Martha Guth - Opera Singer

We are now available for subscription on itunes!  Search under 'Sparks and Wiry Cries' to subscribe or 'Martha Guth' or 'Erika Switzer'.  This means you can have SWC downloaded to you without ever thinking about it...automatic song happiness.

Sparks and Wiry cries is back for more!

The newest Episode:

The Beginning of Season Three- Dichterliebe.

Welcome back to Sparks and Wiry Cries.  This season, we are going to switch it up quite a bit.  SWC is undergoing a transformation over the next few months and this will be the last podcast for a little while.  But never fear...better and bigger things are on the horizon for this podcast and Sparks and Wiry Cries in general.  Please stay tuned and stay with us through the 'construction zone'.  While you are waiting for the big announcement though we have a fabulous podcast to send your way.  This month we are featuring the return of Musicologist Dr. Benjamin Binder who marvelously unravels the story of Schumanns' Dichterliebe.  The incomparable Gerald Finley and Julius Drake are performing.  What could be better than that?

Season 3, Episode 1

Dichterliebe

Gerald Finley    www.geraldfinley.com

Julius Drake     www.juliusdrake.com

Dr. Ben Binder     http://www.duq.edu/music/bios/binder.cfm

Season 2 Episode 7

Stephen Paulus

We love him!  Here we sit down with the composer for a discussion of his music and one of his wonderful song cycles.

go to www.stephenpaulus.com for more information

performers are Donna Lowey and Andrew Garland

Season 2, Episode 6

Goethe and Deen Larsen

The enigmatic and wonderful Deen Larsen, founder of the Franz Schubert Institute in Baden-bei-Wien talks to us today about Goethe and Schuberts' Heidenroeslein.  Performers are the incomparable duo Elly Ameling and Dalton Baldwin.  You know they are the real thing when they have their own Wikipedia entry folks!

Elly Ameling    

Season 2, Episode 5

The end of Napoleons reign and the birth of the Biedermeier era and culture brought about many things, including -in a round about way- the birth of the Song salon.  Musicologist Ben Binder discusses why the politics of the time created an atmosphere where people were comfortable to be themselves only at home and why Schubert mattered so much to them.

Songs: 

Nacht und Traume

Der Wanderer

Der Juengling und der Tod

Aufleosung

Performers for this episode are listed below.  As always, a youtube or a google search can also provide many hours of entertainment from these artists...yes, even in the world of Classical song.

 

Spencer Myer   www.spencermyer.com

ShenYang   http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shen_Yang_(singer)

Vlad Iftinca     http://www.losangelesopera.com/artist/iftinca.vlad.aspx

William Ferguson     www.williamferguson.com

Margaret MacDonald     http://www.musicacademy.org/school/faculty-guests/faculty/collaborative-piano/margaret-mcdonald

Christianne Stotijn     www.christiannestotijn.com 

Jospeh Breinl     http://www.askonasholt.co.uk/artists/accompanists/joseph-breinl

Season 2, Episode 4

Just in time for Christmas, we have a performance of Benjamin Brittens' 'Jouney of the Magi'.  This is his Canticle No. 4.  We also take a look at the extraordinary canticle No. 2, 'Abraham and Isaac'.  These wonderful and dramatic pieces of music are performed through Toronto's Aldeburgh Connection Recital series and recording label.   This recital series brings young performers, seasoned performers and the two brillant pianists who run it together for performances that have been beloved by audiences for many years.

Aldeburgh Connection    www.aldeburghconnection.org

Stephen Ralls

Brice Ubukata

Daniel Taylor   

Brett Polegato    www.brettpolegato.com

Benjamin Butterfield

Season 2, Episode 3

O Viva Rosa

This episode features the talents of phenomenal Soprano Shannon Mercer and her 'band': Luc Beausejour on harpsichord and organ, Sylvain Bergeron on lute, guitar and theorbo and Amanda Keesmaat on cello, performing songs of Francesca Caccini.  We are talking renaissance Florence, Italy and the Medici Family...great stuff folks!

Shannon Mercer    www.shannonmercer.com

Sylvain Bergeron

Amanda Keesmat

Luc Beausejour     www.lucbeausejour.com

Season 2, Episode 2

This episode features the talents of Canadian Music Greats: Tenor Jon Vickers and Contralto Maureen Forrester.  They are performing music of Canadian composers Jean Coulthard and Srul Irving Glick.  If you would like to read more of the interview between Jon Vickers and award winning broadcaster Bruce Duffie which was quoted with his permission, please go to his website:

www.bruceduffie.com

 

His site is chock-full of interesting information so make sure you take time to look around.

 Season 2, Episode 1

Erika Switzer   www.erikaswitzer.com

Peter McGillivray   www.petermcgillivray.com

Liz Upchurch

Previous Episodes:

VISI 2010

This episode is centered around the Vancouver International Song Insititute.  This is a fabulous program headed by artistic director Rena Sharon in the stunning city of Vancouver, Canada.  VISI, centered on the campus of the University of British Columbia, is a two and a half week intensive program in June for college level performers/students of classical song, pedagogues, and musicologists.   VISI also includes a beloved performance festival in venues all around the city of Vancouver with an intensive season during the institute.

This episode we feature the stylings of world renowned collaborators and teachers:  Soprano Tracy Dahl with Pianist Margo Garrett, and Baritone Francois LeRoux with Pianist Mickhail Hallack.  Songs of John Greer, Robert Fleming and Claude Debussy.

Vancouver International Song Institute:    www.songinstitute.ca

Tracy Dahl     www.dispeker.com/page/dahl

Margo Garrett

Francois LeRoux     www.francoisleroux.net

Mickhail Hallack     www.mickhailhallack.com

Composer Libby Larsen

In this episode we have the pleasure of hearing an interview with the extraordinary American composer Libby Larsen.  We also take an in depth look at her often-performed cycle 'Try me good king', five songs set to the last words of five of the six wives of Henry the VIIIth.   

Libby Larsen   www.libbylarsen.com

Martha Guth    www.marthaguth.com

Anne Kissel Harper    http://www.fredonia.edu/music/faculty/bios/kissel.asp

Florestan Recital Project   www.florestanproject.org 

The Ballads of Carl Loewe

In this episode Bass Baritone Shenyang and Pianist Vlad Iftinca perform three ballads from their Alice Tully Hall Recital in NYC.  Beautiful collaboration, impeccable musicianship and exciting storytelling bring these fanciful tales to life.  One depicts Goethe's fateful Elf-King who brings about the demise of all who see him, another falls in love with the queen of the fairies, and a third ends up the blacksmith for the Norse God Odin who is off to fight in Battle.

This latest episode centers around American composer Tom Cipullo.  We interviewed him at his home in Long Island City and also present four of his songs.  Special thanks to the Albany label for their generous permission to have Paul Sperry's fabulous rendition of 'Reasons why I don't keep a gun in the house' aired today on the podcast. 

Erika Switzer    www.erikaswitzer.com

Tom Cipullo    www.tomcipullo.com

Liza Stepanova    www.liza-stepanova.com    

Anthony Mcgee

Andrew Garland     www.andrewgarland.com

Donna Loewy

Paul Sperry     www.paulsperry.net

Viva Espana!

This most recent episode features the beautiful, passionate and lyrical songs from Spain.   Join us as we explore the music of Turina, de Falla, and  Montsalvatge.  Guest speaker and opera singer Ricardo Lugo gives us our much needed Spanish lessons along the way. 

Hugo Wolf!

We continue on with more form the big German song composers.  This songcast is dedicated to the tormented genius of Hugo Wolf.   Not known far outside the world of 'Art song', this composer was a master of the miniature and dedicated much of his compositional efforts to classical song.  We explore four of his songs with poetry by two greats: Goethe and Moerike.  Enjoy!

Shenyang, Bass-Baritone

Vlad Iftinca, Piano

Valentines Day

This episode is dedicated to the ones we love, near and far.  We are listening to songs by Hugo Wolf, Johannes Brahms, Gabriel Faure, Franz Schreker, and Sergei Rachmaninov. 

Erika Switzer    www.erikaswitzer.ca

Lenneke Ruiten   www.lennekeruiten.com

Thom Janssen   www.thomjanssen.nl

Julian Pregardien     www.julianpregardien.de

Goetz Payer

Debra Stanley

Michael guido

Joseph Kaiser

Colin Balzer    www.colinbalzer.com

Stefani Iranyi

Tyler Duncan    www.tylerduncan.ca

Performers for our Schubert Podcast:

Erika Switzer     www.erikaswitzer.ca

Colin Balzer     www.colinbalzer.com

Tyler Duncan     www.tylerduncan.ca

Robyn Driedger-Klassen     www.robynklassen.com

Karen Lee-Morlang     www.karen.lee-morlang.com

David Santos

Thomas Wija

The great passion in my career is the world of classical song.  Renowned pianist Erika Switzer and I will co-host the upcoming episodes. We will look at song in a different light that will air every other week.  Each podcast will be centered around a theme, and include live recordings spanning Mozart to the present day. We will also have the pleasure of including interviews with composers, musicologists and poets whose voices add a meaningful dimension to our conversations about song and performance.  This podcast offers favorite repertoire, performed by ourselves and the many wonderful colleagues we have the pleasure to work with.  This new generation of song singers have won international awards for excellence in their field and are currently performing in all corners of the globe.   My hope is that this venue has the intimacy that the first composers of song originally had in mind, and that what has been delighting us on the concert stage can now be enjoyed in your living room. -Please enjoy!   Special thanks to Matthew Principe for his commitment and enthusiasm as producer and Matt Galek for his invaluable help with this project. 

Episode 12:

For more information on the performers of 'Hollydaze' please see the list below.   

Erika Switzer     www.erikaswitzer.com

Lynne Mcmurtry     www.lynnemcmurtry.com

Alison D'amato     www.alisondamato.com

The Florestan Rectial Project     www.florestanproject.org

Jennifer Zetlan     www.jenniferzetlan.com

David Shimoni     www.pianoteachers.com/dshimoni/index.html

Susan Platts     www.susanplatts.com

Lambert Orkis     www.lambertorkis.com

Steven Dann

ATMA Recordings     www.atmaclassique.com

Episode 11:

For more information on the performers of the Francis Poulenc songcast, see the links below.   Debra and Michael's recordings were made in the Velte-Saal at the Hochscule fur Musik in Karlsruhe, April 21st, 2009.  Claire and Marc's performance was recorded in October of 2002.

Episode 10: 

Information for 'Waves of Destruction':