Sono Luminus To Release SEMMELWEIS, A New Song Cycle By Raymond J. Lustig

Sono Luminus will release SEMMELWEIS, a new song cycle by ASCAP Award-winning composer Raymond J. Lustig, on April 17. With words by Matthew Doherty and music by Lustig, the recording features soprano Charlotte Mundy, Lustig, and The Rhythm Method, along with violinist Leah Asher, cellist Meaghan Burke, bass clarinetist Chrystof Knoche, and double bassist Ranjit Prasad.

Inspired by the life of 19th-century obstetrician Ignaz Semmelweis, the cycle traces the story of the physician who championed handwashing during a devastating epidemic in the 1840s. Semmelweis discovered that unclean hands were spreading deadly disease to mothers during childbirth, but his findings were rejected by the medical establishment. Stripped of his credentials and ultimately confined to an asylum, he died before his discovery was widely accepted. His work was later validated and he is now recognized as a pioneer of infection control.

Lustig first conceived a stage work based on Semmelweis in 2007. The fully staged production premiered in 2018, presented by Budapest Operetta Theatre and the Bartók Plusz Opera Festival. The album recording derives from that production.

“Our goal was to make a true studio album, rather than a capture of the stage work,” Lustig said in a statement. He noted that soprano Charlotte Mundy’s voice was layered and multiplied to create a chorus effect representing the “mother ghosts” who haunt Semmelweis. The album was recorded at The Hit Factory and Respirano on Hudson in New York between 2023 and 2025.

The cycle unfolds as a reflection—or fever dream—of Semmelweis’ psyche at the end of his life, revisiting moments from his past in fragmented, shifting sequences. Lustig described the structure as “a story made of glass that had fallen to the floor, smashed,” with meaning emerging through its shards.

Lustig’s previous works include Latency Canons, premiered at Carnegie Hall and performed simultaneously across global locations via the internet. His honors include the Charles Ives Fellowship from the American Academy of Arts and Letters, ASCAP’s Rudolf Nissim Prize, and the Aaron Copland Award.

Album Details

SEMMELWEIS
Music by Raymond J. Lustig
Words by Matthew Doherty
Additional Latin words by Martin Boross, Diána Eszter Mátrai, and Julia Jakubowska

Performed by:
Charlotte Mundy – voice of Woman and the Mother Ghosts
Raymond J. Lustig – voice of Semmelweis, piano, organ, accordion, music boxes
The Rhythm Method – string quartet
Leah Asher – violin
Meaghan Burke – cello
Ranjit Prasad – double bass
Chrystof Knoche – bass clarinet

Produced by Raymond J. Lustig and Maximilien Hein
Executive Producer: Raymond J. Lustig
Additional Production: Drew Schlingman (“Best Idea,” “Eureka”)
Recorded by Maximilien Hein and Drew Schlingman
Mixed by Maximilien Hein
Mastered by Daniel Shores

Recorded at The Hit Factory and Respirano on Hudson, New York (2023–2025)

Total Running Time: 65:28