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A recent episode of the U.S. National Public Radio program This American Life on the theme of delight described itself as "radical counterprogramming," given the grim realities that impinge on everyday life nowadays. Something of the same is true of Lara Downes' Love at Last (the title and the general theme are furnished by a poem of writer Shaul Tchernichovsky), comprising pieces embodying in one way or another how love, at last, can address the various ills of the world. That is a big job, but there are some striking pieces here, especially effective if one reads the notes by Downes and some of the composers about them. Jaroslav Ježek's Dawn, one learns, was played on Prague radio during the Nazi occupation as a coded message of resistance, and when Downes played it at the Czech Embassy in Washington, she found her older listeners in tears. Many of the pieces are contemporary; a majority are world premieres, and they come from many countries and a great variety of sources, from traditional composition to popular song, jazz, and various national traditions. All of them have crossed Downes' personal path in some way, and the most remarkable thing here, to borrow a phrase from DJ culture, is the segues. Those who have heard Downes live know of her ability to weave the most diverse materials into a coherent statement, and that is just what she does here. Sample the natural way Sammy Fain's I'll Be Seeing You flows into Dobrinka Tabakova's Simple Prayer for Complex Times. This release marks Downes' debut on the PentaTone label, and one hopes that European distribution and publicity will bring her success similar to what she has experienced in the U.S.
© James Manheim /TiVo
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Jaroslav Jezek, Composer - Lara Downes, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer - Jeremy Siskind, Arranger
2023 PENTATONE 2023 (P) PENTATONE
Johann Sebastian Bach, Composer - Ignaz Friedman, Arranger - Lara Downes, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer
2023 PENTATONE 2023 (P) PENTATONE
Lara Downes, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer - Debbie Friedman, Composer - Jeremy Siskind, Arranger
2023 PENTATONE 2023 (P) PENTATONE
Credo (Margaret Bonds)
Margaret Bonds, Composer - Lara Downes, Arranger, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer
2023 PENTATONE 2023 (P) PENTATONE
Clarice Assad, Composer - Lara Downes, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer
2023 PENTATONE 2023 (P) PENTATONE
Gabriel Kahane, Composer - Lara Downes, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer
2023 PENTATONE 2023 (P) PENTATONE
Franz Schubert, Composer - Lara Downes, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer - August Horn, Arranger
2023 PENTATONE 2023 (P) PENTATONE
Lara Downes, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer - Iván Enrique Rodríguez, Composer
2023 PENTATONE 2023 (P) PENTATONE
Karen Tanaka, Composer - Lara Downes, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer
2023 PENTATONE 2023 (P) PENTATONE
Lara Downes, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer - Nyokabi Kariuki, Composer
2023 PENTATONE 2023 (P) PENTATONE
Lara Downes, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer - DeVon Russell Gray, Composer
2023 PENTATONE 2023 (P) PENTATONE
Lara Downes, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer - Jimmy López Bellido, Composer, Arranger
2023 PENTATONE 2023 (P) PENTATONE
Lara Downes, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer - Sean Hickey, Composer
2023 PENTATONE 2023 (P) PENTATONE
Lara Downes, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer - Calliope Tsoupaki, Composer
2023 PENTATONE 2023 (P) PENTATONE
Lara Downes, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer - Timo Andres, Composer
2023 PENTATONE 2023 (P) PENTATONE
Sammy Fain, Composer - Lara Downes, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer - Mariel Mayz, Arranger
2023 PENTATONE 2023 (P) PENTATONE
Lara Downes, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer - Dobrinka Tabakova, Composer, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer
2023 PENTATONE 2023 (P) PENTATONE
Lara Downes, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer - Patricio Molina, Composer
2023 PENTATONE 2023 (P) PENTATONE
Vijay Iyer, Composer - Lara Downes, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer
2023 PENTATONE 2023 (P) PENTATONE
Lara Downes, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer - Milad Yousufi, Composer
2023 PENTATONE 2023 (P) PENTATONE
Lara Downes, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer - Juhi Bansal, Composer
2023 PENTATONE 2023 (P) PENTATONE
Lara Downes, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer - Hooshyar Khayam, Composer
2023 PENTATONE 2023 (P) PENTATONE
Valentin Silvestrov, Composer - Lara Downes, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer
2023 PENTATONE 2023 (P) PENTATONE
Traditional, Composer - Lara Downes, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer - Shawn E. Okpebholo, Arranger
2023 PENTATONE 2023 (P) PENTATONE
Lara Downes, Composer, Lyricist, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer
2023 PENTATONE 2023 (P) PENTATONE
Album review
A recent episode of the U.S. National Public Radio program This American Life on the theme of delight described itself as "radical counterprogramming," given the grim realities that impinge on everyday life nowadays. Something of the same is true of Lara Downes' Love at Last (the title and the general theme are furnished by a poem of writer Shaul Tchernichovsky), comprising pieces embodying in one way or another how love, at last, can address the various ills of the world. That is a big job, but there are some striking pieces here, especially effective if one reads the notes by Downes and some of the composers about them. Jaroslav Ježek's Dawn, one learns, was played on Prague radio during the Nazi occupation as a coded message of resistance, and when Downes played it at the Czech Embassy in Washington, she found her older listeners in tears. Many of the pieces are contemporary; a majority are world premieres, and they come from many countries and a great variety of sources, from traditional composition to popular song, jazz, and various national traditions. All of them have crossed Downes' personal path in some way, and the most remarkable thing here, to borrow a phrase from DJ culture, is the segues. Those who have heard Downes live know of her ability to weave the most diverse materials into a coherent statement, and that is just what she does here. Sample the natural way Sammy Fain's I'll Be Seeing You flows into Dobrinka Tabakova's Simple Prayer for Complex Times. This release marks Downes' debut on the PentaTone label, and one hopes that European distribution and publicity will bring her success similar to what she has experienced in the U.S.
© James Manheim /TiVo
About the album
- 1 disc(s) - 25 track(s)
- Total length: 01:18:21
- 1 Digital booklet
- Main artists: Lara Downes
- Composer: Various Composers
- Label: PENTATONE
- Genre: Classical
2023 PENTATONE 2023 (P) PENTATONE
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