A HOPEFUL PLACE
A Song Cycle for Soprano &
Chamber Orchestra
Music: Dan Redfeld
Text: John Gabriel Koladziej
Soprano: Kristi Holden
OVERVIEW
Composer Dan Redfeld presents A HOPEFUL PLACE: A SONG CYCLE FOR SOPRANO & CHAMBER ORCHESTRA, his debut release on Navona records showcasing his nine-movement song cycle of the same name. A Hopeful Place follows a woman’s journey through life from birth to death—a life-cycle-song-cycle, as librettist John Gabriel Koladziej describes the piece. Across the many movements, Redfeld and Koladziej explore the various stages of life, such as the adventurousness of early life in “Childhood,” the confusion of adolescence in “Words They Never Say,” and the joys, pleasures, love, and possibilities found in adulthood in “No Longer a Child / Somehow,” “Vocalise,” and the jazzy “Bacchanal.” The piece culminates in “A Hopeful Place,” a poignant meditation on pain and hope drawing from the experiences of the composer and librettist in post–9/11 America. The piece closes with the elegiac “Evensong” and the finale “Moments / I Wish You Music.”
Soprano Kristi Holden takes center stage in this recording, with Redfeld conducting the Hollywood Studio Symphony, a 20-piece ensemble of musicians from the Los Angeles area. Holden moves deftly through the many styles of Redfeld’s lush score, from opera to musical theatre to jazz. Redfeld employs several distinctive themes to heighten the drama of the piece, the most central being the sweeping “Vocalise” theme, which weaves the many movements together. A Hopeful Place both opens and closes with this theme—thus, completing the cycle and reminding the listener of the role of music in life’s journey.
HIGHLIGHTS
A Hopeful Place was commissioned by Ensemble Green of Los Angeles, and was written between August 2009 and July 2010. It received its premiere on the composer’s birthday—October 2, 2010—featuring Kristi Holden as the soloist, with members of Ensemble Green conducted by Redfeld
Dan Redfeld holds a degree in composition with a concentration in conducting from the University of California, Los Angeles. His compositions include January 15, 1947 for solo harp, Travels for piano quartet, Fantasy for violin and piano, and Arioso for Oboe, Percussion, and Strings. He has also composed the scores for many films including Clinic E and Moustache, as well as numerous scores for silent films
Redfeld has written six works for musical theatre, such as Tales, Dangerous Liasons, and Little Women – An American Musical, which he wrote with lyricists Christina Harding and John Gabriel Koladziej. He is currently working on an untitled stage work with Harding and Koladziej
As a music director and conductor, Redfeld has been involved in over forty musicals. He made his debut with the Montana Lyric Opera in 2010, conducting Puccini’s Madama Butterfly. He is also active as an arranger, orchestrator, and producer, having worked on “Music from the Twilight Saga,” and “Titanic: An Epic Musical Voyage” and “Schindler’s List: The Film Music of John Williams” for Buysoundtrax Records
Kristi Holden studied opera and jazz vocal performance for her music degree from Seattle's Cornish College of the Arts. Holden started her career in Los Angeles and performed in principle roles for multiple musicals, including CAROUSEL, SWEENEY TODD, A LITTLE NIGHT MUSIC, THE SECRET GARDEN and Redfeld's LITTLE WOMEN. She sang with the California Philharmonic at Walt Disney Concert Hall, and most notably starred as Christine Daae in the multimillion dollar production of THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA in Las Vegas where she was named "Best Singer" in 2012 by the Las Vegas Review Journal. Kristi then reprised her role on the POTO World Tour travelling across Asia and Europe. She currently resides in NYC and a member of Actor's Equity and SAG/AFTRA. www.kristiholden.com
John Gabriel Koladziej trained at the Stella Adler Conservatory in New York City and holds a degree in Drama and a masters in Musical Theatre Writing, both from New York University. A Hopeful Place marks John’s second collaboration with composer Dan Redfeld after co-writing the lyrics for Little Women – An American Musical (with lyricist Christina Harding)
Release Date: June 10, 2016
Catalog #: NV6045
TRACK LISTING
A Hopeful Place
A Song Cycle for Soprano & Chamber Orchestra
I INTRODUCTION / RUMINATIONS
II CHILDHOOD
III WORDS THEY NEVER SAY
IV NO LONGER A CHILD / SOMEHOW
V VOCALISE
VI BACCHANAL
VII A HOPEFUL PLACE
VIII EVENSONG
IX FINALE: MOMENTS / I WISH YOU MUSIC
Music: Dan Redfeld
Text: John Gabriel Koladziej
Soprano: Kristi Holden
The Hollywood Studio Symphony | Dan Redfeld, conductor
ALSO ON NAVONA RECORDS
THE CONFERENCE OF THE BIRDS NV6037
Jonathan Sheffer, composer
Joyce DiDonato, narrator
© 2016 HumBear Music llc The copyright in this sound recording is owned by HumBear Music llc under exclusive license to Navona Records llc. All rights reserved. The Navona imprint is a registered trademark of PARMA Recordings llc. Unauthorized copying, hiring, lending, public performance & broadcasting of the recorded work prohibited.
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