This recording of Spirit Fire features the brilliant singing of soprano Adina Aaron, tenor Marc Heller, and bass Aaron Borst. The orchestration, with the exception of the cello and piano tracks of The Dream, was performed digitally by the composer. Spirit Fire has been a work in creation for many years. It was first conceived of when the composer read an intimate biography of Thomas Jefferson in 1978. Spirit Fire began to seriously come together as an opera in 1994. Although a few pieces were from the late 70’s, and a few also from the 80’s, most were composed specifically for the opera in two bursts of inspiration around 1994 and 2001. The last ensemble piece, Africa, not on the highlights cd, was recorded first. After Africa, and then Evening Star, also not on this highlights cd, the composer turned his attention to a digital orchestral addition to an earlier Kennedy Requiem piano/vocal recording, and did not return to the recording of Spirit Fire until approximately 2000, mostly between 2001 and 2004. Spirit Fire continues to evolve at present because only half of the opera has been orchestrally recorded, only three fourths of the opera has been recorded vocally, a few shorter scenes remain to be finalized, and no definitive orchestral score of the opera has been created. In this circumstance there is great room for evolution.

Sprit Fire has laid claim to the status of the greatest music drama in American history. The performances on this CD, though they may become antiquated by an evolved pure symphonic sound, will remain unsurpassed in the passionate and thrilling vocal triumphs by Marc Heller as Thomas Jefferson, most notable in Little Birds, The Sea, and The Dream, and Adina Aaron as Sally Hemmings, especially in Lament, In Time, and Hope. As an aside, The Sea is a baritone aria, sung by the character Alexander Hamilton, a role as yet unrecorded. In this recording, Heller is presented in the aria based on a combination of his unabashed love for the piece, and the brilliance of his performance. Arias in Spirit Fire
may be freely transposed for vocal requirements. Fittingly, the purpose of the creation of this collection, particularly the physical CD package combining the Highlights of Spirit Fire with Easter Songs and Dreams Of Love, was to promote and commemorate the Carnegie Hall recitals of Adina Aaron on Easter Sunday, April 11, 2004 and Marc Heller on April 16, 2004 presented by Krystal Productions.

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