PENTATONE releases Full Circle: Reflections on My Journey, featuring Lester Lynch and Kevin Korth, in October 2024.
Songs of Hope Amidst Suffering and Despair
Baritone Lester Lynch presents a highly personal collection of songs from Schubert, Brahms, and Mussorgsky. Full Circle: Reflections on my Journey is a musical voyage through the echoes of resilience - a beacon of hope amidst suffering and despair. These melodies are a reminder of how music can transform adversity into beauty and unite us all in a symphony of laughter and love.
Recognized globally for his charismatic voice and bold interpretations, baritone Lester Lynch has an impressive discography with PENTATONE. Porgy and Bess Highlights (2021) alongside soprano Angel Blue garnered high praise from BBC Music Magazine, commenting that “Lester Lynch’s dramatically and vocally engaged Porgy is extremely moving.” His other recordings include Verdi’s La Traviata (2022), Otello (2017) and Un ballo in maschera (2023); Puccini’s Tosca (2023), Il Tabarro (2020), La fanciulla del west (2021) and Madame Butterfly (2021); Mascagni’s Cavalleria rusticana (2020); Gordon Getty’s opera Plump Jack (2012) and his cantata Joan and the Bells (2015). His 2017 debut solo album On My Journey Now: Spirituals and Hymns was also received with great acclaim.
“With ‘Full Circle’, I embark on a journey through the timeless melodies of Brahms, Mussorgsky, and Schubert, celebrating the rich diversity of their repertoire and bringing their profound harmonies into a new era.
As a baritone with over three decades on the stage, this album is a tribute to the varied and enduring beauty of these masterpieces. This project marks a personal full circle for me — beginning with Schubert’s songs in high school, where I first discovered the joy and complexity of his music as an accompanist at the piano. Mussorgsky’s works became my companions mid-career, challenging and enriching my artistic path. My teachers always advised patience with Brahms’ Four Serious Songs, encouraging me to wait until life had imparted its wisdom.
Now, as a mature man, their profound texts resonate deeply, echoing the experiences and emotions that have shaped my soul. This album is not just a collection of songs; it’s a reflection of a lifetime in love with music.”
Lester Lynch
Digital Release Date: 11 OCTOBER 2024
Physical Release: OCTOBER 2024
Released as a digital-only release for streaming and high-resolution downloads.