‘I tried to retain elements of my signature sound’ – Caroline Leisegang on her fifth studio album

Classical composer Caroline Leisegang has released her fifth studio album, Comes the Night.

The album features eight new compositions that explore Leisegang’s personal themes, including her experiences of motherhood during a time of global pandemic.

Speaking to The Citizen, Caroline said the title of her new album was inspired by a book she purchased at the Shakespeare & Co. bookstore in Paris.

She explained that the book had a profound influence on her, and she wanted to incorporate the themes of that story into her music.

“I bought this book when I was 21, and I’ve kept reading it every year since. It’s about this contrast between light and dark.

“And I think that’s why I chose to give my album the same title—because this album has been very much about the contrast between lightness and darkness.

“It’s just a coming-of-age story, but even though I’m not coming of age now, it’s like I’m coming of age in my music,” she said.

Caroline said that for Comes the Night, she chose to take a different approach from her previous projects, which were primarily based on solo piano compositions.

“I’ve tried to retain elements of my signature sound in terms of the repetition in my music. I’ve also started to write with strings, not just solo piano.

“So, there’s a contrast in that it has a stronger focus on both instruments—cello and piano—a sort of marriage of the two. It feels like a rediscovery of what I can do and what I might try next.”

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Recording process

The album which includes compositions like Victorine and End, was recorded in July 2024 at Highseas Studios in Johannesburg.

Caroline said Comes the Night was recorded over ten days, describing the process as “very stuttered”.

“I would write, leave it alone for a while, pick it up again and think I was finished, but then keep writing.

“I feel the compositions were only really complete once we had finished recording,” she said.

For this album, Caroline worked with her close friend and fellow musician Clare Vandeleur, who played the cello on several tracks.

The production of the album was co-led by sound engineer Jacques Du Plessis, and it was mastered in Dolby ATMOS by Rici Martins.

“Jacques has a way of making you feel so comfortable in the studio; he takes the pressure off,” Caroline said.

Caroline on becoming a mother during Covid

Caroline describes this album as a reflection of the challenges and changes she faced in recent years, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“In 2020, I turned 30, I became a mother, and the world changed in the blink of an eye,” she said.

“Motherhood has been both beautiful and tense; the world has been both beautiful and tense. This duality is what I wanted to capture.”

The musician said she hopes that listeners will connect with the album.

“I want the listeners to make this album their own. I want them to be able to create their own story out of the album.

“My own story has already been told through creating the album; now the listeners get to create their own stories,” she added.

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