Anne LeBaron (b. 1953) is one of the most vital composers of the post-war generation. Her overall aesthetic
is steeped in the sound world of the European-American avant-garde of the mid-twentieth century, but
like others of her post-war generation, LeBaron rejects the premise of stylistic continuity that underlies much
classical music. LeBaron’s aesthetic is defined by supplementation: The sound world of the
European/American avant-garde is supplemented with a host of others—popular music, jazz, historical
styles of the classical tradition, religious music, and so on.
The two works on this recording, Pope Joan (2000) and Transfiguration (2003), are relatively new works that
sustain LeBaron’s blossoming aesthetic of supplementation while at the same time refining and refreshing
it. Both are theatrical works for soprano and chamber ensemble. Pope Joan was conceived as a dance
opera, and while the recorded version here is for concert setting, the dramatic nature of the work shines
through. Transfiguration is a concert work but entails dramatic staging, gestures, and props that move it
toward ritual. Pope Joan develops its dramatic meaning through a combination of semantic, gestural, and
musical resources, much like a traditional opera. Transfiguration, however, relies little on the semantic
meaning of its text for dramatic meaning; rather the text serves as one element of musical design. Thus, its
dramatic meaning arises from sonic design, allusions to semantic meaning, and performance gestures.
Both works utilize a variety of different forms of vocal delivery performed primarily by the soprano but
occasionally by the instrumentalists, such delivery ranging from fully expressive aria-like melodic singing to
recitative-like declamation to impassive chanting. Both pieces rely on a large number of timbrally diverse
percussion instruments that are essential to the dramatic design.
Artists
Kristin Norderval (soprano), Dorothy Stone (alto/piccolo/flute), Keve Wilson (oboe/english horn), Jim Sullivan (clarinet/bass clarinet), Lorna Eder (piano), Nick Terry (percussion), Eric km Clark (violin), Andrew McIntosh (viola) & Erika Duke-Kirkpatrick (cello), Lucy Shelton (soprano), Camille Hoitenga (flute), June Han (harp) & William Trigg (percussion)
Mark Menzies, Rand Steiger
