Lori’s fourth album of solo vocal works, Within These Spaces (Amazon, iTunes) was released May 1, 2009. The recording features artists Jennifer Check, Karyn Friedman, Amanda Gosier, Sari Gruber, Warren Jones, Lori Laitman and Randall Scarlata. The CD contains 34 new songs, all composed since 2000 to poetry written between the years of 1612 and 2008.
“One hundred years hence, when critics look back at the art songs of our era, there will be many fine composers to laud and applaud, but few will deserve higher praise than Lori Laitman. …With nearly 200 songs already to her credit, there seems to be not the slightest diminishment in the expressive impact of her writing or the bracing originality of her ideas. To paraphrase a comment once made about the prolific Camille Saint-Saëns, Laitman seems to create great songs as easily and naturally as a tree produces apples, and one might add that hers are especially delicious and distinctive.” (Gregory Berg, The Journal of Singing, Jan/Feb 2010)
“This is music of depth and richness that connects with the soul.” (Robert A. Moore, American Record Guide, Sept/Oct 2009)
“Her affinity for the voice…is beyond doubt…her songs represent outpourings of great beauty…Laitman tackles each poem’s subject matter with unfailing sympathy…yet she can react with tremendous humor, too.” (Colin Clarke, Fanfare Magazine, Sept/Oct 2009)
“Lori Laitman opens windows onto small but deeply intimate emotional experiences…Whether it is Laitman’s blend of rich American, sometimes populist tonality, out of which her deeply personal, angular vocal writing arises, or her descents into jauntier, more popular modes, she shows an affinity for identyifying with the words she sets and a keen ear for poetry that will work effectively.” (Laurence Vittes, Gramophone Magazine, September 2009)
