Thistles and Thorns
We are creating the world-premiere commercial recording of Josephine Lang’s Op. 33 [34], Disteln und Dornen (“Thistles and Thorns”). Lang’s work is joined by complementary works by American composers, as well as a set composed by her friend and contemporary, Clara Schumann. Connected both thematically as well as musically, all of the works on this collection feature lyrical vocalism, expressive piano writing, and evocative poetic texts.
We're soprano Amy Broadbent and pianist Wei-Han Wu, two classical artists based in Washington, D.C. We've teamed up with Grammy-award winning engineer Daniel Shores (Sono Luminus) and Grammy-nominated producer Geoffrey Silver (Acis Productions) to bring Josephine Lang's music to life! Josephine was a 19th-century German Romantic composer whose beautiful catalogue of Lieder has largely languished in obscurity.
OUR GOAL: record a full-length album, the cornerstone of which will be the world-premiere commercial recording of Josephine Lang’s Op. 33 [34], Disteln und Dornen (“Thistles and Thorns”). This amazing set of songs has never been recorded in its entirety! Recording a CD is costly - an estimate from recording to release is roughly $30,000. We have already received a $6,000 grant from the DC Commission from Arts and Humanities, but have a ways to go; if you think Josephine’s songs deserve to be heard widely, please consider supporting this exciting world-premiere project on our GoFundMe page. And don’t hesitate to share with other music-lovers in your circles!
With gratitude,
Amy & Wei-Han
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Praise for Amy Broadbent’s previous recordings with Acis Productions:
“Soprano Amy Broadbent brings a lightly shimmering, flexible soprano to Sebastian. Her voice throbs with emotion as Sebastian works out what has happened to his friend. She's quite moving in her final aria...” (The Outer Edge of Youth, Critics Choice - Opera News)
“…Levin weaves fleeting moments of beauty laced with longing and vulnerability, and which Amy Broadbent delivers with aching intensity.” (Silk Apples, Gramophone)