By Lawrence A. Johnson – Chicago Classical Review
There have been surprisingly few classical releases in 2026 that actually have something positive to say about America on the occasion of the country’s 250th anniversary. That makes Patrick Zimmerli’s Letters From The Front even more welcome.
As the title indicates, the composer-saxophonist’s large-scale song cycle for four voices and piano sets letters written by American soldiers or their loved ones that span the nation’s conflicts, from the Revolutionary War to the Gulf War. Zimmerli writes in a populist tonal style that falls easily on the ears. Texts are varied and well-chosen, avoiding pathos and the merely sentimental.