Andrew Joyce & Rae de Lisle - Morgen (2020) [Hi-Res]

Tracklist

01. Liebestreu, Op. 3 No. 1 (Arr. for Cello & Piano)
02. Minnelied, Op. 71 No. 5 (Arr. for Cello & Piano)
03. Immer leiser wird mein Schlummer, Op. 105 No. 2 (Arr. for Cello & Piano)
04. Wie Melodien zeiht es mir leise durch den Sinn, Op. 105 No. 1 (Arr. for Cello & Piano)
05. Sapphische Ode, Op. 94 No. 4 (Arr. for Cello & Piano)
06. Feldeinsamkeit, Op. 86 No. 2 (Arr. for Cello & Piano)
07. Wiegenlied, Op. 49 No. 4 (Arr. for Cello & Piano)
08. Gypsy Songs, Op. 55, B. 104: No. 4, Songs My Mother Taught Me (Arr. for Cello & Piano)
09. 4 Lieder, Op. 82, B. 157: No. 1, Lasst mich allein (Arr. for Cello & Piano)
10. 7 Chansons grises: No. 5, L'heure exquise (Arr. for Cello & Piano)
11. À Chloris (Arr. for Cello & Piano)
12. Après un rêve, Op. 7 No. 3 (Arr. for Cello & Piano)
13. Myrthen, Op. 25 (Excerpts Arr. for Cello & Piano): No. 1, Widmung
14. Myrthen, Op. 25 (Excerpts Arr. for Cello & Piano): No. 4, Du bist wie eine Blume
15. Liederkreis, Op. 39: No. 5, Mondnacht (Arr. for Cello & Piano)
16. Gestillte Sehnsucht, Op. 91 No. 1 (Arr. for Cello, Viola & Piano)
17. Geistliches Wiegenlied, Op. 91 No. 2 (Arr. for Cello, Viola & Piano)
18. Die tote Stadt, Op. 12: Glück das mir verblieb (Arr. for Cello & Piano)
19. Du bist die Ruh, Op. 59 No. 3, D. 776 (Arr. for Cello & Piano)
20. Nacht und Träume, Op. 43 No. 2, D. 827 (Arr. for Cello & Piano)
21. La Wally: Ebben? Ne andrò lontana (Arr. for Cello & Piano)
22. 4 Lieder, Op. 27, TrV 170: No. 4, Morgen (Arr. for Cello, Viola & Piano)


Morgen is a collection designed to share the pleasures of beautiful and emotional songs and these melodic lines transfer easily to cello. Joyce glories in the soaring vocal phrases with a rich vibrato-laden tone and the absence of words is forgotten by the listener. De Lisle’s pianism is subtle and spacious and the players work together with a flexible intimacy ideally suited to the music.

The opening seven songs by Brahms are a highlight. For this music full of passionate grief and poignant yearning Joyce uses a huge range of timbre and dynamics, de Lisle a light and easy flow in accompaniment. The Wiegenlied, famous as “Brahms’ Lullaby”, ends the group, the cello in the foreground as singer and both musicians playing with loving gentleness.

Transcriptions from Dvořák, Venezuelan-born French composer Reynaldo Hahn and Fauré follow. Sensitive playing in three joyous songs by Schumann, written for his beloved wife Clara, communicate the depth and subtlety of the composer’s ardent music. For the two longer Brahms songs of his Opus 91 violist Julia Joyce joins her mother and husband, the darker viola timbres contributing to a more complex texture of entwined string melody.

I confess to finding this feast of Romantic song just a little cloying at times and to craving an acidic harmony, a quirky rhythm or some variety in pace and emotion. But this is an album for sweet indulgence and it isn’t hard to relax into pure enjoyment of gorgeous music beautifully played.

The album is named after Richard Strauss’s exquisite song Morgen! which is the final track. The title translates as Tomorrow! and Strauss composed it as a wedding gift for his wife. Julia Joyce joins the ensemble again and the collection ends with perfect emotions for our times – simple happiness, warmth and optimism.

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