: 5 out of 5 stars
  • An impressive collection, stunningly performed
  • Colorful, Creative, Brilliant!!!
 Senku - Piano Music by Composers of African Descent

Manufacturer: MSR Classics
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Chamber MusicChamber Music | Forms & Genres | Classical (c.1770-1830) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music
GeneralGeneral | Keyboard | Instruments | Classical | Styles | Music
GeneralGeneral | Classical | Styles | Music
GeneralGeneral | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music
CompilationsCompilations | Classical | Styles | Music
ClassicalClassical | Indie Music | Stores | Music
Similar Items:
  1. Coleridge-Taylor: Perkinson - A Celebration
  2. Soulscapes: Piano Music by African American Women
  3. William Grant Still: Afro-American Symphony; In Memoriam; Africa (Symphonic Poem)

ASIN: B0000WZY5O
Release Date: 2003-10-21

Tracks:

  1. Ukom
  2. Lulu
  3. Egwu Amala
  4. No.1
  5. No.2
  6. No.3
  7. Scherzo
  8. Deep River
  9. Troubled Water
  10. Variations on an Egyptian Folksong
  11. Prelude: Night
  12. His Song
  13. Honey: Humoresque
  14. Barcarolle: Morning
  15. Dance: Juba
  16. Earthbeats, Op.22

Album Description

William H. Chapman Nyaho, a Ghanaian American, was schooled in Ghana, and later received degrees from St. Peter's College, Oxford University, Eastman School of Music and the University of Texas at Austin. He also studied at the Conservatoire de Musique de Genève. Following a four-year residency as a North Carolina Visiting Artist, Chapman Nyaho taught at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette. He was the recipient of the 1998 University of Southwestern Louisiana Distinguished Professor Award and the 1998 Acadiana Arts Council Distinguished Artist Award, and held the Heymann Endowed Professorship.

Chapman Nyaho's performing experience includes recitals in Africa, Europe, North America and the Caribbean. He has performed as soloist with orchestras across the southern United States. Among his engagements, which include performing chamber music, Nyaho performs regularly as duo pianist with the Nyaho/Garcia Duo which has released a compact disc titled "Aaron Copland: Music For Two Pianos". Chapman Nyaho has been featured on radio and television broadcasts in Ghana, Switzerland, and National Public Radio in the USA. He developed and hosted The Bach Show for the classical radio station KRVS in Louisiana.

Chapman Nyaho is presently an independent scholar, teacher and concert pianist residing in the Pacific Northwest of the USA. He is a regular guest clinician at colleges and universities, giving lecture-recitals and holding workshops advocating music by composers of the African Diaspora. He also serves as adjudicator for national and international piano competitions.

Customer Reviews:

5 out of 5 stars An impressive collection, stunningly performed.......2004-04-07

Since others have addressed Nyaho's stunning performances, I'd like to address the collection itself. These are not merely works by composers who happen to be of African descent; they are inspired and informed by ethnic influences. Joshua Uzoigwe's (Nigeria) "Talking Drums" juxtaposes the rhythmic and melodic characteristics found in African master drumming on the Ukom, Iyalu and small slit-drums, and are based on the Ukom scale and harmonic system. Coleridge-Taylor Perkinson's (USA) "Scherzo" is inspired by Chopin, blues and jazz. Gamal Abdel-Rahim's (Egypt) "Variations on an Egyptian Folksong" is compelling and intricate.

But don't get me wrong...these are not intellectual exercises in nationalism. Each piece stands on its own musically, and the variety here makes this a compelling and wonderful CD from start to finish.

5 out of 5 stars Colorful, Creative, Brilliant!!!.......2003-12-03

Every now and then a recording comes along that is as important as it is unique.

This is such a recording.

I approached this CD with a desire to explore a back road of art music, in the hopes that I might find a hidden gem of inspiration, or even a piece to perform myself (I am also a pianist). What I found instead was a superhighway of talent and creativity that has somehow remained overlooked by the "mainstream" art music world.

Pianist Nyaho Chapman presents us with an astonishing variety of compositions, ranging from the more conservative "In The Bottoms Suite" of Robert Nathaniel Dett or Margaret Bond's Troubled Water, to the more abstract "Talking Drums" of Joshua Uzoigwe or Earthbeats of Gyimah Labi. Mr. Chapman's performance of Coleridge-Taylor Perkinson's Scherzo surely proves him as one of the more brilliant pianists on the circuit. The piece is as relentless as it is physically demanding. And, like the other works on this disk, it is recorded with clarity and precision.

I highly recommend this CD to anyone wishing to enrich their musical life.
The Negro Speaks of Rivers: Art Songs by African-American Composers
Average customer rating: 5 out of 5 stars
  • Rich and moving
 The Negro Speaks of Rivers: Art Songs by African-American Composers
Cecil Cohen , Undine Smith Moore , Robert Owens , Coleridge Taylor Perkinson , Florence B. Price , Howard Swanson , George Walker , John W. II Work , and David Korevaar
Manufacturer: Msr Classics
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

All Works by WalkerAll Works by Walker | Walker, George | ( W ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music
Chamber MusicChamber Music | Forms & Genres | Modern, 20th, & 21st Century | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music
Vocal & SongVocal & Song | Modern, 20th, & 21st Century | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music
GeneralGeneral | Classical | Styles | Music
GeneralGeneral | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music
Modern & 20th CenturyModern & 20th Century | Historical Periods | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music
Similar Items:
  1. You Can Tell the World: Songs by African-American Women Composers
  2. Dreamer: A Portrait of Langston Hughes

ASIN: B00000243D
Release Date: 2000-01-25

Customer Reviews:

5 out of 5 stars Rich and moving.......2001-02-18

Amaize's selection of art songs covers a wide range of poets, among them Sappho, Langston Hughes, Paul Laurence Dunbar, and Robert Burns. Whatever he's singing, you know it comes from someplace very deep in his soul. A wonderful CD.
You Can Tell the World: Songs by African-American Women Composers
Average customer rating: 5 out of 5 stars
  • Prima donna absoluta
  • Wow! What a voice.
 You Can Tell the World: Songs by African-American Women Composers

Manufacturer: Senrab Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

ClassicalClassical | Indie Music | Stores | Music
GeneralGeneral | Classical | Styles | Music
Similar Items:
  1. The Negro Speaks of Rivers: Art Songs by African-American Composers
  2. Dreamer: A Portrait of Langston Hughes
  3. Ah! Love, But A Day

ASIN: B00005UO0O
Release Date: 2001-12-06

Tracks:

  1. Wait Till I Put on My Crown
  2. An April Day
  3. Out of the South Blew a Wind
  4. How Beautfiul Are the Feet
  5. Songs to the Dark Virgin
  6. Kid Stuff
  7. Drizzle
  8. Theology
  9. Love and Know Not Why
  10. The Rainy Day
  11. Wade
  12. By the Sea
  13. My Love
  14. Minstrel Man
  15. Dream Variation
  16. I, Too
  17. Guide My Feet
  18. You Can Tell the World
  19. A Lullaby for You

Customer Reviews:

5 out of 5 stars Prima donna absoluta.......2002-01-17

With a voice like this, the sky is the limit. Such rare talent is not present in today's classical music scene. Ms. Barnes range is impressive, and the emotion she displays is reminiscent of Callas. She is certainly singing her way to New York and the greatest concert stages of the world. I can tell the world that this CD is a monumental achievement for a debut effort. Highy recommended. Enjoy.

5 out of 5 stars Wow! What a voice........2001-12-20

After reviewing this CD, I see now why Sebronette Barnes is highly sought after for concerts worldwide. She has mastered the art of articulation and seems to blend melodiously with the accompanist on various selections. My favorites are tracks 1,8,6,12, &17. You get more than what you're paying for with this CD.
Kaleidoscope: Music by African-American Women
Average customer rating: Not rated
    		Kaleidoscope: Music by African-American Women
    Lena Johnson McLin , Dorothy Rudd Moore , Undine Smith Moore , Julia Perry , Irene Britton Smith , Dolores White , Gregory Walker , and Helen Walker-Hill
    Manufacturer: Leonarda Productions
    ProductGroup: Music
    Binding: Audio CD

    PreludesPreludes | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music
    GeneralGeneral | Keyboard | Instruments | Classical | Styles | Music
    ViolinViolin | Strings | Instruments | Classical | Styles | Music
    GeneralGeneral | Classical | Styles | Music
    GeneralGeneral | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music
    ClassicalClassical | Indie Music | Stores | Music
    Similar Items:
    1. African Heritage Symphonic Series III
    2. Soulscapes: Piano Music by African American Women
    3. From Spirituals to Symphonies: African-American Women Composers and Their Music
    4. African Heritage Symphonic Series, Vol. 1

    ASIN: B000004AF2
    Release Date: 1997-11-25

    Tracks:

    1. Sonata for Violin and Piano: Allegro cantabile (Irene Britton Smith)
    2. Sonata for Violin and Piano: Andante (I. B. Smith)
    3. Sonata for Violin and Piano: Vivace (I. B. Smith)
    4. Three Pieces for Violin and Piano: Vignette (Dorothy Rudd Moore)
    5. Three Pieces for Violin and Piano: Episode (Rudd Moore)
    6. Three Pieces for Violin and Piano: Caprice (Rudd Moore)
    7. Prelude for Piano (Julia Perry)
    8. Spring Intermezzo [from Four Seasonal Sketches for piano] (Betty Jackson King)
    9. Troubled Water for piano (Margaret Bonds)
    10. Pulsations for solo violin: Gracefully (Lettie Beckon Alston)
    11. Pulsations for solo violin: Fast and Rhythmical (Alston)
    12. Pulsations for solo violin: Sow with much expression (Alston)
    13. Before I'd be a Slave for piano (Undine Smith Moore)
    14. Moderato [from Five Interludes for piano] (Eubanks)
    15. Larghetto [from Five Interludes for piano] (Eubanks)
    16. Cool-Trane [from Portraits in Jazz for piano] (Valerie Capers)
    17. Billie's Song [from Portraits in Jazz for piano] (Capers)
    18. A Summer Day for piano (Lena McLin)
    19. Etude No. 2 [from Two Piano Etudes] (Regina Baiocchi)
    20. Blues Dialogues for solo violin: Blues feeling (Dolores White)
    21. Blues Dialogues for solo violin: Expressive
    22. Blues Dialogues for solo violi: Fast and funky (White)
    23. Negro Dance, Op. 25 No. 1 for piano (Nora Douglas Holt)
    24. Fantasie Negro for piano (Florence Price)

    Album Description

    Music by African-American Women. Total Time 72:27. Unabridged bios in 12-page CD booklet. Violinist/composer Gregory Walker holds degrees in Music and English from Indiana University, Computer Music from the University of California at San Diego, and Composition from Mills College. He completed his doctorate in composition at the University of Colorado at Boulder. Dr. Walker is Assistant Professor and Director of Ensembles at the University of Colorado at Denver and concertmaster of the Boulder Philharmonic.

    Helen Walker-Hill, pianist, holds degrees from the University of Colorado, Smith College, and the École Normale de Musique in Paris, where she studied as a Fulbright scholar with Nadia Boulanger. Formerly on the piano faculty of the University of Colorado at Boulder, Dr. Walker-Hill has also served as a visiting faculty member. She has been a member of the Walker Duo with her son, Gregory Walker, since 1983 and has been engaged in research and performance of music by black women since 1987.

    Irene Britton Smith earned degrees from the American Conservatory and DePaul University and also attended Juilliard, Eastman, and the Conservatory in Fontainebleau. She taught elementary school in Chicago for 40 years while continuing to compose.

    Dorothy Rudd Moore graduated from Howard University and continued studies with Nadia Boulanger. She taught at the Harlem School of the Arts, New York University, and Bronx Community College.

    Recording, mastering, graphic design: Marnie Hall. Recorded in Marshall Auditorium at Haverford College, 1993 and 1994. DDD. This recording was supported in part by public funds from The National Endowment for the Arts and The New York State Council on the Arts, a state agency. Additional funding provided by The Aaron Copland Fund for Music and The University of Colorado at Denver. Cover Painting, "Sengalese Woman" © Malkia Roberts, 1972. © Leonarda Productions, Inc., 1995. All rights reserved
    Ain't A That Good News: African-American Art Songs and Spirituals
    Average customer rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    • Wonderful Music
    • A work to be purchased and savored!
    		 Ain't A That Good News: African-American Art Songs and Spirituals

    ProductGroup: Music
    Binding: Audio CD

    ClassicalClassical | Indie Music | Stores | Music
    GeneralGeneral | Classical | Styles | Music
    ASIN: B00005BITQ
    Release Date: 1998-10-15

    Tracks:

    1. Aint A That Good News (Uzee Brown)
    2. Amen (Uzee Brown)
    3. Here is One (H.F. Mells)
    4. Grief (William Grant Still)
    5. Dancing in the Sun (John Work)
    6. Death of an Old Seaman (Cecil Cohen)
    7. Minstrel Man (Margaret Bonds)
    8. A Child's Grace (Coleridge-Taylor Perkinson)
    9. Compensation (Charles Lloyd, Jr.)
    10. Sometimes I Feel Like a Motherless Child(H.T. Burleigh)
    11. I'll Never Turn Back (W. C. Handy)
    12. Ride On, King Jesus (Edward Boatner)
    13. His Name So Sweet (Edward Boatner)
    14. Give Me Jesus (Edward Boatner)
    15. This Lil' Light of Mine (Hale Smith)
    16. I've Got Religion (H.F. Mells)

    Album Description

    HM Classics is an independent producer of classical recordings featuring acclaimed pianist Pamela Howland and her colleagues. We are dedicated to creating unsurpassed musical experiences for your listening pleasure.

    Customer Reviews:

    5 out of 5 stars Wonderful Music.......2004-11-18

    Richard Heard has a rich tenor voice that makes you want to hear more. The only problem with the cd is that it ended. I can't wait for him to put out another.

    5 out of 5 stars A work to be purchased and savored!.......2003-11-30

    What a tremendous talent! Richard Heard (accompanied on the piano by Pamela Howland) is certain to be one of the premier up-and-coming tenors of recent times. This album of African-American art songs and spirituals should be purchased for the quality of the music as well as its historic preservation value. Be sure to contact Richard Heard (Wake Forest University) and commend him on this album and give him the impetus to record another!
    Women's Voices: Five Centuries of Song
    Average customer rating: 2 out of 5 stars
    • below average voice and interpretation; admirable program
    		 Women's Voices: Five Centuries of Song
    Ann Silsbee , Barbara Strozzi , Germaine Tailleferre , Elizabeth Vercoe , Pauline Viardot , Gwyneth Walker , Judith Lang Zaimont , and Steven Heyman
    Manufacturer: Leonarda Productions
    ProductGroup: Music
    Binding: Audio CD

    Gideon, MiriamGideon, Miriam | ( G ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music
    Larsen, LibbyLarsen, Libby | ( L ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music
    All Works by Mendelssohn-HenselAll Works by Mendelssohn-Hensel | Mendelssohn-Hensel, Fanny | ( M ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music
    All Works by Alma MahlerAll Works by Alma Mahler | Mahler, Alma | ( M ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music
    All Works by Clara Wieck SchumannAll Works by Clara Wieck Schumann | Schumann, Clara Wieck | ( S ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music
    All Works by TailleferreAll Works by Tailleferre | Tailleferre, Germaine | ( T ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music
    GeneralGeneral | Baroque (c.1600-1750) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music
    GeneralGeneral | Classical (c.1770-1830) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music
    Chamber MusicChamber Music | Forms & Genres | Romantic (c.1820-1910) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music
    Vocal & SongVocal & Song | Romantic (c.1820-1910) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music
    GeneralGeneral | Classical | Styles | Music
    GeneralGeneral | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music
    GeneralGeneral | Songs & Lieder | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music
    ClassicalClassical | Indie Music | Stores | Music
    Similar Items:
    1. Women of Note ~ Beach, Boulanger, Clarke, Gubaidulina, Larsen, Mendelssohn, Monk, Musgrave, Ran, Zwilich
    2. Donne Barocche: Women Composers from the Baroque Period
    3. The Women Composers

    ASIN: B000004AF1
    Release Date: 1997-11-25

    Tracks:

    1. O Death rock me asleepe
    2. Jubilate Deo (Caterina Assandra)
    3. Maria, dolce Maria (Francesca Caccini)
    4. Amor dormiglione (Barbara Strozzi)
    5. Chiamata a nuovi amori (Barbara Strozzi)
    6. Spesso per entro al petto (Barbara Strozzi)
    7. Das Gartner liedchen aus dem Siegwart (Maria Theresia von Paradis)
    8. Ihr solltet geniessen [from the Singspiel Erwin und Elmire] (Anna Amalia, Duchess of Saxe-Weimar)
    9. Fr|hzeitiger Fr|hling (Josephine Lang)
    10. Fr|hling (Fanny Mendelssohn)
    11. Liebst du um Schvnheit (Clara Schumann)
    12. Der Gartner (Viardot-Garcia)
    13. Mot kveld [Toward Evening] (Agathe Backer Grxndahl)
    14. Si tout ceci n'est qu'un pauvre rjve [from Clairihres dans le Ciel] (Lili Boulanger)
    15. Berceuse d'Amorique [Lullabye of Brittany] (Irene Wieniawska Paul, pseud. Poldowski)
    16. Mon mari m'a diffamie [from Six Chansons Frangaise] (Germaine Tailleferre)
    17. Plaintes d'Amour (Cicile Chaminade)
    18. F|nf Lieder, Nr. 3, 4, 5: Laue Sommernacht, Bei dir ist es traut, Ich wandle unter Blumen (Alma Mahler)
    19. Minstrel Man [from Three Dream Portraits] (Margaret Bonds
    20. Infant Joy (Rebecca Clarke)
    21. Rogez [from Ayelet Hashakhar (Morning Star)] (Miriam Gideon)
    22. I would live in your love [from Woman's Love] (Eichelberger Ivey)
    23. I Love the Night (Marion Bauer)
    24. Let it be forgotten [from Greyed Sonnets] (Judith Lang Zaimont)
    25. Iris [from Four Songs] (Ann Silsbee)
    26. maggie and millie and mollie and may [from though love be a day] (Gwyneth Walker)
    27. When I am an old woman (Libby Larsen)
    28. Andromeda Rag (Elizabeth Vercoe)

    Album Description

    Neva Pilgrim is known throughout the country for her extensive work with composers, many of whom have written for her. She appears regularly in recital and as soloist with orchestras, having performed with the Chicago Symphony, New York Philharmonic, Brooklyn Philharmonic, Syracuse Symphony and Clarion Concerts. She has concertized in Japan, Canada and Europe and appeared at such festivals as Tanglewood, Marlboro, Chautauqua, Monadnock, and Saratoga Baroque.

    Edward Smith , is known throughout the USA and Europe as a soloist and ensemble performer. H received his Bachelor of Music from Lawrence University, studied composition with Luigi Dallapiccola in Italy, and was a student of Ralph Kirkpatrick at Yale. Mr. Smith was a member of the famed New York Pro Musica from l964-69, was a founding member of the Philidor Trio, and has been a regular performer with the New York Consort of Viols and the Waverly Consort. He presently resides in Verona, Italy.

    Steven Heyman studied at Juilliard and the Hochschule für Müsik in Vienna. He has performed throughout the U.S., Canada and Europe and has received prizes in competitions including the Beethoven Competition in Vienna, the Gina Bachauer, Southern International Competition, the Portland [Maine] Competition and the American Music Scholarship Competition. He was the top American and fourth Laureate in the prestigious Palm Beach Invitational International Piano Competition. Mr. Heyman teaches at Syracuse University and Hamilton College in upstate New York.

    Recording, mastering, graphic design and cover photo "Lizard's Point, Cornwall, England": Marnie Hall. Recorded in the Chapel at Colgate University, 1994. DDD. This recording is made possible with public funds from the New York State Council on the Arts, a state agency. Additional funding provided by Colgate University. © Leonarda Productions, Inc., 1997. All rights reserved.

    Customer Reviews:

    2 out of 5 stars below average voice and interpretation; admirable program.......1999-09-29

    Pilgrim's voice is without expression or feeling, and unfortunately, is with excessive and unstable vibrato. The selections are wide-ranged and interesting. The program has great potential as a comprehensive resource, but it's vocal performance lacks talent, technique, and interpretation.
    Mosaic: A Collection of African-American Spirituals With Piano and Guitar
    Average customer rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    • Beauty, power, and clarity
    • Not traditional American Negro spirituals mostly.
    • Great opera, not spiritual style I thought title suggested.
    • A Glorious Burgeoning Diva!
    • Classical music with heart and soul
    		 Mosaic: A Collection of African-American Spirituals With Piano and Guitar

    Manufacturer: Albany Records
    ProductGroup: Music
    Binding: Audio CD

    GeneralGeneral | Blues | Styles | Music
    Electric Blues GuitarElectric Blues Guitar | Blues | Styles | Music
    Modern BluesModern Blues | Blues | Styles | Music
    Chamber MusicChamber Music | Forms & Genres | Modern, 20th, & 21st Century | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music
    Vocal & SongVocal & Song | Modern, 20th, & 21st Century | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music
    GeneralGeneral | Classical | Styles | Music
    GeneralGeneral | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music
    Modern & 20th CenturyModern & 20th Century | Historical Periods | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music
    Similar Items:
    1. Gershwin: Porgy And Bess/Blue Monday
    2. The Essential Leontyne Price: Spirituals, Hymns & Sacred Songs
    3. Italian Songs for Tenor and Piano
    4. Cecilia Bartoli ~ Opera Proibita (Handel · Scarlatti · Caldara) / Les Musiciens du Louvre · Minkowski

    ASIN: B0006A9FUU
    Release Date: 2004-11-30

    Tracks:

    1. Ev'ry Time I Feel the Spirit
    2. Roun'about de Mountain
    3. Lord, I Just Can't Keep from Cryin'
    4. My Soul's Been Anchored
    5. City Called Heaven
    6. Give Me Jesus
    7. O Glory
    8. Come Down Angels
    9. He Never Said a Mumblin' Word
    10. Watch and Pray
    11. Walk Together Children
    12. Deep River
    13. This Little Light of Mine
    14. Lord, How Come Me Here?
    15. He's Got the Whole World in His Hands
    16. Ride Up in the Chariot

    Customer Reviews:

    5 out of 5 stars Beauty, power, and clarity.......2007-05-06

    Buy this CD for her rendition of "He Never Said a Mumbalin' Word" alone --- truly lovely, simply brilliant.

    2 out of 5 stars Not traditional American Negro spirituals mostly........2005-10-24

    If you are looking for the soulfull melodic or jubilation of traditional American Negro spirituals, this is not it. But it is masterful musicianship.

    3 out of 5 stars Great opera, not spiritual style I thought title suggested........2005-09-08

    This is a very good classical collection. The rating would have been higher if the description had suggested the actual style of the music. I am giving it 3 stars because this is a very good OPERA style collection - not the spiritual style I was hoping for. Given the title and simple instruments, I thought it would be different - more relaxed. I wish a sample of the music had been available. If you want spirituals sung in an OPERA style you will love this. She is an amazing talent.

    5 out of 5 stars A Glorious Burgeoning Diva!.......2005-05-07

    Though this particular selection of songs may not be one the recital lover would choose, MOSAIC introduces to the recording audience the magnificent voice of Angela M. Brown, a gifted singer whose career has been nurtured by appearances with small opera companies until her highly successful Metropolitan Opera debut in 'Aida' last year. Now this intelligent singer is currently replacing the indomitable Jessye Norman in a Detroit Opera premiere and even in that vulnerable position of comparison she is making a triumphant statement.

    MOSAIC is pleasant enough recital of African American Spirituals with sensitive piano and guitar accompaniment. But it is in the few unaccompanied songs that the splendor of this very large voice with a seemingly bottomless register is best displayed. Brown has a glowing top as well as a lush bottom in her register and her attention to the control of the cascade of sound is simply thrilling. Brown knows this repertoire well and is convincing in her delivery of not only the message but the depth of emotion of each song.

    Hopefully a recording of songs and arias will follow soon, especially as her opera reputation grows. But for now, MOSAIC is a fine introduction to a voice whose destiny seems assured. Grady Harp, May 05

    5 out of 5 stars Classical music with heart and soul.......2005-03-01

    Daniel Alexander Payne, sixth bishop of the African Methodist Episcopal Church worked tirelessly to purge emotionalism from African American modes of worship, and derided spirituals as "corn field ditties." Starting with the Fisk Jubilee Singers and into current century, composers such as Florence Price, Margaret Bonds, Moses Hogan and Joseph Joubert have sought new, classical interpretations of these timeless, soulful songs.

    I must confess, I've never been a big fan of classicised spirituals. Spirituals ARE emotional, expressions of unbearable pain, of longing, of optimism and ultimate belief in salvation. To strip them of that by prettying them up is to deny their very reason for being.

    But having said all that: I absolutely loved MOSAIC! Angela Brown does not let her classical training get in the way of putting a song over with heart and soul. She obviously loves these songs, and her rich voice moved me to tears on several occasions. The instrumental accompaniments (Joseph Joubert on piano, Tyron Cooper on guitar) are gorgeously subtle and supportive.

    The sound quality of this disc is superb, a fitting tribute to the many African American composers represented here. Highly recommended!
    De Toda La Eternidad: Songs of American Women Composers
    Average customer rating: Not rated
      		De Toda La Eternidad: Songs of American Women Composers

      Manufacturer: Aca Digital
      ProductGroup: Music
      Binding: Audio CD

      Larsen, LibbyLarsen, Libby | ( L ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music
      General ModernGeneral Modern | Modern, 20th, & 21st Century | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music
      GeneralGeneral | Classical | Styles | Music
      GeneralGeneral | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music
      ASIN: B000BDH5AE
      Release Date: 2005-10-25
      Ah! Love, But A Day
      Average customer rating: 5 out of 5 stars
      • Really Great
      • music fan in southern Virginia
      • North Hollywood Fan- Jay Pierson is Wonderful
      • great CD, but ms toppin was NOT on TOP
      • Terrific!
      		 Ah! Love, But A Day

      Manufacturer: Albany Records
      ProductGroup: Music
      Binding: Audio CD

      All Works by BeachAll Works by Beach | Beach, Amy Marcy Cheney | ( B ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music
      Larsen, LibbyLarsen, Libby | ( L ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music
      Chamber MusicChamber Music | Forms & Genres | Romantic (c.1820-1910) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music
      Vocal & SongVocal & Song | Romantic (c.1820-1910) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music
      GeneralGeneral | Classical | Styles | Music
      GeneralGeneral | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music
      Similar Items:
      1. You Can Tell the World: Songs by African-American Women Composers
      2. Women of Note ~ Beach, Boulanger, Clarke, Gubaidulina, Larsen, Mendelssohn, Monk, Musgrave, Ran, Zwilich
      3. All My Heart: Deborah Voigt Sings American Songs

      ASIN: B00004L8IB
      Release Date: 2000-02-22

      Tracks:

      1. American Lullaby
      2. O'Jim
      3. Into The Night
      4. Three Cowboy Songs: Bucking Bronco
      5. Three Cowboy Songs: Lift Me Into Heaven Slowly
      6. Three Cowboy Songs: Billy The Kid
      7. In The Twilight
      8. Irish Love Song
      9. Though Love Be A Day: Maggie And Millie And Molly And May
      10. Though Love Be A Day: Still
      11. Songs Of The Season: Young Love In Spring
      12. Songs Of The Season: Poeme D'Automne
      13. Songs Of The Season: Winter Moon
      14. Songs Of The Season: Summer Storm
      15. Ah! Love, But A Day
      16. To Be Baptised
      17. Set Down
      18. I Want To Die While You Love Me
      19. Come Down Angels
      20. Sympathy
      21. The Glory Of The Day Was In Her Face
      22. Hold Fast To Dreams
      23. Guide My Feet
      24. The Pasture
      25. Little David Play On Your HArp
      26. At The Foot Of Yon Mountain
      27. Canaan
      28. Ride Up In The Chariot

      Customer Reviews:

      5 out of 5 stars Really Great.......2004-09-03

      One thing that has yet to be mentioned is that these are all art songs written by women composers. I am a big fan of both of the performers. I really like the first three pieces and Still by Gwenyth Walker. If you are a begginer or an old timer when it comes to art songs, this is a must!
      The title is accually Ah love but a day, not American Art Songs

      5 out of 5 stars music fan in southern Virginia.......2003-08-15

      I LOVE this CD and have played it constantly since purchasing it. My favorite selection is Guide My Feet with Louise Toppin's amazing high voice. The purity and sheer height of her instrument are incredible. I have also really enjoyed hearing the rich baritone of Jay Pierson and excellent accompanying of John O'Brien. The repertoire is refreshing and musically presented by all three artists. I HIGHLY recommend this CD to all.

      5 out of 5 stars North Hollywood Fan- Jay Pierson is Wonderful.......2002-09-14

      This CD is lovely. Jay Pierson has a wonderful voice and the interpretation of his selections is stellar. I really love "Into the Night" and can listen to it over and over. I also think it is great that the female composers get their long overdue DO! I hope they somehow know that their music is not only being heard, but being performed beautifully. Toppin does a great job also, but I really love the baritone sound. Truly a beautiful CD!!! Thank you to both performers - but especially Pierson!

      5 out of 5 stars great CD, but ms toppin was NOT on TOP.......2002-04-08

      the fabulous baritone CLEARLY shared the spotlight with toppin. the repetoire throughout was quite distinguished and beautiful between both singers, but i could have done without toppin being listed as the FEATURED singer on this CD. this CD has one of the most elegant, musical, baritones that ive ever heard on it. the best song sung by toppin was "take me to the water" - it was quite emotional, per toppin's pure tone and child-like vocal character - perfect match. "into the night" is glorious, and "ah love but a day" is gorgeous. a beautiful beautiful CD .

      4 out of 5 stars Terrific!.......2000-06-06

      Louise Toppin sings some beautiful, though neglected repertoire. She is ably assisted by Jay Pierson and John O'Brien, but this is clearly her project. Definitely recommended!

      Music Composers:

      1. Břrresen, Hakon
      2. Bortniansky, Dmitri
      3. Borup-Jřrgensen, Axel
      4. Boublil, Alain
      5. Boulanger, Lili
      6. Boulez, Pierre
      7. Boyce, William
      8. Brahms, Johannes
      9. Bretón, Tomás
      10. Brian, Havergal

      Music Composers

      Music Composers