Free of the literal meaning of a text, the wordless vocalise floats into a dreamy and surreal landscape.
In André Previn’s Vocalise, the singer enters into a haunting musical conversation with the solo cello and the instrumental voices of the orchestra. Composed at Tanglewood on July 18, 1995 for Sylvia McNair and Yo Yo Ma, the work was originally scored for voice, cello, and piano, and was orchestrated later.
Previn, the German-American pianist, composer, conductor, and jazz musician, was equally at home in Hollywood and in the concert hall. With echoes of Strauss’ Four Last Songs, and Shostakovich’s Symphonies, Previn’s Vocalise is haunting and poignant.
This April 13, 2025 Cologne performance features soprano Hanna-Elisabeth Müller, cellist Maximilian Hornung, and the WDR Symphony Orchestra conducted by Cristian Măcelaru:
John Williams: Finding The Blue Fairy and Where Dreams Are Born
Film composer John Williams drew upon the vocalise in the score for the 2001 science fiction drama A.I. Artificial Intelligence. Finding the Blue Fairy features soprano Barbara Bonney, while Where Dreams Are Born, heard at the end of the film, is sung by Lara Fabian:
Recordings
- Previn: Vocalise for Soprano, Cello and Piano, Sylvia McNair, André Previn, Yo-Yo Ma Amazon
- Williams: A.I. Artificial Intelligence – Music from the Motion Picture Amazon
Featured Image: photograph by Jim Olive