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Metier

Infrastructure - The Songs of David Sisco

$18.99

Details

Composer
David Sisco
Artist
David Fung, Michael Kelly, Elizabeth Mondragon, Laura Strickling, David Sisco
Format
CD
Label
Metier
Released
Jul 10, 2026
Catalog #
MEX 77144
UPC
809730714429

About

In June 2026, Metier Records is proud to present "Infrastructure: The Songs of David Sisco" from the award-winning US composer, featuring over 25 years of his output of art song, performed by pianist David Fung, singers Laura Strickling, Elizabeth Mondragon, Michael Kelly, and David Sisco himself. The album mixes beautiful and thought-provoking settings of both contemporary and historic poetry with entertaining and often touching song cycles based on online posts and reviews, unusual inspirations for art song. David Sisco believes one way the genre can continue to thrive and engage with today's audiences is through the use of contemporary texts, whether by living poets such as the three he has collaborated with here, or from the myriad virtual town halls one encounters on a daily basis. Song cycle Italianate captures the wit and tenderness of his friend Linda Dini Jenkins' poetry about her travels in Italy, and is performed by the "mesmerizing" baritone Michael Kelly, who premiered the cycle in 2014 at Carnegie Hall. Infrastructure by Barbara Worton is performed by the composer himself and was set as a gift for a birthday celebration, perfectly encapsulating a typical New Yorker's skepticism and even a touch of neuroticism. Also performed by David Sisco is Where Memories Go to Die, the final piece in Sisco's song cycle 'Six Dennis Rhodes Poems', and like the poet himself, is a delightful, vulnerable, and joy-filled piece. Turning to writings of past centuries, mezzo-soprano Elizabeth Mondragon gives a powerful performance of the stunning setting of Amy Lowell's epic poem Patterns about a woman's loss during the First World War. Michael Kelly returns in My Best Beloved. Sisco was struck by the raw passion of the work of metaphysical poet Francis Quarles and has brought it forward in this gorgeous and sensuous art song. Missed Connections was written for Sisco's longtime muse, Elizabeth Mondragon, and won the 2010 NATS Composition Award. Set to anonymous posts from classified ad website craigslist. Com, these musical vignettes reflect the human desire to find (or avoid) one another and are surprisingly affecting. The Wrong Kind of Fountain Enthusiast is a song cycle set to colourful online reviews across the United States, often savage and hilarious, and, as with Missed Connections, uses a variety of musical idioms. Dear God, a cycle of children's prayers, tenderly captures the delicious mix of simplicity and complexity in these miniature compositions. Both feature the "powerful and expressive voice" (Classical Scene) of soprano Laura Strickling. Throughout the album, the superb voices are supported by the "poetic" (Washington Post) performances of pianist David Fung. David Sisco is an award-winning composer whose vocal and theatrical works have been performed at major venues such as Carnegie Hall and Lincoln Center. He has received commissions from choirs and ensembles across the US. An alumnus of the esteemed BMI Lehman Engel Musical Theatre Workshop and the New Dramatists Composer-Librettist Studio, he currently serves on the adjunct voice faculty at NYU Steinhardt and maintains an international presence as a voice teacher and pedagogue. David Sisco Editorial Review Quotes "David's songs run the gamut from profound to silly, from bittersweet to tragic, from aphorisms to epics. His name belongs alongside the many substantial and important American songwriters working today, including Tom Cipullo, Jake Heggie, and Ricky Ian Gordon. A composer couldn't ask for better interpreters of his work than those on his album. " Michael Brofman-Artistic Director, Brooklyn Art Song Society Infrastructure, The Songs of David Sisco, is a compendium of 43 songs composed by David Sisco over the last 25 years. Whether short (20 seconds) or long (13 minutes), each song reveals a composer extraordinaire. Setting a wide variety of texts, David consistently reveals an unerring instinct for creating a perfect setting - with wonderful pacing, imaginative responses to the texts, a gorgeous melodic sound world, and a superb understanding of how to write for the human voice and for the piano. The performers - baritones Michael Kelly and David Sisco, mezzo-soprano Elizabeth Mondragon, soprano Laura Strickling and pianist David Fung, are all brilliant and bring David's music to life with verve and understanding. This is one of the best CDs of vocal music I have ever heard and I cannot recommend it highly enough. Lori Laitman-Composer Infrastructure is refreshing, inspirational, and filled with such profound emotional breadth! As a performer of contemporary music and a teacher who regularly assigns repertoire in my studio, I can confidently say this body of literature has something for everyone. The sheer artistry alone makes it a must-have for your library-it is bound to spark deep discussion and heartfelt emotion. David Sisco is masterful in so many ways, and I am continually fascinated by his ability to weave everyday life into the fabric of our larger existence. The mundane becomes immediately relatable, but his true genius lies in connecting us through the broader meaning behind it. I'd be hard-pressed to choose a single favorite, but a few go-to tracks worth diving into right away: "Patterns" is stunning and mesmerizing; "My Best Beloved" will leave you in awe and immediately trying to program it into an upcoming gig; "Jeff" asks a question of God that makes complete, resonant sense; and "Cistio" offers true solace in the face of the frightening things we cannot change. You won't be sorry! Noélia Archambeault de Hernández-Assoc. Professor of Voice, University of Maryland "David Sisco's album is exquisite. Both the compositions themselves as well as the performances reveal a deep love of poetry as well as more unconventional text sources. His songs are succinct in the extreme, often achingly lyrical, and sometimes utterly hilarious. With "Infrastructure" one has the privilege of taking a deep dive into this vital compositional voice. " Daniel Schlosberg-Collaborative Pianist "This collection, Infrastructure, is a beautiful survey of David's creative output. The musical language is accessible yet sophisticated, drawing on David's expertise in a wide variety of genres. Even in his most concise songs, David manages to craft a vivid, self-contained world that instantly transports the listener. His work, like the composer himself, resonates with charm, empathy and a keen understanding of the human condition. " Jonathan Michie-Baritone David Sisco is one of America's greatest composers of vocal music, and his recent album of songs is an embarrassment of riches. Lyrical, smart, deeply-felt, and constantly surprising, the 43 songs presented are a treasure trove for those who love the marriage of text and music. And the performances by Michael Kelly, Elizabeth Mondragon, Laura Strickling, David Fung, and David Sisco himself are extraordinarily beautiful and committed. This album is not to be missed! Tom Cipullo-Composer

Tracklist 43 tracks

  1. 1 No. 1. The Florentine Ladies 01:25
    Track
    1
    Title
    No. 1. The Florentine Ladies
    Duration
    01:25
    Composer
    David Sisco
    Performer
    Michael Kelly, David Fung
  2. 2 No. 2. The Po 01:22
    Track
    2
    Title
    No. 2. The Po
    Duration
    01:22
    Composer
    David Sisco
    Performer
    Michael Kelly, David Fung
  3. 3 No. 3. Cistio 02:24
    Track
    3
    Title
    No. 3. Cistio
    Duration
    02:24
    Composer
    David Sisco
    Performer
    Michael Kelly, David Fung
  4. 4 No. 4. The Old Men 01:16
    Track
    4
    Title
    No. 4. The Old Men
    Duration
    01:16
    Composer
    David Sisco
    Performer
    Michael Kelly, David Fung
  5. 5 No. 5. In Scarperia 03:28
    Track
    5
    Title
    No. 5. In Scarperia
    Duration
    03:28
    Composer
    David Sisco
    Performer
    Michael Kelly, David Fung
  6. 6 No. 6. Moon Over the Magnolia Tree 02:13
    Track
    6
    Title
    No. 6. Moon Over the Magnolia Tree
    Duration
    02:13
    Composer
    David Sisco
    Performer
    Michael Kelly, David Fung
  7. 7 No. 7. Abbodanza 03:09
    Track
    7
    Title
    No. 7. Abbodanza
    Duration
    03:09
    Composer
    David Sisco
    Performer
    Michael Kelly, David Fung
  8. 8 No. 1. Flowers on the A Train to 14th Street 01:47
    Track
    8
    Title
    No. 1. Flowers on the A Train to 14th Street
    Duration
    01:47
    Composer
    David Sisco
    Performer
    Elizabeth Mondragon, David Fung
  9. 9 No. 2. John Lohse 01:08
    Track
    9
    Title
    No. 2. John Lohse
    Duration
    01:08
    Composer
    David Sisco
    Performer
    Elizabeth Mondragon, David Fung
  10. 10 No. 3. Breaking Night 00:52
    Track
    10
    Title
    No. 3. Breaking Night
    Duration
    00:52
    Composer
    David Sisco
    Performer
    Elizabeth Mondragon, David Fung
  11. 11 No. 4. Oh Starbucks!!! 01:07
    Track
    11
    Title
    No. 4. Oh Starbucks!!!
    Duration
    01:07
    Composer
    David Sisco
    Performer
    Elizabeth Mondragon, David Fung
  12. 12 No. 5. RE: Goodbye J 00:45
    Track
    12
    Title
    No. 5. RE: Goodbye J
    Duration
    00:45
    Composer
    David Sisco
    Performer
    Elizabeth Mondragon, David Fung
  13. 13 No. 6. Sad Panda 00:28
    Track
    13
    Title
    No. 6. Sad Panda
    Duration
    00:28
    Composer
    David Sisco
    Performer
    Elizabeth Mondragon, David Fung
  14. 14 No. 7. Typerwriters & Things 02:17
    Track
    14
    Title
    No. 7. Typerwriters & Things
    Duration
    02:17
    Composer
    David Sisco
    Performer
    Elizabeth Mondragon, David Fung
  15. 15 No. 8. Red Velvet Chair 01:11
    Track
    15
    Title
    No. 8. Red Velvet Chair
    Duration
    01:11
    Composer
    David Sisco
    Performer
    Elizabeth Mondragon, David Fung
  16. 16 No. 9. Endless-summer-taco-man 02:52
    Track
    16
    Title
    No. 9. Endless-summer-taco-man
    Duration
    02:52
    Composer
    David Sisco
    Performer
    Elizabeth Mondragon, David Fung
  17. 17 No. 10. Amor 01:04
    Track
    17
    Title
    No. 10. Amor
    Duration
    01:04
    Composer
    David Sisco
    Performer
    Elizabeth Mondragon, David Fung
  18. 18 No. 11. I Can't Wait 02:10
    Track
    18
    Title
    No. 11. I Can't Wait
    Duration
    02:10
    Composer
    David Sisco
    Performer
    Elizabeth Mondragon, David Fung
  19. 19 Infrastructure 02:22
    Track
    19
    Title
    Infrastructure
    Duration
    02:22
    Composer
    David Sisco
    Performer
    David Sisco, David Fung
  20. 20 No. 1. Freshy and Tasty. But … 00:19
    Track
    20
    Title
    No. 1. Freshy and Tasty. But …
    Duration
    00:19
    Composer
    David Sisco
    Performer
    Laura Strickling, David Fung
  21. 21 No. 2. Buckingham Fountain (5 Stars) 01:46
    Track
    21
    Title
    No. 2. Buckingham Fountain (5 Stars)
    Duration
    01:46
    Composer
    David Sisco
    Performer
    Laura Strickling, David Fung
  22. 22 No. 3. Buckingham Fountain (2 Stars) 01:15
    Track
    22
    Title
    No. 3. Buckingham Fountain (2 Stars)
    Duration
    01:15
    Composer
    David Sisco
    Performer
    Laura Strickling, David Fung
  23. 23 No. 4. Prada on Rodeo Drive 00:38
    Track
    23
    Title
    No. 4. Prada on Rodeo Drive
    Duration
    00:38
    Composer
    David Sisco
    Performer
    Laura Strickling, David Fung
  24. 24 No. 5. Pawn Shop Snooty 01:04
    Track
    24
    Title
    No. 5. Pawn Shop Snooty
    Duration
    01:04
    Composer
    David Sisco
    Performer
    Laura Strickling, David Fung
  25. 25 No. 6. A Very Large Hole 02:39
    Track
    25
    Title
    No. 6. A Very Large Hole
    Duration
    02:39
    Composer
    David Sisco
    Performer
    Laura Strickling, David Fung
  26. 26 No. 7. This is the Hotel for You 01:23
    Track
    26
    Title
    No. 7. This is the Hotel for You
    Duration
    01:23
    Composer
    David Sisco
    Performer
    Laura Strickling, David Fung
  27. 27 No. 8. Smell the Nastiness 02:54
    Track
    27
    Title
    No. 8. Smell the Nastiness
    Duration
    02:54
    Composer
    David Sisco
    Performer
    Laura Strickling, David Fung
  28. 28 No. 9. Hooka was Great 00:29
    Track
    28
    Title
    No. 9. Hooka was Great
    Duration
    00:29
    Composer
    David Sisco
    Performer
    Laura Strickling, David Fung
  29. 29 My Best Beloved 04:09
    Track
    29
    Title
    My Best Beloved
    Duration
    04:09
    Composer
    David Sisco
    Performer
    Michael Kelly, David Fung
  30. 30 Patterns 13:32
    Track
    30
    Title
    Patterns
    Duration
    13:32
    Composer
    David Sisco
    Performer
    Elizabeth Mondragon, David Fung
  31. 31 6 Dennis Rhodes Poems: No. 6. Where Memories Go to Die 04:03
    Track
    31
    Title
    6 Dennis Rhodes Poems: No. 6. Where Memories Go to Die
    Duration
    04:03
    Composer
    David Sisco
    Performer
    David Fung
  32. 32 No. 1. Joyce 00:50
    Track
    32
    Title
    No. 1. Joyce
    Duration
    00:50
    Composer
    David Sisco
    Performer
    Laura Strickling, David Fung
  33. 33 No. 2. Charles 01:05
    Track
    33
    Title
    No. 2. Charles
    Duration
    01:05
    Composer
    David Sisco
    Performer
    Laura Strickling, David Fung
  34. 34 No. 3. Peter 00:28
    Track
    34
    Title
    No. 3. Peter
    Duration
    00:28
    Composer
    David Sisco
    Performer
    Laura Strickling, David Fung
  35. 35 No. 4. Allison 00:26
    Track
    35
    Title
    No. 4. Allison
    Duration
    00:26
    Composer
    David Sisco
    Performer
    Laura Strickling, David Fung
  36. 36 No. 5. Barbara 00:35
    Track
    36
    Title
    No. 5. Barbara
    Duration
    00:35
    Composer
    David Sisco
    Performer
    Laura Strickling, David Fung
  37. 37 No. 6. Dennis 00:26
    Track
    37
    Title
    No. 6. Dennis
    Duration
    00:26
    Composer
    David Sisco
    Performer
    Laura Strickling, David Fung
  38. 38 No. 7. Carrie 00:35
    Track
    38
    Title
    No. 7. Carrie
    Duration
    00:35
    Composer
    David Sisco
    Performer
    Laura Strickling, David Fung
  39. 39 No. 8. Frank 00:17
    Track
    39
    Title
    No. 8. Frank
    Duration
    00:17
    Composer
    David Sisco
    Performer
    Laura Strickling, David Fung
  40. 40 No. 9. Charlene 00:36
    Track
    40
    Title
    No. 9. Charlene
    Duration
    00:36
    Composer
    David Sisco
    Performer
    Laura Strickling, David Fung
  41. 41 No. 10. Norma 00:28
    Track
    41
    Title
    No. 10. Norma
    Duration
    00:28
    Composer
    David Sisco
    Performer
    Laura Strickling, David Fung
  42. 42 No. 11. Jeff 01:29
    Track
    42
    Title
    No. 11. Jeff
    Duration
    01:29
    Composer
    David Sisco
    Performer
    Laura Strickling, David Fung
  43. 43 No. 12. Thomas 01:18
    Track
    43
    Title
    No. 12. Thomas
    Duration
    01:18
    Composer
    David Sisco
    Performer
    Laura Strickling, David Fung