Barbara Wiernick – Between Whispers

Richard Wagner said that Beethoven’s Seventh Symphony was “the apotheosis of dance.”

One could say the same about this album by Barbara Wiernick: it is the apotheosis of song. She brings together no fewer than four vocalists: three women and one man, some of whom contributed to the composition of the repertoire.

Depending on the track, Elina Duni, Sofia Ribeiro, Veronika Harcsa or David Linx combine their voices with hers. And these voices are all admirable for their timbre and the fluidity of their phrasing, whether they are modulating the lyrics in English or French on a track or expressing themselves in a supple and expressive scat.

The result is an eminently poetic atmosphere to which seven instrumentalists contribute: two guitars, two pianos, a cello, a double bass and drums, some of whom participated in composing the music. The result is a highly original sound that unfolds, track after track, to form a whole of blossoming lyricism, full of gentleness and intensity.

The interweaving of the melodic lines of the various voices is remarkable, whether they form a choir or express themselves in counterpoint or unison, and it is easy to succumb to the charm of these airy sounds.

This is a total success on the part of a musician who has surrounded herself beautifully and offered a project without equal.