by Michaela Wright, special to the Sybaritic Singer<\/em><\/p>\n

Composer, poet, vocalist, visionary. Lara Solnicki<\/strong>, lauded for her \u201cspellbinding voice\u201d and \u201cboldly unique style\u201d (All About Jazz,) demonstrates that she is capable of playing all of these roles simultaneously in her newest album, The One and the Other<\/em>. Solnicki has been applauded as a \u201cmaster in her own modern and post-modern poetic mode\u201d and a \u201cpoet of the most advanced kind\u201d (A.F. Moritz) and Certainly, the music in the cycle is nothing short of bewitching. The One and the Other<\/em> is a unique opportunity to experience a song cycle where the text truly belongs to the music and vice versa.<\/p>\n

Solnicki describes the cycle as \u201can exploration into what I perceive as the inherent tension between music and text, where \u2018one\u2019 takes the lead with the \u2018other \u2018allocated to a subordinate role. Sometimes they are engaged in a courtship dance, other times they\u2019re awkwardly at odds with one another.\u201d I believe said tension is the reason that the cycle is so captivating. When I listened to the album, I felt like I was reading an incredible book that I could not put down. I hung onto every note in anticipation of what was to come. Truly, the text and the music are in a relationship and they\u2019re constantly learning to adapt and communicate with one another.<\/p>\n

Interplay and mimicry between the vocals and synthesized sounds<\/h3>\n

The One and the Other<\/em>\u00a0was released on March 12, 2021 through record label Outside in Music<\/strong>. The album was recorded and mixed by Jeff Wolpert<\/strong> and produced by Jonathan Goldsmith<\/strong>, an acclaimed Canadian, film composer, who described each song in the cycle as \u201ca miniature movie.\u201d Moreover, the album is divided in two parts. It begins with four songs and finishes with \u201cThe One and The Other Suite,\u201d a song cycle in three parts. The suite begins with a prologue (Pass a Glass<\/em>) and tells the story of a man who is so in love with the idea of love that he drowns in it. The story is told by Lara Solnicki (vocals,) Davide di Renzo<\/strong> (drums), Scott Peterson<\/strong> (bass), Peter Lutek<\/strong> (electro-acoustic clarinet, bassoon, alto saxophone), Hugh Marsh<\/strong> (electric violin), Rob Piltch<\/strong> (guitar), Rich Brown<\/strong> (electric bass), and Jonathan Goldsmith<\/strong> (piano.)<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Pass a Glass<\/em> begins the suite with a minimalistic but poignant vocal line that obscures the presence of any bar lines and suspends metric clarity. Setting the tone for the rest of the suite, Pass a Glass <\/em>introduces the stylistic assimilation of electronic and acoustic forces. Spoken word is prevalent in the cycle and Solnicki was opportunistic in her choice to have interplay and mimicry between the vocals and synthesized sounds. There is a sense of freedom that triumphs in this movement, reflecting the idea that this movement is ultimately a drinking song. In addition, Solnicki suggests that Pass a Glass<\/em> contains not only themes of drinking but also a metaphorical, closer examination of the relationship dynamic occurring in the song.<\/p>\n

The violin\u2019s pizzicato creates a pointillistic landscape<\/h3>\n

Awe of the Sea<\/em> is a Ravel-inspired tone poem that begins with a simplistic piano line that depicts a melancholy scene. The spoken word in this movement is effective, enhancing the instrumentation with colorful words and crisp alliterations. The music resolves to a cinematic section of pizzicato, string music which opens the door to a duet between the violin and the voice. Contrary to the tradition of making violins \u201csing,\u201d the voice begins to imitate the violin\u2019s pizzicato, creating a pointillistic landscape which begins to replicate the various forms and dispositions of water. The ending can only be described as impressionistic piano over groovy jazz.<\/p>\n