Salvation
is a theme readily enough associated with
J.S. Bach
, who dedicated his work to the glory of God. It doesn't come to mind as quickly for
Shostakovich
, but here, in the hands of soprano
Dorothee Mields
, it seems appropriate. Living under the difficult artistic restrictions of the Soviet state,
, one feels here, turned to music as a kind of salvation. The connection between
and
Bach
is well known;
admired
, played his music every day, and wrote a set of
preludes and fugues
in all the keys to rival
's own. Yet here, the link seems deeper, if rather elusive. Part of the cohesiveness of the program is due to the work of
Mields
and the
G.A.P. Ensemble
, both Baroque specialists. It is a bit hard to pin down exactly why, but in
' hands,
's late
Romances on Poems by Aleksandr Blok, Op. 127
, comes out sounding a bit like
arias. Perhaps the musicians succeed in catching an inward quality common to the two composers.
is, of course, excellent in the
cantata excerpts here; there is perhaps no other active singer who can communicate the text of a
recitative better. The keyboard work of
Luca Quintavalle
on harpsichord, period organ, and violin is another factor holding things together, and
Brilliant Classics
' engineers find the perfect location for this project in the Auditori Josep Carreras in Tarragona, Spain. An intriguing release that puts
, and even
, in a new light. ~ James Manheim