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Frequently Bought Together
Product details
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Track Listings
| 1. The Plaint |
| 2. Who by Fire |
| 3. If Grief Has Any Pow'r to Kill |
| 4. The Forester |
| 5. A New Ground |
| 6. You Know Who I Am |
| 7. Hangout |
| 8. O Solitude |
| 9. Which Will |
| 10. A New Scotch Tune |
| 11. Music for a While |
| 12. A New Scotch Tune, var. |
| 13. An Evening Hymn |
Product Description
The Guardian, (John Fordham), November 11, 2011
(4 stars) Exquisite...a unique and audacious collaboration that has the makings of an unlikely cross-genre hit...mesmerising.
(4 stars) Turning baroque songs by Purcell into minimalist ballads...this collaboration is in a stylish category of one.
(4 stars) Turning baroque songs by Purcell into minimalist ballads...this collaboration is in a stylish category of one.
CD Description
Unique, intimate album initiated by Swiss baroque harpist Giovanna Pessi and featuring the pure, non-classical voice of Norwegian singer Susanna Wallumrød. Best known for her work in pop and indie-rock contexts (including the duo Susanna and the Magical Orchestra), Wallumrød is heard singing songs of Henry Purcell: interspersed between them are songs of Leonard Cohen and Nick Drake and two of Susanna's own pieces. Purcell has never been heard quite like this – and indeed, neither has Leonard Cohen. At the centre of the album are Susanna Wallumrød's natural voice and Pessi's harp but the ensemble also includes Marco Ambrosini on nyckelharpa (the Swedish keyed fiddle) and Jan Achtman on viola da gamba. Pessi has often played with these musicians, individually, in early music contexts. 'If Grief Could Wait' will appeal to followers of Susanna's music, as well as open-minded classical listeners. Yet this is not a pop album, nor does it follow strict interpretations of historical performance practice. Pessi and Wallumrød simply present music that they love and the commitment of all participants brings to the repertoire unanimity of purpose. Giovanna Pessi's exceptional harp playing has been heard in ECM in quite different settings. She has played with the Rolf Lislevand Ensemble on Diminuito and been a member of the Christian Wallumrød Ensemble, first recording with the latter group in 2006 on 'The Zoo Is Far'. Playing and rehearsing with Christian Wallumrød brought Pessi often to Oslo, where she met and befriended the pianist's sister, singer Susanna. They began playing together informally. Susanna invited Pessi to play on her pop album 'Sonata Mix Dwarf Cosmos' in 2008. And when Manfred Eicher asked Giovanna to consider an ECM project of her own, Susanna's voice was the instrument she wanted to present, alongside the harp. Personnel: Giovanna Pessi (baroque harp), Susanna Wallumrød (voice), Jane Achtman (viola da gamba), Marco Ambrosini (nyckelharpa)
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
17 of 17 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD|Amazon Verified Purchase
The perfect antidote to our loud, in your face, agressive culture. Susanna Wallumrod's clear, slow, pure singing has a melancholic, spiritual quality to it. With the bare minimum of background music and each word sung with a restrained passion, the shallowness and artificiality of our modern life is all the more exposed.
Be silent, listen quietly, and reflect on the deeper meaning of life.
Be silent, listen quietly, and reflect on the deeper meaning of life.
6 of 6 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
Rarely was I so excited by a release in 2011 - the combination of Purcell, Drake and Cohen was enticing especially as Leonard Cohen's songs are frequently ideal for covering, magnificent compositions marred by overproduction, Susanna Wallumrød has one of the finest voices imaginable, and the instrumentation - harp, viola da gamba and nyckelharpa - was in the finest ECM tradition.
On the first few listens, I was slightly disappointed for all the beauty of the performance and production as there seemed to be a shallowness or something missing from the enterprise. And while "If Grief Could Wait" is no masterpiece and, at times, seems slightly to be dragging its feet, it rewards repeated listens. Throughout there is a sense of space and austerity to compare with, say, the Hilliard Ensemble (for all the sonic differences) but which is allied to a lightness of touch. Wallumrød's composition "The Forester" which I initially dismissed as meandering has an allure and dynamism which does sustain its ten minutes. The highlight for me though is "Who By Fire" the crystalline quality of Wallumrød's voice accompanied beautifully by Jane Achtman's viola da gamba in particular. While I would love to hear Susanna duetting with Bonnie Prince Billy this version is, to my mind, the finest I have heard.
While talk of a cross-over hit is perhaps overly ambitious, fans of Purcell and baroque music in general, Cohen, Drake, Wallumrød and ECM should find much to admire in a real slow burner of a recording.
On the first few listens, I was slightly disappointed for all the beauty of the performance and production as there seemed to be a shallowness or something missing from the enterprise. And while "If Grief Could Wait" is no masterpiece and, at times, seems slightly to be dragging its feet, it rewards repeated listens. Throughout there is a sense of space and austerity to compare with, say, the Hilliard Ensemble (for all the sonic differences) but which is allied to a lightness of touch. Wallumrød's composition "The Forester" which I initially dismissed as meandering has an allure and dynamism which does sustain its ten minutes. The highlight for me though is "Who By Fire" the crystalline quality of Wallumrød's voice accompanied beautifully by Jane Achtman's viola da gamba in particular. While I would love to hear Susanna duetting with Bonnie Prince Billy this version is, to my mind, the finest I have heard.
While talk of a cross-over hit is perhaps overly ambitious, fans of Purcell and baroque music in general, Cohen, Drake, Wallumrød and ECM should find much to admire in a real slow burner of a recording.
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
This is a strange combination of old 17th century music by Henry Purcell and the 20th century ballads by Leonard Cohen and Nick Drake as well as Susanna Wallumrod,the singer's 21 st century compositions.Harpist Pessi's arrangements of Henry Purcell songs are at the album's core.They are all rendered timeless by the early music instrumentation and Susanna's pure,understated style.The whole is given impetus by the nickelharpa of Ambrosini and Jane Achman's viola de gamba.The beauty comes from hearing the songs and instrumentation of Purcell threaded through with more modern fare of singer-songwriters.Susanna'a pure voice and Giovanna's subtle and evocative arrangements bring a continuity to the repertoire.Love of the music is shown by the commitment of the participating players.The etherial nature of the music,the musical personality given dramatic life by Purcell,subtler than anything the spoken word could achieve,the expressive power of the grief,achieved by bold harmonic effects and counterpoint.Proud fire and sacred fear.
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