For this 2012 release, soprano Leah Partridge delivers a varied program of American vocal music with two of the featured composers as her accompanists, Jake Heggie and Ricky Ian Gordon, and the Cypress String Quartet as special guests. This album offers 20 art songs that range in mood from the jaunty and declamatory to the subdued and wistful, and the mix of styles could be considered fairly eclectic. Partridge has a rich and expressive voice that is often heard in the opera house, particularly in bel canto roles, though here she has concentrated her talents in a more direct and intimate manner that works well in the recital presentation. The songs of Heggie and Gordon are well represented, though selections by Lee Hoiby, Libby Larsen, Arthur Farwell, John Corigliano, and Ernst Bacon are interspersed to provide a little contrast. On the whole, listeners will find this CD quite accessible, and the lyrical vocal lines, mild harmonies, and generally tonal direction of the music make it easy to digest.
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