For some, the attraction of this release may be the presence of mezzo-soprano
Malena Ernman
, the mother of internationally prominent climate activist
Greta Thunberg
; she has joined her daughter in refusing to fly on planes. One may note that from Stockholm to the Abbaye Saint-Michel en Thiérache in Northern France, where the album was recorded, is a hefty 18 and a half hours by car, and likely more if one figures in local train connections. The booklet to this 2025 release by the historical performance group
L'Arpeggiata
and director
Christina Pluhar
begins with a dire essay about climate change (and the tracklist is adorned with a picture of a mouse). Otherwise,
Thunberg
is mentioned only in passing, and it seems fair to describe this album on its own terms. It consists of music relating to animals and nature, drawn from Italian Baroque opera and from traditional English song.
Ernman
has the kind of flexibility that makes her a good choice for this material. Her command of English is excellent, even by the standards of a country where a lot of it is spoken, and she gets the humor in the English songs, many of them originally published by
John Playford
. She is well served by her background, which is partly in cabaret song and jazz, but she is also strong in the Italian arias, many of which have a pastoral quality; they don't require a
Renée Fleming
but rather someone who is aware of what she is singing and brings commitment to it.
Pluhar
demurs that "music can't influence climate change," but the positive qualities of an album like this may do more to bring about useful new directions than any number of harangues. ~ James Manheim