Terra Mater
Terra Mater Malena Ernman L’Arpeggiata / Christina Pluhar Erato I love a good concept album and this one is simultaneously thoughtful, fun and prescient. Swedish mezzo-soprano Malena Ernman (Greta Thunberg's mum) joins Christina Pluhar and L’Arpeggiata in their 25th anniversary year to create a programme of baroque-and-beyond songs and ballads intertwined with lively sonatas and ending with 'Nature Boy' once made famous by Nat King Cole. Along the way there's much up-beat music-making and extemporisation, a cornucopia of instrumental wonder with a serious message. It's a delicate balance and they very nearly manage it. Very nearly. [...] To read the full text of this review please visit Gramophone ( April 2025 )
