Summers’ day – “Seven Sonnets” – for contratenore and string Quartett

The timeless echoes of love in the works of William Shakespeare have cultured the globe for centuries. With Seven Sonnets, composer Katarina Glowicka has tapped the endless wellspring of the scribe’s Sonnets of 1609. Shakespeare’s penetrating insights on love are at times transcendent, endearing and others, heart wrenching. Glowicka’s compositional interpretations traverse this dynamic spectrum of emotion, giving Shakespeare’s words the musical justice they deserve.

Composed for quartet and countertenor, with Glowicka’s trademark technological infusion, the 50-minute song cycle unfolds an evocative journey. Nearly 400 years after the sonnets’ creation, the young composer adapted 3 of the poems into Summer’s Day in 1999. She then expanded the set with 4 more selections a decade later. The experience is yours to relish now, with the full effort compiled in this album – 4 centuries in the making.