Strings in the Earth and Air is the result of another collaboration by Baritone Cliff Ridley and Pianist Danielle Marcinek.  This recording is dedicated to the outstanding art songs of British/Irish Composer E.J. Moeran (31 December 1894 – 1 December 1950).  Moeran occupied a minor place in the music of his time, but his meticulously polished and ready technique is unsurpassed among his British contemporaries. This craftsmanship is evident in the clarity of his textures and processes, and in the superb sonority of his orchestral writing.

Composer - E.J. Moeran
Cliff Ridley - Baritone
Danielle Marcinek - Piano

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Track List and Credit

Medicine Man is the 5th collaborative Art Song recording between composer Christopher Ludwig and baritone Cliff Ridley.  The texts come from poets whose backgrounds and themes spread across time, geography, texture and style.  Such an approach may on the surface appear to be whimsical and haphazard, yet in Medicine Man, the threads of poetic and compositional colour, mood and imagery are remarkably tight and interwoven.   The composer is able to realize this unified tapestry by utilizing consistent stylistic elements and an intuitive process nurtured over years of development and exploration in the Art Song Genre.  The long-standing partnership between musicians and composer allowed for the fullest realization of the literary and musical subtleties of Medicine Man.  The literary and artistic awareness of both musician and composer needed to be equally as keen, imagist and intuitive.  Medicine Man was created on top of a foundation of prose and is left to dwell in a world outside of regular discourse; in a world of music and prose that is both reality and escapism sculpted into a photograph "...grained with light".  This is the "face in sepia", where the listener is not merely a guest at the table but must create their own photograph with each listening.  The questions to be asked are, who is the Medicine Man and can we trust the treatment?

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Christopher Ludwig - Music
Cliff Ridley - Baritone
Tatiana Khvatova - Piano
Alina Khvatova - Violin

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Track List and Credits - (Back of Booklet)

Cliff Ridley (Baritone) and Tatiana Khvatova (Piano)
Tracks No. 1-20
Alina Khvatova (violin)
Tracks No. 4-7

Outward Voyage is a near complete setting of Ken Cather's book of poetry put to music by Christopher Ludwig and performed by Cliff Ridley, baritone, and Danielle Marcinek, piano.  This third release was recorded in 2008.  

Christopher Ludwig - Music
Ken Cathers - Words
Cliff Ridley - Baritone
Danielle Marcinek - Piano

View a PDF Sample of the 12 page illustrated CD booklet

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Track Listing (Back of Booklet)

In these well-programmed songs for baritone, "Gentle Lady", features two distinguished composers of the 20th century whose working lives were centered in Western Canada.  The essential lyricism of Jean Coulthard and the clarity and boldness of expression characteristic of Violet Archer seems somehow rooted in this dynamic geography even as these songs travel in both time and place, seeking a contrast of inspiration.

Cliff Ridley - Baritone
Danielle Marcinek - Piano
Sara Kalke - Flute

Cliff and Danielle's second release was recorded at St. Marks Anglican Church in Vancouver B.C. on March 31st and April 1st, 2006.

Jean Coulthard (1908-2000)
Violet Archer (1913-2000)

View a PDF Sample of the 12 page illustrated CD booklet

Full Length Audio Files