Archive for the ‘The New Classical’ Category

Trio Mediaeval’s Aquilonis

Monday, December 29th, 2014

Trio Mediaeval Aquilonis ECM Records 2416   We’re enjoying the holidays abetted by Aquilonis, the latest ECM recording by vocal group Trio Mediaeval. The disc contains several carols from 15th Century England and Scandinavian folksongs. Its varied program also encompasses 12th Century lauds from Italy contrasted by pieces from Iceland: excerpts of the Office of St. Thorlak.There is […]

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Last Minute Stocking Stuffer – Sing Thee Nowell

Saturday, December 20th, 2014

Congratulations to New York Polyphony for receiving their second Grammy nomination for a Christmas CD, Sing Thee Nowell (BIS). It includes pieces from the Renaissance, traditional holiday classics, and new compositions by Andrew Smith, John Scott, and Michael McGlynn. Like all of their previous CDs, the programmed works are superlatively performed and thoughtfully interpreted. Last […]

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Tre Voci

Friday, December 5th, 2014

Tre Voci Works by Debussy, Takemitsu, and Gubaidulina Marina Piccinini, Flute; Kim Kashkashian, viola; Sivan Magen, harp ECM New Series CD 2345   One of his last completed works, Claude Debussy’s Sonata for Flute, Viola, and Harp (1915) has been variously construed as a crystallization of Impressionism into a neoclassical mold, a nod to Debussy’s […]

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Peter Lieberson on Bridge

Friday, December 5th, 2014

Music of Peter Lieberson Volume 3 Piano Concerto No. 3 Viola Concerto Stephen Beck, piano; Roberto Diaz, viola; Odense Symphony Orchestra, Scott Yoo, conductor   Peter Lieberson (1946-2011) was a composer capable of creating affecting works in a wide range of styles. He was well known for collaborations with his wife, mezzo-soprano Lorraine Hunt Lieberson; […]

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BMOP Records Scott Wheeler

Sunday, November 23rd, 2014

Crazy Weather BMOPsound 1038 As evidenced by Crazy Weather, Boston Modern Orchestra Project’s latest recording of music by Scott Wheeler, the composer really knows his way around percussive sounds. Even on pieces for strings like the title track, there is the ‘thwack’ of pizzicatos and bow slaps to help propel the proceedings. Pacing is another […]

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Lei Liang on Bridge Records

Monday, November 17th, 2014

Lei Liang Bamboo Lights JACK Quartet; Rootstock Percussion; Cicada Chamber Ensemble; musicians from soundSCAPE; Awea Duo; The Callithumpian Consort, Stephen Drury, conductor Bridge 9425 CD [soundcloud url=”http://soundcloud.com/psny/lei-liang-listening-for”]   Composer Lei Liang knows how to pick performers; or perhaps, wisely, they select his works. Either way, when their paths cross, as they do here on a […]

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Helen Grime Portrait CD on NMC

Tuesday, November 11th, 2014

Helen Grime Night Songs Lynsey Marsh, clarinet; Hallé Orchestra and Hallé Soloists; Sir Mark Elder and Jamie Phillips, conductors NMC Recordings NMCD 199   Helen Grime is Associate Composer of the Hallé Orchestra. The ensemble has given her a generous portrait CD on NMC with excellent performances of both chamber and orchestral works, all composed […]

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10/3: Lechner and Couturier at the Rubin Museum

Wednesday, October 1st, 2014

German cellist Anja Lechner and French pianist Francois Couturier have collaborated for more than a decade on a variety of projects. Moderato Cantabile, their recorded debut as a duo, came out a couple of weeks ago on ECM Records. They celebrate its release in NYC on Friday, October 3rd at the Rubin Museum of Art (details/ticket info here). Moderato Cantabile is […]

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Leon Fleisher – All the Things You Are (CD Review)

Wednesday, August 13th, 2014

Leon Fleisher All the Things You Are Bridge Records CD 9429   At 85, pianist Leon Fleisher remains as compelling a musician as ever. Since the mid-1960s, due to battling an affliction called focal dystonia that affected two fingers on his right hand, Fleisher is best known for championing repertoire for the left hand alone. […]

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RIP Peter Sculthorpe (1929-2014)

Friday, August 8th, 2014

  One of Australia’s foremost composers, Peter Sculthorpe, has passed away at the age of 85. Sculthorpe’s extensive body of work (including eighteen string quartets) addressed a wide range of subjects, including the Iraq War, the plight of detained immigrants seeking asylum in Australia, and climate change. His music demonstrates a polyglot palette that includes Aboriginal and […]

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