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On paper, Elvis Costello and the Brodsky Quartet appear to be committing career suicide.
After all, what rock radio station, Costello's usual home, is going to play music made by a string ensemble known for its interpretations of Haydn, Schubert, Bartok, and Beethoven? Similarly, what classical station is going to take a chance on tunes sung by a rocker, let alone one who emerged from the punk movement?
But The Juliet Letters deserves an audience. The collection is adventuresome, and Costello does the best singing of his career on it.
Unlike Costello's sometime collaborator Paul McCartney, who chose to take his stab at classical composition with an ambitious oratorio, Costello set his sights on more manageable chamber pieces. He was aided by the members of the Brodsky Quartet, who stepped from their normal interpretive roles to share in the writing of music and lyrics.
Inspired by the work of a Verona professor who began answering letters addressed to Shakespeare's Juliet Capulet, Costello anchored the collection on a series of missives, including love letters, suicide notes, business memos, and even junk mail. The framework is the perfect one for Costello's moody, sometimes cynical, musings.
Costello's wordplay is first-rate throughout, but his keen melodic sense seems to have deserted him on several songs that drone on ("Dear Sweet Filthy World," "I Thought I'd Write to Juliet," and "Why?"). But when he hits his stride, he does so with flair and finesse.
Costello ruminates on love and death in the "The Birds Will Still Be Singing." But the letter that comes from beyond the grave is neither somber nor bitter. A rich melody ensures that its message is uplifting.
Costello's singing is the real bonus of The Juliet Letters. He seemingly has discovered new depths and nuances in his voice, and he puts these to fine use. He raises the emotional levels of "The First to Leave" and "Jacksons, Monk and Rowe" to heights only dreamed of in 1975, when he struggled to carry the tune of "Knockin' On Heaven's Door" on his demo tape.
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