Passing by

An international cast of celebrated singers and string players perform recent songs and duets by Jake Heggie.

Isabel Bayrakdarian, Zheng Cao, Joyce DiDonato, Susan Graham, Frederica von Stade, Paul Groves, Keith Phares

Dawn Harms, violin; CarlaMaria Rodrigues, viola; Emil Miland, cello; Jake Heggie, piano

Texts by Charlene Baldridge, Raymond Carver, Heggie, A.E. Housman, Vachel Lindsay, Armistead Maupin, Terrence McNally, Edna St. Vincent Millay, Rainer Maria Rilke, and Eugenia Zukerman.

About the album

“Heggie may prove to be contemporary opera’s savior.” — Chicago Tribune One of the leading American composers of his generation, Jake Heggie arrives on Avie with a gorgeous collection of new songs performed by a stunning array of international vocalists. Fresh from the success of the Dallas Opera premiere of his Moby Dick, the Guggenheim Fellowship recipient describes this collection as “songs that tell stories about now and then.” Indelibly associated with his acclaimed operas, including Dead Man Walking (Top 10 Billboard Classical Chart), Three Decembers, and The End of the Affair, Jake’s heart and soul lie in storytelling through song. With lyrics and poetry by A.E. Housman, Terrence McNally, and Rainer Maria Rilke, these songs reflect the great American songbook tradition, replete with striking observations of life’s journeys. Upcoming performance October 15, 2010 at the 31st Anniversary Gala of San Francisco Performances, Inc. Multiple performances in January- April 2011 with the Houston Grand Opera, at New York’s Carnegie Hall, and with the Seattle Men’s Chorus.

“Heggie set the final monologue from McNally’s Tony Award-winning play Master Class, at the request of DiDonato, who sings it here with special feeling and total commitment […] DiDonato’s murmuring and intimate performance of the delicate “To Say Before Going to Sleep” is one of the disc’s high points.”  ~ Judith Malafronte Opera News January 2011