CD: note to a friend - David Lang feat. Theo Bleckmann & Attacca Quartet

David Lang's note to a friend was commissioned by the Japan Society in New York and the Tokyo Bunka Kaikan center in Japan, and is inspired by the famous letter written by short story author Ryunosuke Akutagawa to a fellow writer, announcing his intention to take his own life.

Conceived as a chamber opera for solo vocalist and string quartet, the work is also the perfect vehicle for singer Theo Blackmann, who brings a profound emotional weight to his performance, in collaboration with the inimitable Attacca Quartet. The result is a stunning and haunting monodrama that addresses our eternal human fascinations with love, death, family and the phantoms of our daily existence.

--
'the dead man'
Theo Bleckmann - baritone

Amy Schroeder - violin
Domenic Salerni - violin
Nathan Schram - viola
Andrew Yee - cello

Recorded, edited, mixed and mastered by Christopher Botta
Recorded October 6-8, 2023 at Reservoir Studios, NYC

**content warning: This recording contains references to suicide and depression, which some listeners may find distressing. If you need suicide or mental health-related crisis support, or are worried about someone else, please call or text 988 or visit the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline’s chat to connect with a trained crisis counselor.