Composer David Lang takes the legend of Tristan and Isolde, which has been told in forms ranging form film to Wagnerian opera, and delivers in in a almost a cappella version with the vocal team of Amanda DeBoer Bartle/s, Kayleigh Butcher/s, Liz Pearse/s and Carrie Henneman Shaw/s. I saw “almost” because each vocalist intermittently plays percussion instruments including glockenspiel, cymbals, wood blocks and the like, more for accented flavor than a main course.
The ladies use their madrigal like voices in wide variety of ways, going point-counterpoint on “Right and Wrong”, unison on “You Will Love Me” and “Forbidden Subjects”, panting through “The Outing” or with solo voice with supporting chorus on ”The Wood and the Vine”. The harmonies get almost liturgical on “As Love Grows Stronger” and “Heart, Heart” while other times troubadour folk moods waft by. The variety of vocal environs and additions of instruments here and there keep the music, and story, dynamic and very interesting. Any thoughts of doing a Persuasions songbook?