Recordings

The fine art of songwriting, in the art song tradition, has been a practice paid ambivalent attention in our century. San Francisco-based pianist and composer Heggie has taken it upon himself to delve into the venerable songwriting tradition, often referring, stylistically, to romantic 19th century models and hints of smarter Broadway musical thinking, and now has well more than 100 pieces to show for the effort. Singers of note have appreciated, commissioned and been collaborators in Heggie’s song factory, and a cast of many makes appearances on this 26-song collection. The CD shows Heggie’s unabashedly melodic sensitivity to texts from such diverse sources as Emily Dickinson--whose “I shall not live in vain,” sung with reflective dignity by Fleming, opens the collection--to a 16th century poem by Sir Philip Sidney, sung by Von Stade and McNair, with lyrics by the rapturous Von Stade herself. All in all, it’s good news for the state of the modern song, art division.