BABBITT: Solo Requiem; Phonemena; Du; In His Own Words; Pantun; Now Evening After Evening; The Widow’s Lament in Springtime; Sounds and Words; The Virginal Book.

This article focuses on an album featuring the vocal and piano music of Milton Babbitt (1916–2011), a prominent American composer known for total serialism and electronic music. The album spans over 50 years of Babbitt’s work, showcasing pieces that range from early expressive settings of poetry to later compositions incorporating phonetic sounds and electronic elements. Despite the atonal and complex nature of his music, Babbitt maintains clarity and emotional depth, with soprano Nina Berman and pianists Steve Beck and Eric Huebner providing nuanced performances. The collection highlights Babbitt’s versatility, blending rigorous structure with humor and lyricism.