Musto: Triolet (O'Neill)

Tenor Robert White sings 28 romantic songs spanning the century by both native American and immigrant composers, from Amy Beach in 1899 to Marc Marder's Walt Whitman setting of 1996. There are many favourites (or 'favorites') here from the musical stage, including Friml's Rose Marie and Victor Herbert's Ah! Sweet Mystery of Life. Malotte's famous setting of The Lord's Prayer is also included. The title of the CD is taken from Samuel Barber's beautiful setting of James Agee (the poet of Knoxville, Summer of 1924).

The accompanying booklet is packed with anecdotes from Robert White's personal acquaintance with the majority of the composers represented. Several of the songs were actually written specially for him to sing.

The brilliant American composer John Musto has in recent years emerged as one of America's leading composers of opera and art song. The composer accompanies all of the songs, including many with his wife the estimable soprano Amy Burton. Of particular interest is the couple's performance of Quiet Songs, a work they have performed together for many years.

Musto is a virtuoso pianist (he plays both of his own Piano Concertos regularly) and the ideal accompanist for these highly personal creations. Amy Burton is joined by Grammy-nominated baritone Patrick Mason on The Old Gray Couple, and Mason sings many of Musto's most frequently performed songs, including Flamenco and the cycle viva sweet love.