|
Back
05/19/2017
“Eternal Life: Sacred Songs and Arias”
Olive Dungan: Eternal Life
César Franck: Panis Angelicus, FWV 61, opus 12
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: Laudate dominum, K. 339
Johann Sebastian Bach/Charles Gounod: Ave Maria
Charles Gounod (arr. Emile Paladilhe): O Divine Redeemer
Gabriel Fauré: En prière
Felix Mendelssohn: Hear ye, Israel!
Franz Schubert: Ave Maria, D. 839, opus 52, n° 6
Albert Hay Malotte: The Lord’s Prayer
Stephen Adams: The Holy City
Traditional Spiritual (arr. Moses Hogan): He’s Got the Whole World in His Hands - Give me Jesus
Traditional Spiritual (arr. Hall Johnson): His Name so Sweet – Ride on, King Jesus!
Amy Pfrimmer (Soprano), Dreux Montegut (Piano)
48’04
MSR Classics MS 1525 – Booklet in English
 
This collection of religious works has an uplifting appeal with a glance of modern antebellum charm since singer (Amy Pfrimmer) and pianist (Dreux Montegut) hail from America’s Deep South. Both accomplished artists’ roots are firmly entrenched within New Orleans’ St. Louis Cathedral Basilica. Thus, the pairing makes for a solid case of voice combining with instrument.
Amy Pfrimmer’s well rounded resume encapsulates a balanced selection gleaning from varying musical genres including Broadway ©, opera and faith-based compositions. This dedicated teacher translates onto CD by signifying uncompromising execution in enunciation and cleanly delineated diction. The ultimate resolve paves the way for understated grace through soprano register while never rendering excessiveness. That isn’t to say poignant moments don’t appear, for they certainly do.
The Pfrimmer choix sits comfortably within her weighty, brassy tessitura though high notes are occasionally attacked. While apportionment pretty much consists of standardized familiars, the depth of Amy Pfrimmer’s dramatic clairvoyance impressively bleeds heavily inside her vocalization of American-grounded œuvres. Here we see ardent strength and resolve of demonstrative persuasion, particularly inside Stephen Adams’ The Holy City: the passion breathes and envelops. But there’s also an operatic dimension resting outside of the English vocabulary, namely, Mendelssohn’s extraction from his Elijah (1846.) The interpretation captures her faith, both in tone and dynamics.
Additionally, there’s a sense of unadulterated equilibrium with Dreux Montegut at the helm on piano. The draw is straightforward, erudite and comforting. His framework houses Ms. Pfrimmer’s voice, giving us continuous pockets of ethereal thought and solace.
Acoustically, MSR Classics captures this music beautifully. This is a great constant under the company’s banner. An impressive display for those who enjoy delving into ecclesiastical moments.
Christie Grimstad
|
