Pre-Order: Barbara Hannigan – American Dream

With ‘An American Dream?’, Barbara Hannigan explores the concept of The American Dream. “I grew up in awe of America. I am still in awe, but largely in a nostalgic way. With this repertoire, I want to express my admiration for the incredible creativity and tenacity of composers who shaped a musical language that was truly their own.” The Canadian conductor and soprano collaborates with her long-term partners, the Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra, on this programme of works by American composers. With ‘the fair’ as a recurring theme across the repertoire, the image on the cover shows a carousel horse that is at a standstill. A pretty, painted object – but the floor is cracked and half the lights are burned out. Nostalgia and memory are mixed with underlying darkness and destruction. From George Gershwin’s masterpiece Porgy and Bess – an opera about love, addiction, racism, and hope – Robert Russell Bennett’s iconic arrangement of A Symphonic Picture is fe