Anne Akiko Meyers – Shining Night

Violinist Anne Akiko Meyers has long privileged melody as a binding agent on her albums, applying her peerless technique in service of classical gems that span the ages. The seeds for Shining Night were planted when she asked composer Morten Lauridsen if he had written any duo pieces for violin. He responded with new arrangements for two beloved choral works, “Dirait-on” and “Sure on This Shining Night”. Those duets with pianist Fabio Bidini conclude the album, and the latter provided its title. Their fragile beauty gave Meyers a direction for the rest of the album, which otherwise comprises duets with guitarist Jason Vieaux, spanning the Baroque era (Bach, Corelli) through 20th-century pop (Elvis Presley). Most of the pieces feature seamless new arrangements for guitar and violin, connecting Paganini, Duke Ellington and Astor Piazzolla through keening melodies.