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Rufus Wainwright, Boy Genius
If his latest pop releases didn’t impress you, check out his opera chops
Rufus Wainwright
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Rufus Wainwright has music in his blood. Coming from a Canadian-American ragtag clan of musicians, he’s put out no less than five albums over the past decade. Now it’s the much-anticipated Release the Stars. Recorded in the U.S. and Berlin, both with other band members and solo, this record achieves what was only dreamt of on past efforts.
The son of folk singers Loudon Wainwright III and Kate McGarrigle, Wainwright (who often performs with his siblings and mother—most notably at their annual variety show “The McGarrigle Christmas Hour” where they were joined by heavy-hitters like Emmylou Harris and Lou Reed) began his career in Montreal in the mid-90s, but soon after moved to New York and was named Rolling Stone’s artist of the year.
His music is heavily influenced by opera—he’s currently at work on his first, called Prima Donna, about an aging opera star, set to premiere in July in Manchester, England. Astoundingly, this leads to a lush sound that seamlessly blends with pop-music sensibilities, remaining expansive but accessible. In fact, that’s one of his goals with Prima Donna: to create high art for public consumption.
On his latest release, Wainwright began the recording process in a more stripped-down manner—playing short pieces on a synthesizer by himself. Ironically, the final product is what Wainwright called a more “gilded” album. Rather than embracing the avant-garde, cutting-edge side of Germany’s capital, he immersed himself in the romanticism found in the landscape of the city and left with an album both intimate and orchestral, spanning themes from friendship to love to social commentary.
Joining him on the release are a handful of guest performers, most notably British actress Sian Phillips, who adds a spoken-word segment to the song “Between My Legs.” Sister Martha Wainwright—a seasoned performer in her own right—is on backing vocals and Neil Tennant (Pet Shop Boys) provides samples and synthesizers.
Whether it’s recreating Judy Garland’s 1961 concert to sold out crowds at Carnegie Hall (as he did in 2006—the resulting album was nominated for a Grammy), contributing to film and ballet productions or staging large-scale operas, Wainwright’s genius has yet to find its limit.