Crimson Roses

The three world premiere choral recordings on this album represent the commitment of Musica Viva NY’s artistic director, Alejandro Hernandez-Valdez, to perform new works by living composers. Joseph Turrin’s Crimson Roses Once Again Be Fair is the album’s centerpiece, boasting a movement for soloist and orchestra sung by the legendary American mezzo-soprano Frederica von Stade, who has announced this performance as her final recording.  Turrin’s 42-minute cantata —scored for two soloists, chorus,  and orchestra —marks the centenary of the First World War Armistice in November of 1918 and is dedicated to those whose lives have forever been changed by war. Frederica von Stade recently joined WFMT as a guest on Listening to Singers to share how she was personally affected by World War II and why the composer sought her for this recording. The album also features works by Richard Einhorn and Gilda Lyons.