Notorious R B G In Song
Classical
| Jul 2018
Reviews
Tom McCarter
Reviewed 2018-07-20
Reviewed 2018-07-20
Reviewed: 2018-07-20
Genre: Classical
FCCs: none
Review: Soprano Patrice Michaels, Ginsburg's daughter-in-law, and collaborative pianist extraordinaire Kuang-Hao Huang offer this album of world-premiere recordings saluting the life and work of legal pioneer Ruth Bader Ginsburg. The recording has as its centerpiece The Long View, a song cycle by Michaels. Michaels has marvelous diction, which remains clear high into the range with her perfect trill and high coloratura. Her total dedication, respect and love for her husband's mother show through. The album fills out the cycle with performances of RBG-dedicated songs by other women and an excerpt from Derrick Wang’s opera Scalia/Ginsburg.
If You Like:
Track Review (favorites denoted by *):
The Long View
1/ Prologue: Foresight (2:16) – lovely piano starts> midtempo song> quick stop
*2/ Celia: An Imagined Letter From 1949 (6:35) – vocal start acapella> slow song with piano> builds in intensity and mellows again> quick stop
*3/ Advice from Morris (3:32) – piano starts slow & quiet> slow song with soaring vocals> quick stop
4/ On Working Together (4:22) – vocal starts> midtempo song with words almost spoken> swings into uptempo lilting song> quick stop on spoken word
* 5/ Anita’s Story (4:10) – piano starts> uptempo song> crescendo> pause> melody shift> midtempo song> stops like an exclamation point
*6/ New York, 1961 (2:15) – piano starts> midtempo song> lovely piano solo> stop
*7/ The Elevator Thief (5:02) – vocal starts> midtempo song with ululating vocals> shifting melodies & song with spoken word interjected
8/ Dissenter Of The Universe: Five Opinions And A Comment (5:38) – piano starts> spoken word>
midtempo acapella song with piano interspersed (this sequence repeated several times) quick stop on vocal
*9/ Epilogue: The Long View, Questions Answered (3:36) – piano starts> uptempo song> pause> melody shift to slow song> swells to midtempo and crescendos on vocal
10/ Wider than The Sky (1:57) – piano starts> slow song> fade> pause > song> fade
**11/ Pot Roast A La RBG (4:23) – piano starts> uptempo song soars into high registers> midtempo song swings back uptempo & slows again, swings back up & soars to climax
12/ My Dearest Ruth (6:31) – piano starts> slow song soars into high registers & mellows again, then soars again> quick stop
*13/ You Are Searching In Vain For A Bright-Line Solution, From Scalia/Ginsburg (5:02) – vocal starts acapella slow song> slow piano interlude> slow song slowly builds to midtempo> soars into high registers> uptempo song> crescendo> pause> uptempo song> long vocal crescendo & stops on
piano
Genre: Classical
FCCs: none
Review: Soprano Patrice Michaels, Ginsburg's daughter-in-law, and collaborative pianist extraordinaire Kuang-Hao Huang offer this album of world-premiere recordings saluting the life and work of legal pioneer Ruth Bader Ginsburg. The recording has as its centerpiece The Long View, a song cycle by Michaels. Michaels has marvelous diction, which remains clear high into the range with her perfect trill and high coloratura. Her total dedication, respect and love for her husband's mother show through. The album fills out the cycle with performances of RBG-dedicated songs by other women and an excerpt from Derrick Wang’s opera Scalia/Ginsburg.
If You Like:
Track Review (favorites denoted by *):
The Long View
1/ Prologue: Foresight (2:16) – lovely piano starts> midtempo song> quick stop
*2/ Celia: An Imagined Letter From 1949 (6:35) – vocal start acapella> slow song with piano> builds in intensity and mellows again> quick stop
*3/ Advice from Morris (3:32) – piano starts slow & quiet> slow song with soaring vocals> quick stop
4/ On Working Together (4:22) – vocal starts> midtempo song with words almost spoken> swings into uptempo lilting song> quick stop on spoken word
* 5/ Anita’s Story (4:10) – piano starts> uptempo song> crescendo> pause> melody shift> midtempo song> stops like an exclamation point
*6/ New York, 1961 (2:15) – piano starts> midtempo song> lovely piano solo> stop
*7/ The Elevator Thief (5:02) – vocal starts> midtempo song with ululating vocals> shifting melodies & song with spoken word interjected
8/ Dissenter Of The Universe: Five Opinions And A Comment (5:38) – piano starts> spoken word>
midtempo acapella song with piano interspersed (this sequence repeated several times) quick stop on vocal
*9/ Epilogue: The Long View, Questions Answered (3:36) – piano starts> uptempo song> pause> melody shift to slow song> swells to midtempo and crescendos on vocal
10/ Wider than The Sky (1:57) – piano starts> slow song> fade> pause > song> fade
**11/ Pot Roast A La RBG (4:23) – piano starts> uptempo song soars into high registers> midtempo song swings back uptempo & slows again, swings back up & soars to climax
12/ My Dearest Ruth (6:31) – piano starts> slow song soars into high registers & mellows again, then soars again> quick stop
*13/ You Are Searching In Vain For A Bright-Line Solution, From Scalia/Ginsburg (5:02) – vocal starts acapella slow song> slow piano interlude> slow song slowly builds to midtempo> soars into high registers> uptempo song> crescendo> pause> uptempo song> long vocal crescendo & stops on
piano
Recent airplay
(The Long View) New York 1961
Butter and Jams (rebroadcast from Aug 16, 2018) — Aug 10, 2021
Pot Roast A La R B G
Butter and Jams — Sep 27, 2018
You Are Searching In Vain For A Bright-Line Solution, From Scalia/Ginsburg
That's Not Bluegrass — Sep 04, 2018
Pot Roast A La R B G
Butter and Jams — Aug 30, 2018
Pot Roast A La R B G, (The Long View) Celia: An Imagined Letter From 1949
Music Casserole — Aug 25, 2018
(The Long View) New York 1961
Butter and Jams — Aug 16, 2018
Charting
2018-08-02 — 2018-10-04
Classical/Experimental
| Week Ending | Airplays |
|---|---|
| Sep 30 | 1 |
| Sep 9 | 1 |
| Sep 2 | 1 |
| Aug 26 | 1 |
| Aug 19 | 1 |
| Aug 5 | 1 |
Track listing
| 1. | (The Long View) Prologue: Foresight | ||
| 2. | (The Long View) Celia: An Imagined Letter From 1949 | ||
| 3. | (The Long View) Advice From Morris | ||
| 4. | (The Long View) On Working Together | ||
| 5. | (The Long View) Anita's Story | ||
| 6. | (The Long View) New York 1961 | ||
| 7. | (The Long View) The Elevator Thief | ||
| 8. | (The Long View) Dissenter Of The Universe: Five Opinions And A Comment | ||
| 9. | (The Long View) Epilogue: The Long View, Questions Answered | ||
| 10. | Wider Than The Sky | ||
| 11. | Pot Roast A La R B G | ||
| 12. | My Dearest Ruth | ||
| 13. | You Are Searching In Vain For A Bright-Line Solution, From Scalia/Ginsburg |