This album was recorded at St. Mary's Church, Indian River, PEI, in October 2016, with additional recordings for 'Bootgesang' and 'Coronach' in Halifax, NS.
Compositional Technique
Schubert's 'Lady of the Lake' song cycle is unique for its variety of settings, including ensemble and choral songs in addition to solo voice with piano, which makes complete performances uncommon.
Composer's Artistic Vision
Schubert's song cycle, 'Lady of the Lake', views the Scottish tale through a lens of German Romanticism, incorporating some Scottish musical nods but rooted in the German Lieder style.
Compositional Technique
Fiona Ryan's 'Lady of the Lake' draws upon Scottish and Nova Scotian folk music traditions, with some movements directly influenced by folksongs and others by rhythmic patterns, ornamentation, and droning sounds from bagpipe music.
Composer's Artistic Vision
Fiona Ryan, the contemporary composer on this album, aimed to create a more gender-balanced retelling of 'Lady of the Lake' by highlighting women characters and allowing men to express inner turmoil.
Cultural Impact
Sir Walter Scott's epic poem, 'Lady of the Lake', was a 19th-century bestseller, popular throughout Europe and translated into many languages, including the German translation Schubert used.
Composer Biography
Franz Schubert, an Austrian composer, made seminal contributions to orchestral, chamber, and piano music, but was most especially known for the German Lied, composing over 600 songs.
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