INKPOT#68 CLASSICAL MUSIC REVIEWS: Lullabies – A Songbook Companion (ESS.A.Y)

Lullabies

A Songbook Companion

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JULLIANE BAIRD · MADELINE KAPP vocals
MELA TENABAUM violin/viola
RICHARD KAPP piano

ESS.A.Y Recordings
[70’13”] full-price

WARNING: No libretto provided.

ESS.A.Y Recordings CD1054
[62’35”] full-price

by Ng Yeuk Fan

Nowadays, it is commonplace indeed to see record companies dish out classical music, re-packaged in 10 million different forms in the hope
to cash in on the emerging interest in classical music.  Most of these are reissues of works performed by already dead and long gone artists –
this strategy offers the huge record companies a potential profit by taking mouldy tapes in their vast libraries and make them do a re-run
for their money without the need to pay hefty royalty bills.

Sometimes, they are reissued generously cleaned up, packed full, and well contrasted or selected, offering valuable insight to new collectors and
mighty bargains to seasoned collectors.  Other times, the commercialism simply stinks – e.g. 40 minutes of music, lousy notes, reissues at
mid-price or even full-price, etc.

Still more interesting (and funny) are the myriad ways in which music is collected together.  I mean – haven’t you seen? – The Classical
Experience Volumes I – IV (which are also ‘partly’ sold separately in a 2-CD Experience the Classical Experience Sampler!), music packaged with diverse themes like ‘Tear Jerkers Classic Album’ and ‘American Gay Composers’. The list goes on.

The current CD in question is not one from a giant – so one would be pleasantly pleased to find that it contains entirely new music.
Further, the theme is a rather interesting one – Lullabies.

Surely, sleep is one of the most desired past-times among the hardworking! It is said that the times spent going to sleep can be one of the sweetest pleasures that children and adults share.  Thus, it is not surprising that music since time immemorial has been part of
this engaging ritual, for lullabies provide, as it were, a bridge between daytime and dreaming – an inspiration for visions of delights
and dreams of fantasy…

Collected in this CD are 35 songs of a variety of styles and, though mostly traditional, include compositions by famous composers such as
Mozart and Brahms.  Listeners will be immediately familiar with the tunes of Rock-a-Bye Baby,  Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star and Swing Low, Sweet Chariot.

The others all have simple, captivating melodies and indeed, the lyrics of most of them can and do calm and comfort.  Tiny babies may not be able to understand words, but no worry – some of the most effective songs in this collections are – you bet – composed of soothing nonsense syllables, for example “toora, loora” and “baloo, baleerie”.
Together with regular ESS.A.Y artists Mela Tenenbaum and Richard Kapp, Julianne Baird performs some of these lovely tunes collected from the British Isles, the American South, Eastern Europe and other places around the world.

Probably intended to market to an English-speaking audience, Ess.a.y has left out beautiful slumber songs in other languages, (excepting Fai Dodo and Raisins and Almonds) such as German ones by Reger, Schubert and the immaculate Wiegenlied by R. Strauss.  Further, Brahms’ famous Lullaby and the Latin Suo Gan is sung in uncomfortable English.

Another shortcoming that irritated me was the lack of indication on the CD as to who sang what, but I suppose between the three women (Madeline Kapp is – you guessed it – Richard’s daughter), it’s not difficult to deduce.

Though there is no libretto provided in this CD sleeve, the interested listener is advised to obtain the book Lullabies: An Illustrated
Songbook, published in 1997 by The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, to accompany this recording.  To be accurate, this recording was
devised to accompany the book – a testament to the enduring fascination that humans have of the primal purpose of music: lulling children to
sleep.  In any case, it is relatively easy to make out the words and thus one need not worry. For example, the shortest song only has two words: “Good night”.
Madeline Kapp, all of 12-years-old in this recording, has a bright chesty alto voice that is reminiscent of the untrained boy’s voice.  She is delightful to listen to – not in a classical sort of way – but surely, she makes her impact effectively for the agenda at hand – soothing one to sleep.  She makes a distinct contrast with the mellow, even-toned Julianne Baird.

Sample Baird’s voice, heard to mesmerizing effect, on tracks 5 Baby’s Bed’s a Silver Moon, the hugely famous Rock-a-Bye Baby and a very admirable Swing Low, Sweet Chariot.  Baird is always sweet to the ears – sounding effortless, she achieves light floated pianissimi and tender arching melody lines in a dreamy, soft and vulnerable way – most suited to this collection.  I will not hesitate to recommend that all of the songs here are indeed very beautifully performed by the ever-stylish Baird.

Richard Kapp has hardly enough to play – mostly gentle and light accompaniments – he makes a simple understatement of his sound
technique.  He is inflective, supportive and never hurried in these calming pieces.  Further, judging from the alteration in sound – I can
swear him singing, from the piano, the fatherly part in Hush, Little Baby and the bass line of Kumbaya.  The reader in track 19
Little Boy Blue is most likely Richard Kapp as well.

On violin or viola, Mela Tenenbaum’s rendition of Traumerei   is also depressed in melodic intensity – perhaps to suit the agenda at hand. (This does not underscore her superb technique which is evident even then, and surely in her regular role as Ess.a.y Recordings’ premiere violinist/violist).  It is suitable playing if the entire CD is meant to heard prior to sleeping.  Nevertheless, she delivers a sensitively evocative reading of Godard’s Berceuse from the opera Jocelyn and Elgar’s Chanson de Nuit. In line with this ‘homely’ approach, she even lends her motherly voice to Raisins and Almonds, a Jewish folk tune by Abraham Goldfaden (1840-1908).

I must commend ESS.A.Y – before I fall asleep – on this very successful production. Mostly familiar, it is sweetly memorable to hear tunes from
my childhood.

I must say that [yawn] it is very effective in putting me to sleep – never mind the sensitive artistry involved, but [yawn] I am glad, I mean, it is great to hear, be hearing these tunes again, isn’t
it?

Huh, highly commendable don’t you think, …and I love this very much…certainly.
I will finish this review

when I

wake

up….

Lullabies: An Illustrated Songbook Hardcover (96 pages; Harcourt Brace, 1997; ISBN: 0152 01728 3) available from the usual book places.  The cover picture is identical to that of this CD.

In Singapore, this CD is available at or can be ordered from Borders (Wheelock Place), Tower (Pacific Plaza & Suntec City) or HMV (The Heeren).

It is great to be er, feel young,  Ng Yeuk Fan gladly relives past childhood glories.

369: 4.1.1999 ©Ng Yeuk Fan

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