So Lit Song Lit

This week we are focusing on three contemporary women composers in North America: Lori Laitman, Melissa Dunphy, and Jocelyn Hagen, all of whom have a great deal of Art Song repertoire to explore! To find more women composers, check out the Kassia Database, and for even more current composers or broader repertoire, the Facebook groups we recommended were: American Art Song Composers, American Vocal Chamber Music Composers, and The African American Art Song Alliance.

Since we recorded the episode, pianist Sandra Mogensen has also compiled lists of women composers' Lieder and Mélodies repertoire -the lists include IMSLP links to each song and are available for a nominal fee.

Recordings featured in this episode, performed by Toni Marie Palmertree, soprano, and Ellen Rissinger, pianist, (listed along with links to purchase information for the cycle):

• Lori Laitman: from The Metropolitan Tower and Other Songs (PDF score can be purchased at musicaneo.com)
  • 1. The Metropolitan Tower
  • 4. The Strong House
  • 5. The Hour
• Melissa Dunphy: from Four Poems of Nikita Gill
  • I. Sorcery
  • III. You Have Become a Forest
• Jocelyn Hagen
  • from Love Songs: i carry your heart
  • from Kiss: How to Bone a Fish

Recorded at The Camp Recording Studio in Elizabethtown, PA.

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So Lit Song Lit is a production of Cincinnati Song Initiative. You can learn more about their network of podcasts at cincinnatisonginitiative.org/podcasts.

You can follow Ellen and The Diction Police on Facebook and at www.dictionpolice.com.

You can follow Toni Marie on Facebook at Toni Marie Palmertree, soprano and Instagram @ToniMariePalmertree

This week, we talk about the Boulanger sisters, focusing on Lili Boulanger and her Clairières dans le ciel, a set of 13 songs for soprano. Lili was the first woman to win the Grand Prix de Rome in composition. The score for this stunning work is available through Classical Vocal Reprints.

Recordings featured in this episode, performed by Toni Marie Palmertree, soprano, and Ellen Rissinger, pianist:

• Elle était descendue au bas de la prairie
• Un poète disait

Recorded at The Camp Recording Studio in Elizabethtown, PA.

***

So Lit Song Lit is a production of Cincinnati Song Initiative. You can learn more about their network of podcasts at cincinnatisonginitiative.org/podcasts.

You can follow Ellen and The Diction Police on Facebook and at www.dictionpolice.com.

You can follow Toni Marie on Facebook at Toni Marie Palmertree, soprano and Instagram @ToniMariePalmertree

For those of you who love Die schöne Müllerin and Winterreise, Ernst Krenek's Reisebuch aus den österreichischen Alpen is another epic song cycle to fall in love with! The scores (in four volumes) is available at Classical Vocal Reprints.

Recordings featured in this episode, performed by Michael Vallikappil, tenor (Instagram @mgvtenor), and Ellen Rissinger, pianist:

• No. 1: Motif
• No. 4: Wetter
• No. 14: Heimweh
• No. 20: Epilog

Performances recorded at Carnegie Mellon University's Recording Studio in Pittsburgh, PA. Jingle and theme music recorded at The Camp Recording Studio in Elizabethtown, PA.

***

So Lit Song Lit is a production of Cincinnati Song Initiative. You can learn more about their network of podcasts at cincinnatisonginitiative.org/podcasts.

You can follow Ellen and The Diction Police on Facebook and at www.dictionpolice.com.

You can follow Toni Marie on Facebook at Toni Marie Palmertree, soprano and Instagram @ToniMariePalmertree

Happy 2023! We are starting the second half of Season 1 off with an amazingly beautiful set of songs by Francesco Santoliquido. The score for Tre poesie persiane is available at Sheet Music Plus.

Recordings featured in this episode, performed by Michael Vallikappil, tenor (Instagram @mgvtenor), and Ellen Rissinger, pianist:

• I. Quando le domandai
• II. Io mi levai dal centro della Terra
• III. Le domandai

Performances recorded at Carnegie Mellon University's Recording Studio in Pittsburgh, PA. Jingle and theme music recorded at The Camp Recording Studio in Elizabethtown, PA.

***

So Lit Song Lit is a production of Cincinnati Song Initiative. You can learn more about their network of podcasts at cincinnatisonginitiative.org/podcasts.

You can follow Ellen and The Diction Police on Facebook and at www.dictionpolice.com.

You can follow Toni Marie on Facebook at Toni Marie Palmertree, soprano and Instagram @ToniMariePalmertree

We're halfway through the season, so we wanted to do something special! Episode 10 covers duets for soprano and baritone that are not "Là ci darem la mano" :-) including some by Peter Cornelius (whose Op 16 has four duets) and works included in the book Joys Abiding: Soprano and Baritone Duets by Historical Women Composers, available at Classical Vocal Reprints.

Recordings featured in this episode, performed by Hannah Wolfe, soprano (Instagram @hannahwolfesoprano), Maika Madison, baritone (Instagram @maika.madison.baritone), and Ellen Rissinger, pianist:

• Peter Cornelius: Brennende Liebe
• Hensel: Die Mitternacht war kalt und stumm
• Viardot: Habanera (main theme and first variation)
• Beach: A Canadian Boat-Song

Performances recorded at Carnegie Mellon University's Recording Studio in Pittsburgh, PA. Jingle and theme music recorded at The Camp Recording Studio in Elizabethtown, PA.

***

So Lit Song Lit is a production of Cincinnati Song Initiative. You can learn more about their network of podcasts at cincinnatisonginitiative.org/podcasts.

You can follow Ellen and The Diction Police on Facebook and at www.dictionpolice.com.

You can follow Toni Marie on Facebook at Toni Marie Palmertree, soprano and Instagram @ToniMariePalmertree

Thomas Pasatieri has a large catalog of Art Songs, as well as 24 operas to his credit! Today's focus is on his Bel Canto Songs, a set of 6 songs on poems by William Blake, which are available through Classical Vocal Reprints.

Recordings featured in this episode, performed by Toni Marie Palmertree, soprano, and Ellen Rissinger, pianist:

• The Garden of Love
• Laughing Song
• The Lamb
• Hear the Voice  

Recorded at The Camp Recording Studio in Elizabethtown, PA.

***

So Lit Song Lit is a production of Cincinnati Song Initiative. You can learn more about their network of podcasts at cincinnatisonginitiative.org/podcasts.

You can follow Ellen and The Diction Police on Facebook and at www.dictionpolice.com.

You can follow Toni Marie on Facebook at Toni Marie Palmertree, soprano and Instagram @ToniMariePalmertree

Jennifer Aylmer, Associate Professor of Voice at Carnegie Mellon University, joins us today to discuss some lesser-known songs found on the album A French Collection (featuring Martyn Hill, tenor, Graham Johnston, piano, and Alber Ferber, piano). Jennifer found this recording on a music streaming service called Tidal. Links to the scores for these pieces can be found by clicking on the recording titles below.

Recordings featured in this episode, performed by Toni Marie Palmertree, soprano, and Ellen Rissinger, pianist:

• Fauré: Mandoline
• Debussy: Mandoline 
• Dupont: Mandoline
• Chabrier: Chanson pour Jeanne
• Franck: Nocturne

Recorded at The Camp Recording Studio in Elizabethtown, PA.

***
So Lit Song Lit is a production of Cincinnati Song Initiative. You can learn more about  their network of podcasts at cincinnatisonginitiative.org/podcasts.

You can follow Ellen and The Diction Police on Facebook and at www.dictionpolice.com.

You can follow Toni Marie on Facebook at Toni Marie Palmertree, soprano and Instagram @ToniMariePalmertree

Heinrich Marschner was the most important German opera composer between Carl Maria von Weber and Richard Wagner, and he composed 430 Lieder! Dr. Jeffrey Williams, creator of the Marschner Song Database, joins Ellen to discuss Op. 186 Ein Liederheft vom Rhein (also available as PDF download). Dr. Williams has compiled several scores of Marschner's Lieder duets and opera arias for Classical Vocal Reprints, and his recording Marschner: Songs for Baritone with Jennifer McGuire, piano, can be found on Spotify.

Recordings featured in this episode, performed by Maika Madison, baritone , and Ellen Rissinger, pianist:

• Still an der kühlen Fluth

Performances recorded at Carnegie Mellon University's Recording Studio in Pittsburgh, PA. Jingle and theme music recorded at The Camp Recording Studio in Elizabethtown, PA.

***

So Lit Song Lit is a production of Cincinnati Song Initiative. You can learn more about their network of podcasts at cincinnatisonginitiative.org/podcasts.

You can follow Ellen and The Diction Police on Facebook and at www.dictionpolice.com.

You can follow Toni Marie on Facebook at Toni Marie Palmertree, soprano and Instagram @ToniMariePalmertree

New York-based vocal coach Susan Morton of SingThrough Central joins us today to discuss the rest of Stefano Donaudy's songs (besides O del mio amato ben!). These songs are appropriate for singers at all levels and the score can be purchased at Classical Vocal Reprints. The recording that Susan recommended with Ernesto Palacio and Samuele Pala is available on Spotify .

Recordings featured in this episode, performed by Toni Marie Palmertree, soprano, and Ellen Rissinger, pianist:

• Amorosi miei giorni

Recorded at The Camp Recording Studio in Elizabethtown, PA.

***

So Lit Song Lit is a production of Cincinnati Song Initiative. You can learn more about their network of podcasts at cincinnatisonginitiative.org/podcasts.

You can follow Ellen and The Diction Police on Facebook and at www.dictionpolice.com.

You can follow Toni Marie on Facebook at Toni Marie Palmertree, soprano and Instagram @ToniMariePalmertree

Episode 5 introduces Gomezanda's Mexican Song Collection, a 3-volume set available at Classical Vocal Reprints. Our guest is Dr. Juanita Ulloa, who collected and edited the volumes; her direct email is [email protected]. 

Recordings featured in this episode, performed by Toni Marie Palmertree, soprano, and Ellen Rissinger, pianist:

• Tiernamente (Tenderly-vol. 2)
• Detente (Wait-vol. 1)
• A una golondrina (To a Swallow-vol. 1) 

Recorded at The Camp Recording Studio in Elizabethtown, PA.

***

So Lit Song Lit is a production of Cincinnati Song Initiative. You can learn more about their network of podcasts at cincinnatisonginitiative.org/podcasts.

You can follow Ellen and The Diction Police on Facebook and at www.dictionpolice.com.

You can follow Toni Marie on Facebook at Toni Marie Palmertree, soprano and Instagram @ToniMariePalmertree