At That Hour
“The writing is rich, often rapturous, as voices and piano meld with urgent purpose.”
— Donald Rosenberg, Gramophone
The Album
Adding to the list of critically acclaimed collaborations with Metropolitan Opera soprano Danielle Talamantes, this world-premiere recording of Henry Dehlinger's art songs from Avie Records represents the culmination of a prolific period for the composer and the fruit of a close and rewarding friendship with the soprano and her bass-baritone husband, Kerry Wilkerson. The original works in this recital were composed especially for their voices.
The title track opens Henry’s 10-part song cycle set to texts by James Joyce. Inspiration for other songs comes from poetry by Dante, Edgar Allen Poe, Oscar Wilde, and the Biblical Song of Songs. Throughout, Henry’s modern yet tonal compositional voice shines through as he renders a diverse palette of musical styles to amplify the words he sets to music.
Avie Records
Reviews
“Each piece reveals the fastidious way Dehlinger shapes music to illuminate the meaning of the text. The songs are diverse in atmosphere and harmonic language, as befits the narratives, and the writing is rich, often rapturous, as voices and piano meld with urgent purpose.”
“The skill and splendour of his music belies the relatively brief number of years he has committed pen to paper to create a considerable oeuvre of orchestral, chamber and choral music.”
— AVIE Records
“Dehlinger’s compositional voice is tonal and extremely effective. He demonstrates a genuine lyrical impulse along with the ability to compose music that amplifies the words he has chosen to set.”
— Henry Fogel, Fanfare Magazine