Product Description
This opulent album features contralto Fadia Tomb El-Hage, with not less than 19 new works of Lebanese composers for voice and ensemble. The singer, whose career started in Lebanon, continued in Germany and now combines the Eastern and Western music tradition with unparalleled ease, presents a kaleidoscope of styles, expressions, colors and instrumentations.
If you are curious enough to explore truly new music, this is for you! Extensive liner notes in four languages will help you dive into this wealth of lyrics and sound.
Track Listing:
Disc 1:
At n
Atur ya kur nah
B albak
À la fin de cela
Sal tu Mir
Al-qit r
Pater
Waf al- a f r
A f l
L a
Vers le soleil bleu
Disc 2:
Baalbeck
A - awqu ila s-sam
Sumer
Das Lied der Seele
TIK TAK
Zarq a - amsu
Where is the Light?
Ma n t
Review
This disc could just as easily have gone into the Classical section, since the music is very much in the art music rather than the regional or ethnic folk music tradition. But these songs for contralto and various chamber ensembles are so deeply imbued with Lebanese influence that this release seems to fit better here. Most of the songs are written in Arabic, with a smattering of English, German, and French (Lebanon's other official language). For the most part these are compositions from the past 20 years; some are written for voice with European instruments, but other arrangements include the oud, qanun, and various regional percussion instruments. Melodies are sometimes lyrical and Romantic, and at other times fly off into thrilling Middle Eastern melismas, all sometimes within the course of a single song. Tomb al-Hage's voice is rich, sweet, and powerful, and her singing is marvelously subtle and flexible. This is a magnificent recording.
Rick Anderson --CD HotList January 2021
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