CDs
AYRE
GOLIJOV Against the Grain
ATG001CD
Toronto’s Against the Grain Theatre has a hit on its hands with this recording of Argentinian-born composer Osvaldo Golijov’s genre-bending song cycle Ayre, which fuses elements from Arabic, Hebrew, Sardinian and Sephardic folk melodies and texts. In addition to the folk elements, we hear influences as varied as Canteloube’s “Songs of the Auvergne” and modern pop music (including turntable effects).
This live recording from 2016, made at the city’s Ismaili Centre, features an astonishing tour-de-force by Syrian-born Canadian soprano Miriam Khalil, who has performed this in many North American cities as well as in Argentina. It has become her signature piece. The ensemble, which deserves equal credit as there are some instrumental bits, includes parts for flute, clarinet, horn, viola, cello, double bass,…
