Inheritance

Recorded by Andrew Munsey. Produced by Judith Sherman.

Surmounting the sonic limitations of the CD medium, engineer Andrew Munsey and veteran producer Judith Sherman’s sonic tour de force opens with a huge percussive barrage intended to stop us in our tracks.

San Francisco Classical Voice, Jason Victor Serinus

Chinese-born American composer Lei Liang is the recipient of numerous awards and commissions including the Rome Prize and the Grawemeyer Award. On the faculty at the University of California, San Diego, Liang studied at the New England Conservatory and Harvard. Inheritance, his chamber opera with libretto by Matt Donovan draws attention to the hopelessness associated with gun violence in the United States, exploring the psychological effect on one of the heirs to the fortune made by the Winchester rifle, Sarah Winchester. The role of Sarah Winchester is performed by the extraordinary soprano Susan Narucki, who has presented more than 150 world premieres in opera, concert and recording. The opera is cast for three female voices, a male voice, and a chamber ensemble conducted by Steven Schick.

CD, released June 30, 2020 on Albany Records.