Enthusiastic reviews are still popping up here and there for Love is Everywhere (DE 3407), Delos’ first volume of neglected Victorian-era composer Margaret Ruthven Lang’s lovely art songs. In the wake of its resounding success, the soon-to-be-released second volume – New Love Must Rise (DE 3410) – is already generating favorable press attention – and “across the pond,” to boot! Margaret Mota-Bull – a regular reviewer for the well-respected UK-based MusicWeb International site – gave the first volume a real rave: “Where on earth had this composer been hiding all my life”? And now — having just covered our second volume — she has served notice to the musical world that, “… if anything, it is even better than the first.”
Mota-Bull then identifies a number of the songs as her favorites, and tells us why. She describes On an April Apple Bough as a gorgeous piece, with “… its heart-warming, poetic melody (that) immediately has you hooked.” She writes of Nameless Pain as “vibrant, poignant and powerful all at the same time.” Perhaps her top choice is Song in the Songless: “an extraordinary piece, emotionally very expressive, almost operatic … one of the most effective dramatically.”
She also takes the latter song as an opportunity to praise the performers: “(tenor) Donald George has here the opportunity of showcasing an excellent technique, with some very warm, confident high notes … and the right level of sentiment.” And, as she further notes, “(pianist) Lucy Mauro’s delicate touch and flawless technique give us a luminous sound of great beauty, adding to the emotional impact of the song.”
I could go on forever citing Mota-Bull’s perceptive (and valid) comments – but you can read them for yourself in her full review, right HERE. OR, you can simply act on her final suggestion: “Get the recording, close your eyes, lean back and enjoy!”
Now that we’ve gotten your attention concerning this wonderful music, here’s how to get it for yourself:
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