It has become Anne Akiko Meyers’ calling card: a CD filled with glorious music, elegantly performed. The inspiration for the newest release, Shining Night, began when she asked Morten Lauridsen if he had written any duos. He responded with arrangements of his songs “Sure on This Shining Night” and “Dirait-on” from “Les chansons des roses.”
As Meyers explains, “Shining Night is based on a poem by James Agee and describes a man going on a walk and thinking back over his life. That inspired this collection of pieces that metaphorically begins in the morning and explores the vast musical history through Baroque, Romantic, Popular, and current genres. The common themes throughout the music reflect on one’s relationship with nature, love, and poetry. And how in dark and challenging times, kindness profoundly affects our souls and opens infinite possibilities when living our lives. This is dedicated to all the duos in the universe, including my Jason.”
In addition to the Lauridsen pieces, you’ll hear works by Corelli, Piazzolla, Ellington, Villa-Lobos, Bach, Brouwer, and more. Joined by guitarist Jason Vieaux and pianist Fabio Bidini, Anne Akiko Meyers weaves a starlit soundscape that is rich, absorbing. And deeply satisfying. How fitting that the release of Shining Night coincided with International Astronomy Day.
