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Because
Reginald Mobley (counter-tenor), Baptiste Trotignon (piano)
Awards:
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BBC Music Magazine, August 2023, Choral & Song Choice
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Presto Recordings of the Year, Finalist 2023
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Grammy Awards, 66th Awards (2024), Nominee - Best Classical Solo Vocal Album
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Presto Recordings of the Year, Winner 2023, Debut Solo Album
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Opus Klassik Awards, 2024, Winner - Classical Without Borders
For all its beauty, the album also feels like a call to action. The horrors of racial violence cannot be separated from this repertoire, and a sense of urgent injustice is brought home by these...
Because
Reginald Mobley (counter-tenor), Baptiste Trotignon (piano)
Purchase product
Awards:
-
BBC Music Magazine, August 2023, Choral & Song Choice
-
Presto Recordings of the Year, Finalist 2023
-
Grammy Awards, 66th Awards (2024), Nominee - Best Classical Solo Vocal Album
-
Presto Recordings of the Year, Winner 2023, Debut Solo Album
-
Opus Klassik Awards, 2024, Winner - Classical Without Borders
For all its beauty, the album also feels like a call to action. The horrors of racial violence cannot be separated from this repertoire, and a sense of urgent injustice is brought home by these...
About
During the long era when Bach, Mozart and Beethoven were creating the musical canon of Western Europe, the songs of African slaves resounded in the colonies on the other side of the Atlantic, expressing pain and longing, but also joy and the desire for freedom. As the origin of many musical forms associated with the United States of America, including jazz, gospel, blues, soul, funk, indeed all Afro-American music, the repertoire of 'Spirituals' are true hymns to resilience, whose beauty and strength of both lyrics and music symbolise hope and faith in humanity. This project’s aim is to do justice to this musical heritage and to honour its past performers.
The American countertenor Reginald Mobley, a rising figure in baroque music, notably under the direction of John Eliot Gardiner, and the French pianist Baptiste Trotignon, winner of numerous awards (Victoires du Jazz, Django d'Or) have combined their talents and sensibilities to celebrate these spirituals and the
music of Black composers and poets in a programme entitled "Because". A gathering of songs arranged or written by composers including H.T. Burleigh and Florence Price, most often re-composed with great freedom by the two performers. Very evocative traditional melodies (such as "Sometimes I feel like a
motherless child", "Deep river" and other anonymous "gospel songs") are mixed with the improvised piano, in an interactive and organic way.
Contents and tracklist
- Arr. for Countertenor and Piano by Baptiste Trotignon
- Baptiste Trotignon (piano), Reginald Mobley (countertenor)
- Arr. for Countertenor and Piano by Baptiste Trotignon
- Baptiste Trotignon (piano), Reginald Mobley (countertenor)
- Arr. for Countertenor and Piano by Baptiste Trotignon
- Baptiste Trotignon (piano), Reginald Mobley (countertenor)
- Arr. for Countertenor and Piano by Baptiste Trotignon
- Baptiste Trotignon (piano), Reginald Mobley (countertenor)
- Arr. for Countertenor and Piano by Baptiste Trotignon
- Baptiste Trotignon (piano), Reginald Mobley (countertenor)
- Arr. for Countertenor and Piano by Baptiste Trotignon
- Baptiste Trotignon (piano), Reginald Mobley (countertenor)
- Arr. for Countertenor and Piano by Baptiste Trotignon
- Baptiste Trotignon (piano), Reginald Mobley (countertenor)
- Arr. for Countertenor and Piano by Baptiste Trotignon
- Baptiste Trotignon (piano), Reginald Mobley (countertenor)
- Arr. for Countertenor and Piano by Baptiste Trotignon
- Baptiste Trotignon (piano), Reginald Mobley (countertenor)
- Arr. for Countertenor and Piano by Baptiste Trotignon
- Baptiste Trotignon (piano), Reginald Mobley (countertenor)
Spotlight on this release
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Reginald Mobley on Because
20th Jul 2023
Ahead of his Proms performance of the programme at The Sage this weekend, the American countertenor discusses his album of spirituals and songs by Black composers with jazz pianist Baptiste Trotignon, released on Alpha Classics in May.
Awards and reviews
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BBC Music MagazineAugust 2023Choral & Song Choice
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Presto Recordings of the YearFinalist 2023
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Opus Klassik Awards2024Winner - Classical Without Borders
August 2023
For all its beauty, the album also feels like a call to action. The horrors of racial violence cannot be separated from this repertoire, and a sense of urgent injustice is brought home by these performances of dignity and power.
August 2023
'Steal Away' the highlight of the disc and where text, melody, arrangement, voice and piano all combine for a few minutes of heart-stopping beauty. Likewise ‘Deep River’, the final track, is most touchingly done by both artists.
25th May 2023
They make an unusual pairing but their thought-through sequence works thanks to Mobley’s poised, easy delivery, every word telling – he sounds ruffled only in the fastest, lowest songs – and playing from Trotignon that moves fluidly between any number of pop and jazz styles.
