Vocalisms
Mary MacKenzie (soprano), Heidi Louise Williams (piano)
Two performers passionate about American art song -- soprano Mary Mackenzie and pianist Heidi Louise Williams perform a program of songs by John Harbison, James Primosch, Daniel Crozier and Ned Rorem. Mary Mackenzie, who has captured the attention of audiences throughout the United States, has been described by the New York Times as "a soprano of extraordinary agility and concentration," and the Boston Globe as "sensational." She has appeared as a recitalist, a soloist with orchestras and as a chamber musician with the best known ensembles in the U.S. Her discography includes recording on the Albany and Bridge record labels. Pianist Heidi Louise Williams has appeared in solo and collaborative recitals across North America, in Europe and Asia. She has been praised by New York critic Harris Goldsmith for her "impeccable soloistic authority" and Dazzling performances." On the faculty at Florida State University College of Music, her recording for Albany Records received rave reviews from critics.
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Track Listing
| Title | Composer | Performer |
|---|---|---|
| Vocalism: A Grand Aria for Soprano & Piano | John Harbison | Mary Mackenzie (soprano); Heidi Louise Williams (piano) |
| Waltzing the Spheres | James Primosch | Mary Mackenzie (soprano); Heidi Louise Williams (piano) |
| Seven Poems of Lorine Niedecker | John Harbison | Mary Mackenzie (soprano); Heidi Louise Williams (piano) |
| Three Folk Hymns | James Primosch | Mary Mackenzie (soprano); Heidi Louise Williams (piano) |
| from Songs for the Walters | Daniel Crozier | Mary Mackenzie (soprano); Heidi Louise Williams (piano) |
| Shadow Memory | James Primosch | Mary Mackenzie (soprano); Heidi Louise Williams (piano) |
| Four Poems of Emily Dickinson | Daniel Crozier | Mary Mackenzie (soprano); Heidi Louise Williams (piano) |
| Another Sleep: III | Ned Rorem | Mary Mackenzie (soprano); Heidi Louise Williams (piano) |
| The Rainbow Comes and Goes | Daniel Crozier | Mary Mackenzie (soprano); Heidi Louise Williams (piano) |
| And, Daylight | Daniel Crozier | Mary Mackenzie (soprano); Heidi Louise Williams (piano) |
| After-Song | Daniel Crozier | Mary Mackenzie (soprano); Heidi Louise Williams (piano) |
| The Fire of a Wild White Sun | Daniel Crozier | Mary Mackenzie (soprano); Heidi Louise Williams (piano) |
| Holy the Firm | James Primosch | Mary Mackenzie (soprano); Heidi Louise Williams (piano) |
Reviews
- “
"Be of good cheer, then, if you're among those who have bemoaned the "death"of the art song. It might be harder to encounter works such as these in a concert hall setting, but composers are still producing gems – and artists such as Mary Mackenzie and Heidi Louis Williams are polishing them to achieve maximum glow."
- “
This engrossing collection of American songs, most written after 2000, is not only enjoyable in itself but allows the listener to reflect on the state of the art. If there is a common thread running through these 15 diverse art songs, it is spiritual and metaphysical, expanding the definition to include the ecstasy of immediate experience, the transient radiance of sunlight, and the inexorable passing of time. The performers, lyric soprano Mary Mackenzie and pianist Heidi Louise Williams, have selected material that leans in this direction, and it feels like contemporary America in our second Gilded Age for composers to turn away from crass materialism to peer into the light of the inner world – Ives would have agreed, I think. The trick is to make the intimate and other-worldly feel like something personal and beautiful, which both singer and pianist quite successfully do. "
*Album cover provided for Editorial use only. ©Albany Records. The Albany Imprint is a registered trademark of PARMA Recordings LLC. The views and opinions expressed in this media are those of the artist and do not necessarily represent or reflect the views and opinions held by PARMA Recordings LLC and its label imprints, subsidiaries, and affiliates.