Anne Sofie von Otter – A Simple Song

Contents

Bernstein: Mass: No. 2, Hymn & Psalm. A Simple Song (Arr. For Voice, Flute, Electric Guitar, Harp & Organ) Anne Sofie von Otter (mezzo-soprano), Sharon Bezaly (flute), Fabian Fredriksson (electric guitar), Margareta Nilsson (harp), Bengt Forsberg (organ)

Copland: Twelve Poems of Emily Dickinson, No. 10, I’ve Heard an Organ Talk Sometimes (Arr. for Voice & Organ) Anne Sofie von Otter (mezzo-soprano), Bengt Forsberg (organ)

Ives, C: 114 Songs, No. 42, Serenity (Arr. for Voice & Organ) Anne Sofie von Otter (mezzo-soprano), Bengt Forsberg (organ)

Mahler: Symphony No. 3 in D Minor: V. Lustig im Tempo und keck im Ausdruck (Arr. for Voice & Organ) Anne Sofie von Otter (mezzo-soprano), Bengt Forsberg (organ)

Mahler: Symphony No. 2 in C Minor “Resurrection”: IV. Urlicht (Arr. for Voice & Organ) Anne Sofie von Otter (mezzo-soprano), Bengt Forsberg (organ)

Strauss, R: Lieder (3), Op. 29, TrV 172: No. 1, Traum durch die Dämmerung (Arr. for Voice & Organ) Anne Sofie von Otter (mezzo-soprano), Bengt Forsberg (organ)

Strauss, R: Vier Lieder Op. 27, TrV 170: No. 4, Morgen! (Arr. for Voice, Violin, Harp & Organ) Anne Sofie von Otter (mezzo-soprano), Nils-Erik Sparf (violin), Margareta Nilsson (harp), Bengt Forsberg (organ)

Pärt: My Heart’s in the Highlands /Anne Sofie von Otter (mezzo-soprano), Bengt Forsberg (organ)

Duruflé: Requiem, Op. 9, V. Pie Jesu (Arr. for Voice, Cello & Organ) Anne Sofie von Otter (mezzo-soprano), Marie McLeod (cello), Bengt Forsberg (organ)

Messiaen: 3 Mélodies (Arr. for Voice & Organ) No. 1, Pourquoi? No. 2, Le sourire & No. 3, La fiancée perdue /Anne Sofie von Otter (mezzo-soprano), Bengt Forsberg (organ)

Poulenc: Priez pour paix /Anne Sofie von Otter (mezzo-soprano), Bengt Forsberg (organ)

Martin, F: Requiem, VI. Agnus Dei /Anne Sofie von Otter (mezzo-soprano), Bengt Forsberg (organ)

Pärt: Es sang vor langen Jahren (Motet für de la Motte) Anne Sofie von Otter (mezzo-soprano), Nils-Erik Sparf (violin), Ellen Nisbeth (viola)

Liszt: Sposalizio (Trauung) nach dem gleichnamigen Bilde Raphael’s, S60 / R498, “Ave Maria III” (version for voice and organ) Anne Sofie von Otter (mezzo-soprano), Bengt Forsberg (organ)

Rodgers, R: The Sound of Music, Climb Ev’ry Mountain (arr. for voice and organ) Anne Sofie von Otter (mezzo-soprano), Bengt Forsberg (organ)

A brief glance at the list of contents is enough to reveal who the singer is – only Anne Sofie von Otter could have come up with a programme as varied and wide-ranging. And only von Otter could hold it together seamlessly by finding the resonances between these very different pieces, and bringing them out with a rare ability of embracing different singing styles and expressive registers: to paraphrase Bernstein in his A Simple Song, Anne Sofie von Otter never fails to ‘sing like she likes to sing’.

From Liszt to Pärt and from Mahler’s Resurrection Symphony to Richard Rodgers’ Sound of Music, von Otter is supported by her long-time accompanist Bengt Forsberg, here at the organ instead of his usual piano. At various points in the programme they are joined by a number of musical friends, in the organ loft of St James’s Church in central Stockholm – the very church where the young von Otter began her singing career as a chorister and, together with Forsberg, gave one of her very first public concerts.