October 8, 2021
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Songs by Paul Salerni
Paul Salerni: People, Places, & Pets
Bowers Fader Duo
Miranda Cuckson, violin.
Miles Salerni, percussion.
Bridge Records 9559
Total Time: 60:58
Recording: ****/****
Performance: ****/****Composer Paul Salerni has gained notice with several of his one-act operas, one released on the Naxos label in 2010 (The Life and Love of Joe Coogan). Albany Records has also released some of his songs and chamber music. The former are part of this new Bridge release featuring the Bowers Fader Duo which performs works for mezzo-soprano and guitar.
The album presents a wide variety of Salerni’s songs which feel a close kin to Bernstein musical theater pieces in their texts and jazz qualities. There is a nice sense of wit in the musical settings for the texts that make them a lighter invitation into occasionally more serious themes. You can get a sense of that in the titles as well right from the start with the opening “Golden Retrievals” from the cycle Bad Pets—three songs that serve as both bookends and a center pivot point on the album. The four songs from City Scenes are also disbursed throughout the album and provide little windows on different cities. There are three additional cycles here. The slightly jazzier Something Permanent which focuses on texts that reflect Depression Era photography by Walker Evans. Four poems by David Ferry comprise the cycle Finding One Self that focus on themes of identity. The song “Repentance” is a reflection on a Vemeer painting by the poet Natasha Trethewey. The final Ekphrastic Songs are also featuring poems by Ferry and connect to paintings by Watteau and Millet.
Each of these song texts in a way is “ekphrastic” in that they tend to connect to some other work of art. Salerni uses these connections to inspire his musical accompaniments and often these are quite moving lyrical moments that move us in often understated ways. The guitar makes for an interesting companion here and Salerni uses it both as harmonic accompaniment but also to play directly with the vocal line in unison. There are some amusing effects that are also used to emphasize the text’s direction and implications. It makes for a unique collection of songs.
The sound here is also quite good, though one does wish the guitar could come forward a bit more. The program seems to be arranged to give an overall recital-like shape to the program. But at its core, the album really highlights Salerni’s text-setting and musical style and those who have come to appreciate his larger-scale works will find the same sense of humor and winks alongside deeply-emotional pieces in this unusual collection.