Melankhôlia: In Darkness Through The Light

Melancholy’s infinite shades, so often mistaken today for the impenetrable darkness of depression, were eagerly embraced by John Dowland and his early 17th-century contemporaries. French Swiss mezzo-soprano Marina Viotti pairs eight of Dowland’s lachrymose lute songs with modern rock classics, transcending genre boundaries and conventions to connect with the essence of each. Metallica and U2 ballads, a hypnotic cover of Neil Young’s “Old Man”, Björk’s “Jóga”, and “Hurt”, Viotti’s dusky tribute to Nine Inch Nails and Johnny Cash, are wrapped here with frequently surprising, always thoughtful fresh layers of meaning. She marries the desolate conclusion of Dowland’s “In Darkness Let Me Dwell” to a sublime reading of Lana Del Rey’s “Born To Die”, all the more affecting for Viotti’s aching vocals and the song’s accompaniment from lutenist Vincent Flückiger and multi-instrumentalist, engineer and producer Fred Chappuis. Inside the Album Booklet Extensive excerpts from Marina Viotti’s diary, dating from her first encounter in 2017 with her two collaborators on this album, offer fascinating insights into how she came to grips with the Renaissance repertoire and how her own experience of bereavement and surviving cancer fed into her own experience of these songs. Photographer Aurélie Raidron, a personal friend of Viotti’s, provides artistic black and white illustrations including of the musicians. Album booklets are available in the latest version of Apple Music Classical, which you can download and enjoy as part of your Apple Music subscription. To access booklets, tap on the book icon at the top of your screen.