New York City native Michael Cohen delivers a cross section of his oeuvre, on A Song for Silenced Voices. Narrowly skirting traditional notions of (a)tonality, this selection of works leaps between collected serenity and impassioned melodicism. The collection comprises a string quartet, an excerpt of Cohen’s opera Rappaccini’s Daughter, a Prelude for Piano, a chamber/vocal work titled 'I Remember' based on works from his musical Yours, Anne, as well as the album’s namesake piece, which is a duo for cello and piano...

Michael Cohen's A Song for Silenced Voices is a diverse collection of works that showcase the composer's ability to deliver an impressive variety of styles. Depending on your point of view, this is either the album's strong or weak point.

We open with 'I Remember', a 22 min, 26 sec work that musical theatre fans will appreciate. It's a great way to start the album, as it draws the listener in. 'Prelude' is a complex, intricate solo piano piece that is emotionally rewarding. The two-part 'Sting Quartet No. 1 "1959"' is a modern work that takes traditional compositional styles and adds a little contemporary twist (but not so that it becomes a modern atonal mess), 'Just a Little Sky Away' has a stripped back operatic style with soprano and piano and finally 'A Song for Silenced Voices' rounds out the album with an eerie, soulful, cinematic piece that is the perfect way to conclude this interesting collection.

8

Darren Rea