As classical music “concept” albums go, this is one of the more successful. Robert Spano has assembled a program of 20th- and 21st-century works that (mostly) convey with touching poignancy the theme of loss and remembrance. At first glance, opening a disc such as this with Barber’s warhorse Adagio for Strings (how many recordings do you already own?) might come across as mere crowd-pleasing, but the piece actually is quite appropriate in this context, especially in Spano’s and the Atlanta strings’ taut yet tender rendition. Jennifer Higdon’s Dooryard Bloom follows so naturally it feels as if segued. This is a wonderful piece, with melodic and highly evocative vocal writing (beautifully sung by baritone Nmon Ford) that penetrates to the core of the text, along with a captivating orchestral accompaniment that displays Higdon’s formidable technique and musical imagination.
John Corigliano’s touching Elegy recalls Barber in its mixture of lush melodies and pinching harmonic twists, but the music’s emotional essence is pure Corigliano. From this we enter into the quiet and eerie strains that open John Adams’ On the Transmigration of Souls. Composed as a response to events of September 11, 2001, the work cannot help but be controversial. Sometimes such memorial pieces are successful artistic statements that stand the test of time (Shostakovich’s Babi Yar symphony); others have been decried as embarrassingly maudlin (Bernstein’s Kaddish Symphony, though this has lately been enjoying a rehabilitation of sorts). As for the Adams, individual reactions no doubt will be colored by the experience of the event itself. I find much of the music interesting and moving, but chafe at the pre-recorded spoken lamentations. In any event, the Atlanta Symphony Chorus’ characteristic robust tone and impeccable diction makes for a stirring vocal rendition. The Atlanta Symphony performs splendidly as well, even if as a whole Spano’s performance doesn’t match Lorin Maazel and the New York Philharmonic (who gave the world premiere) for gritty intensity.
Finally, the program ends where it began, with Barber’s Adagio–though this time it’s the composer’s arrangement for chorus, set to the Agnus Dei text. It works well: the music is quite affecting in this form, and it’s nice to hear a different take on a thrice-familiar work. Telarc’s Atlanta recordings have been consistently solid, well-balanced, and high-impact, and this disc is no exception, especially in SACD format. Strongly recommended. [8/11/2009]
