Jan Philip Schulze, the pianist on this album, is a successful soloist, chamber music partner, and accompanist for lieder, with a focus on contemporary music.
Recording & Production
The recording was produced using the 'High Quality Musical Mastering' principle, employing Sonodore microphones, Avalon Acoustic & Musikelectronic Geithain monitoring, Siltech Mono-Crystal cabling, and dCS & Merging Technologies converters.
Instruments
Pianist Jan Philip Schulze plays Steinway D pianos and his vintage KORG CX3 stage organ from 2000 on this recording.
Composer's Artistic Vision
The album explores death as a theme, encompassing melancholia, longing for death, and murderous lust, but also comfort, hope, and black humor.
Performer Biography
Olivia Vermeulen, the mezzo-soprano on this album, is praised for the 'exceptional wealth of colors' of her voice and has performed a wide range of repertoire from early music to 21st-century works.
Interpretation
The performers, mezzo-soprano Olivia Vermeulen and pianist Jan Philip Schulze, aimed to program songs from different centuries, styles, and genres, connecting works across musical history.
Album & Artwork
The album, titled 'Hello Darkness', is an ode to death, featuring songs from composers as diverse as Claudio Monteverdi and Billie Eilish.
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