SONGS OF AMERICA. Jan DeGaetani, mezzo-soprano; Gilbert...

SONGS OF AMERICA. Jan DeGaetani, mezzo-soprano; Gilbert Kalish, piano. Elektra/Nonesuch 9 79178-1. Here is a varied and largely delightful recital and a history of song in America: 27 songs by 21 Americans setting poems by more than a dozen prominent (mostly American) poets. The program traces the shift from tuneful, homespun parlor music for amateurs (Stephen Foster, Carrie Jacobs-Bond) to the seductive (Ned Rorem), angular and atmospheric (George Crumb), occasionally busy and/or tendentious (W. Schuman, Copland) modern song for professional artists. Among the gems are Cage’s “Little Four Paws,” Ives’ “She Is Not Fair” and William Bolcom’s “Waitin’.” Gaetani/Kalish are one of the most seasoned teams around; she retains one of the world’s most versatile and voluptuous mezzos, though tone often takes precedence over enunciation. Excellent notes by David Hamilton.