Vocal What?

Today, in an interview on PRI, composer Osvaldo Golijov was quick to respond to the observation that Ayre (just released on Deutsche Grammophon) traverses an astonishing range of vocal styles, from the quite classical to an almost inhuman techno-scatting. Golijov laughed and then described Dawn Upshaw's feats as that of a "vocal octopus." "Yes, yes...a vocal octopus." I swear he repeated this million dollar marriage of words; it can't be that I misheard him. Forget song cycles, give this boy a poet laureateship!

Dawn Upshaw & Eighth Blackbird
Stanford Lively Arts
Stanford University, Memorial Auditorium
Sunday October 23, 2:30 pm