The Travelled Road
Evan Mack composer
Megan Marino mezzo-soprano
John Arida piano
Jameson Platte cello
Ravello Records proudly presents THE TRAVELLED ROAD from operatic composer Evan Mack. The album is a bold and progressive work featuring compositions that are thoroughly grounded in the modern era. A Little More Perfect sets the text of Justice Anthony Kennedy’s majority opinion on Obergefell v. Hodges, which made marriage equality the law of the land. Three Reflections of Sister Dorothy tells the story of martyred nun Sr. Dorothy Stang and her fight to save the rainforest. The Road and the End expresses the eponymous 1916 Carl Sandburg poem as a musical tour de force, performed by vocal powerhouse Megan Marino. Mack is a firm believer that opera should be theater grounded in climactic expression, delivering larger-than-life stories while harnessing the full athletic thrill of singing; THE TRAVELLED ROAD embodies this philosophy.
Listen
Stream/Buy
Choose your platform
"An extremely ambitious project that you’ll want to revisit again and again."
"Five Substantive and Diverse Works."
Track Listing & Credits
# | Title | Composer | Performer | |
---|---|---|---|---|
01 | A Little More Perfect (Arr. for Mezzo-Soprano, Cello & Piano) | Evan Mack | Megan Marino, mezzo-soprano; John Arida, piano; Jameson Platte, cello | 4:54 |
02 | 3 Reflections of Sister Dorothy: No. 1, Have I Not Wept? | Evan Mack | Megan Marino, mezzo-soprano; John Arida, piano | 3:39 |
03 | 3 Reflections of Sister Dorothy: No. 2, The Mountaintop | Evan Mack | Megan Marino, mezzo-soprano; John Arida, piano | 4:05 |
04 | 3 Reflections of Sister Dorothy: No. 3, Will They Listen? | Evan Mack | Megan Marino, mezzo-soprano; John Arida, piano | 3:45 |
05 | Preach Sister, Preach: No. 1, Simone de Beauvoir | Evan Mack | Megan Marino, mezzo-soprano; John Arida, piano | 1:11 |
06 | Preach Sister, Preach: No. 2, Mae West | Evan Mack | Megan Marino, mezzo-soprano; John Arida, piano | 0:54 |
07 | Preach Sister, Preach: No. 3, Gilda Radner | Evan Mack | Megan Marino, mezzo-soprano; John Arida, piano | 0:54 |
08 | Preach Sister, Preach: No. 4, George Eliot | Evan Mack | Megan Marino, mezzo-soprano; John Arida, piano | 1:02 |
09 | Preach Sister, Preach: No. 5, Lucille Ball | Evan Mack | Megan Marino, mezzo-soprano; John Arida, piano | 0:31 |
10 | Preach Sister, Preach: No. 6, Daphne du Maurier | Evan Mack | Megan Marino, mezzo-soprano; John Arida, piano | 1:50 |
11 | Preach Sister, Preach: No. 7, Lizz Winstead | Evan Mack | Megan Marino, mezzo-soprano; John Arida, piano | 0:27 |
12 | Preach Sister, Preach: No. 8, Leslie Jones | Evan Mack | Megan Marino, mezzo-soprano; John Arida, piano | 1:18 |
13 | Preach Sister, Preach: No. 9, Ann Landers | Evan Mack | Megan Marino, mezzo-soprano; John Arida, piano | 0:41 |
14 | Preach Sister, Preach: No. 10, Gloria Steinem | Evan Mack | Megan Marino, mezzo-soprano; John Arida, piano | 0:35 |
15 | Preach Sister, Preach: No. 11, Natasha Scripture | Evan Mack | Megan Marino, mezzo-soprano; John Arida, piano | 0:46 |
16 | Preach Sister, Preach: No. 12, Lucille Ball | Evan Mack | Megan Marino, mezzo-soprano; John Arida, piano | 0:29 |
17 | Preach Sister, Preach: No. 13, Tina Fey | Evan Mack | Megan Marino, mezzo-soprano; John Arida, piano | 1:01 |
18 | Preach Sister, Preach: No. 14, Ellen DeGeneres | Evan Mack | Megan Marino, mezzo-soprano; John Arida, piano | 1:57 |
19 | The Secret Ocean: No. 1, Children | Evan Mack | Megan Marino, mezzo-soprano; John Arida, piano | 5:21 |
20 | The Secret Ocean: No. 2, After Disappointment | Evan Mack | Megan Marino, mezzo-soprano; John Arida, piano | 3:52 |
21 | The Secret Ocean: No. 3, The Secret Ocean | Evan Mack | Megan Marino, mezzo-soprano; John Arida, piano | 6:19 |
22 | The Road and the End | Evan Mack | Megan Marino, mezzo-soprano; John Arida, piano; Jameson Platte, cello | 5:26 |
A LITTLE MORE PERFECT
text quote of Hon. Justice Anthony Kennedy
THREE REFLECTIONS OF SISTER DOROTHY
text Evan Mack
PREACH SISTER, PREACH
text quotes by Various
THE SECRET OCEAN
text Mark Jarman
THE ROAD AND THE END
text Carl Sandburg
Recorded September 19, 2020 at the Arthur Zankel Music Center in Saratoga Springs NY
Recording and Sound Editing Engineer Daniel Czernecki
Executive Producer Bob Lord
Executive A&R Sam Renshaw
A&R Director Brandon MacNeil
A&R Ivana Hauser
VP, Audio Production Jeff LeRoy
Audio Director Lucas Paquette
VP, Design & Marketing Brett Picknell
Art Director Ryan Harrison
Design Edward A. Fleming
Publicity Patrick Niland, Sara Warner
Artist Information
![](https://www.ravellorecords.com/rr/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/Evan-Mack-Composer-Pianist-300x300.jpg)
Evan Mack
Believing that opera should be theater grounded in climactic expression and deliver larger-than-life stories with music that harnesses the full athletic thrill of singing, Evan Mack has devoted much of his compositional life to opera and song. His first major operatic composition, Angel of the Amazon was premiered in 2011 by Encompass New Opera Theatre at the Baryshnikov Arts Center in New York City and was subsequently released on CD worldwide by Albany Records. Two years later, Fresno State Opera Theater premiered another composition by Mack, The Secret of Luca. This was the first of several collaborations with librettist Joshua McGuire.
![Megan-Marino Megan Marino](https://www.ravellorecords.com/rr/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/Megan-Marino.jpg)
Megan Marino
Megan Marino is a genre-adventurous, “gifted actress with a strong, appealing voice graced by a rich lower register” [Opera News]. Be it on stage or the front porch, standard fare, forgotten gem, or a work in progress, she’s driven by sharing in the communion of live performance experiences, a deep yearning to tell meaningful stories, and pure undiluted moxie.
![John-Arida John Arida](https://www.ravellorecords.com/rr/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/John-Arida.jpg)
John Arida
Pianist and coach John Arida has been praised as “an ardent accompanist… catching fire in the accompaniments and in the solo piece” by The Washington Post. The Philadelphia Inquirer heralded his interpretative prowess, proclaiming that “Arida was the great source illuminating text” and that his “…touch was just right.” His relationships with some of classical music’s most esteemed performers, including Paul Appleby, Julia Bullock, Anthony Roth Costanzo, Isabel Leonard, Megan Marino, Nicholas Phan, Ailyn Perez, and Sir James Galway, have led to international recital engagements across the United States, Canada, and Mexico. Notable venues include Carnegie Hall, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, The Kennedy Center, Herbst Theater, and Spivey Hall.
![Jameson-D-Platte Jameson D Platte](https://www.ravellorecords.com/rr/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/Jameson-D-Platte.jpg)
Jameson D. Platte
Cellist Jameson D. Platte maintains an active career both as a performer and a teacher. He is currently a member of the critically acclaimed Duo 92 with pianist/composer Matthew Quayle, the Omega Trio, principal cellist of The Orchestra of Northern New York, The Plainfield Symphony, Bachanalia Virtuosi, Chelsea Opera, Garden State Philharmonic, and the Allentown Symphony. As faculty at Skidmore College, he teaches cello and chamber music. Platte works extensively as a clinician, guest conductor, and cello coach, performs as a soloist, and maintains a large private studio.
Notes
Perseverance is at the heart of this album. You hear it in every note and word, regardless of the subject. Megan Marino, John Arida, and Jameson Platte’s brilliant tones capture the spirit of persistence in their magical collaboration.
A Little More Perfect sets Justice Anthony Kennedy’s majority opinion on Obergefell v. Hodges, which made marriage equality the law of the land. I base the opening motive on a chart that shows the progress of LGBTQ rights. The esoteric opening becomes more and more commonplace and accepted as the rights, powers, and truths bestowed by Kennedy’s words become self-evident. The title of the work comes from the day President Obama walked out into the Rose Garden and said, “Today, the nation has become a little more perfect.”
Three Reflections Of Sister Dorothy shows the determination, transcendence, and martyred hopes of Sr. Dorothy Stang’s fight to save the rainforest. A nun from Ohio, murdered by hire in the Brazilian Amazon in 2005 at the age of 73, she helped poor farmers live sustainably off of the land. The three songs consist of her own words and reflections from others who lived and worked with her in the Amazon and their daily struggle to help the poor, preserve the forest, and save the world.
Preach Sister, Preach celebrates the words of iconic women. Each movement bears the name of the speaker in an homage to them and their empowering message. I treat every quote with the utmost care and musically give a nod to the person, the time period, or an extramusical reference to the text itself, illustrating the power of humor to break down societal barriers.
The Secret Ocean deals with the passage of time, the impact of parenthood, and the burden of passing on wisdom while gaining it at the same time. Amy Jarman and the Blair School commissioned the setting of three poems by Mark Jarman that depict childhood, parenthood, and the link between them.
The Road And The End takes the words of Carl Sandburg’s 1916 poem and transforms them into a vocal tour de force. Catered to the talents of Megan Marino, the music highlights the grit and determination we need to travel the roads we want to travel.
— Evan Mack