Review

Riders to the Sea and Kyrie

Riders to the Sea: "It took me a long time to get the Vaughan Williams out of my head [the other setting of the opera Riders to the Sea], I must admit, mostly because the weather -- nature itself -- is the invisible character in his setting, and having twice visited the Gaeltacht -- the Irish west country -- I feel this presence very strongly in his setting. Your setting has a much more authentic Irish feel than Vaughan-William's, and the characters a more vivid profile, and it's altogether a memorable work." E-mail to Marga Richter from Michael Redmond, former music critic, The Newark Star-Ledge. Used with permission.

Riders to the Sea: "[a] most impressive work .... Richter has furnished the score with lovely open and transparent textures. There is no clutter or density. The invention stands without distraction or fog. The writing is tonal and the singers here pick up on the Irish accented voices .... This is not the first setting of Synge's far-Atlantic Irish opera. Richter takes more time than Vaughan Williams and puts the additional 20-25 minutes to good use to intensify the atmosphere of this most atmospheric of operas yet further. The Kyrie for String Quintet serves as an aptly grave valedictory track. It traverses Schubert's and Schoenberg's darkest reaches yet stays just the tonal side of dissonance .... This [CD] is a natural choice for Richter, Synge and Irish subject enthusiasts. It also speaks to those who are looking for a concise, tragic, atmospheric and moving opera written in a tonal language for chamber forces. " Rob Barnett, www.musicweb-international.com