Grammy award-winning mezzo-soprano Joyce DiDonato recently spoke with me about her new album “Songplay,” where she takes a new and creative approach to vocal music from the Baroque and Classical periods, as well as from the 20th century. It is truly a mix of genres, with classical, jazz and tango all represented.
“Songplay, as a title, suggests exactly what this album is,” says the pianist Craig Terry, who developed the concept for the album along with Joyce. He adds “We are taking songs that are iconic for people who have studied classical singing and we are trying to reformat them--but in a way that stays true to the original intention of the song. Joyce sings these songs with her own voice--she is not trying to become a jazz singer.”
I hope you enjoy our chat and will check out the album, allowing yourself to hear these songs and their words in a new, different way! You can listen to a few sound clips here.
Yours in good music,
Mike Goldberg Classical Music Host, 93.1 and 107.3 WCVE Music
