35 Results for : atonal

  • Thumbnail
    END
    Die meisten Stücke nahm das Liveduo während des 2015er Berlin Atonal Festivals auf. Pastoral/tropical soundscapes and post-brutalist compositions by Max Loderbauer and Jacek Sienkiewicz from their "End" CD seem to evoke those situations where can actually hear objects, shapes and time flow itself, a sort of synaesthesia which erases and obliterates beginnings and ends of events, processes and phenomena. Apocalyptic and contemplative spaces generated by this pair of seasoned sound creators explode genre bastions of ambient and IDM, leading into the spectral areas once explored by such pioneers and Popol Vuh or Ilhan Mimaroglu. Above all, etheric and extra-sensitive "End" marks the meeting of two incurable individualists, who use various tools of their trade to come up with a surprisingly atemporal effect, an insistent pulse of detail on an ever-morphing background. Without vivid commentary and recognizable soundbites of the present, "End" is simultaneously an interesting projection of hopes and anxieties of the New Age. Core of tracks included on the record has been produced on the occasion of Max and Jacek appearing as a live duo during 2015's Berlin Atonal festival, which resulted in well received "Alpine-Tatra-Himalaian" EP "Ridges". Remaining compositions are natural conclusion of their friendship, conversations, meetings, trips and recording sessions that operate according to the rule of free improvisation with a reduced instrumental setup.
    • Shop: odax
    • Price: 18.84 EUR excl. shipping
  • Thumbnail
    Atonal Easy Listening Jazz
    No description.
    • Shop: odax
    • Price: 10.76 EUR excl. shipping
  • Thumbnail
    Journey's Threads
    7 pieces of music featuring the beautiful counter tenor voice of Daniel Tucker and the elegant violin playing of Michael Peck, combined with the delicate piano, classical guitar, vocals and electronics of Ian Harris. An album that moves from breathtaking simplicity to dazzling virtuosity, creating varied landscapes of polished sound. REVIEWS "There are some classical music aficionados who are averse to the atonal tendencies of many modern compositions. Pianist Ian Harris however, has masterfully counteracted this trait with his clever inclusions of aurally pleasing tones and placid sparkle. On the Britain's second album The Journey's Threads he once again works with counter tenor Daniel Tucker and violinist Michael Peck. The opener "Over Ice Land" is hauntingly beautiful with it's stark mysterious aura. Tucker's vocals are lovely and ethereal with Peck and rustic flute calls echoing in the distance. Harris lends his vocals in the latter half of the song with his warmth nicely complementing the celestial counter tenor. The mostly instrumental "Between White Clouds" takes the romantic notion of painting the aural picture the title implies, yet Harris' rendering is more sophisticated. The delicate bells and electronic noises he employs around his piano work are like the wispy silver linings of the clouds. Peck's violin statements are thither and gone like a gentle gust. In the final portion of the song, Harris' tender vocals sing the title. "Walking Towards the Rainbow" is a quiet piano solo that begins with a melodic idea twice stated, as if to build up the gumption. Then Harris gently and ever so subtly plays an eighth note journey of rises and falls like footsteps on a garden path, yet as glistening as the water from a stream flowing over smooth pebbles. The listener can become so absorbed that the ending seems to sneak up. Water is actually heard along with mechanical gears in the onset of "Of the Loss of Time," whose lyrics are taken from the Elizabethan poet John Hoskins' work of the same title. Harris mixes synthesized strings with Peck while Tucker chants in this more modern sounding piece with no clear tempo and long pauses. Each musical idea is independent yet with the echo and the counter tenor's legato vowelizations there is a shroud of mist that encompasses and binds the song together. More direct is the violin and piano conversation in "Journey to the Horizon." Harris and Peck at times sound like they are playing in different key signatures, yet the two instrumentalists deliberately and expertly continue their statements exhibiting excellent dynamics and musicality. "L'espoir d'été" loosely translates to "the hope of summer" and Harris plays a cheery lead on piano adorned with violin, bells, triangle and synthesized bass guitar sachets. His lovely grace notes on the keys and overlaid vocals at the end harbour tranquility. The most mesmerizing piece on The Journey's Threads is the violin featured "Song of the Trees." Peck is multi-tracked playing different voices crying their own lament, yet they all fit into each other by a greater design, like the giant canopy of an antediluvian forest. Harris plays classical guitar adding structure and a glint of sunshine as it pours down into the depths and touches the golden branches beneath the thick leaves. Faint electronic pings undulate quietly as the song hypnotically melds all the musical voices in and out of each other until finally fading away. Harris has been an avid composer for over fifteen years. Therefore it is not surprising how elite and polished The Journey's Threads is. The composer's unique instrument pairings and shrewd melodic weavings can easily bring modern music to a wider and more appreciative audience." Reviewer: Kelly O'Neil, Review You Rating: 4 stars REVIEW The music found on The Journey's Threads involves the three-fold combination of counter tenor Daniel Tucker's vocals, Michael Peck's violin and Ian Harris' piano and various electronic instrumentation. It's a 7-song release that veers among jazz, classical pop and what used to be termed new age music. This album, however, is under Harris' name. Harris is both a composer and a video artist based in the UK. He's a trained visual artist, with a BA in Fine Art, as well as a scholarly musician with an MA in music. One of his more fascinating past works is the music he created for a 2001 film version of a Thomas Mann novel, which was broadcast on BBC Radio 3. He's also worked on orchestrations for multi-instrument performances, some of which were presented at the famous spiritual event, Greenbelt Festival. The album's most classical sounding track is one titled "Walking Towards The Rainbow." It's a mid tempo piano piece that clocks in at 3:29. For whatever reason, it conjures up images of an Irishman searching for that pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. Maybe it's the word 'rainbow' in the title that brings such stereotypical pictures to the mind. Nevertheless, it's a pretty tune and quite a meditative one. "Of The Loss Of Time" makes excellent use of Tucker's vocals, as his voice simply soars over the instrumental section of the piece. This track is music put to a poem by John Hoskins, who was not only a writer of poems, but also a scholar of Greek, a lawyer, judge and politician. It's interesting to hear the way Tucker's voice plays off Peck's violin on this one. It's a credit to Tucker's singing ability that many times the listener may have trouble aurally discerning the difference between the vocal parts and the string parts. Tucker is such a spot-on singer when it comes to hitting the right notes, there are portions when his vocal and Peck's violin blend together nearly seamlessly. This is fascinating, and likely one of the probable reasons Harris chose to include both of these two artists on his project. "Journey To The Horizon," on the other hand, is an excellent collaboration between Harris and Peck. This one leans particularly close to the jazz spectrum of the stylistic continuum, as both Harris and Peck trade notes throughout. It leaves the overall impression of a jazz standard, only performed instrumentally. "L'espoir d'ete," is a slow, thoughtful piece. The project's finale, "Song of the Trees," multi-tracks the violin for both a beautiful and mysterious creation. One imagines environmentalism is near and dear to Harris' heart, as the cover photo on his album is a close-up of a very green leaf. The inside cover pictures a similar leaf, only this time a red one. Although it's difficult to pick out just one theme intended for this project, nature is one of it's bigger ones. In addition to the aforementioned "Song of the Trees," along with the leaf photography utilized in the CD's artwork, the land is mentioned in "Over Ice Land," clouds come up with "Between White Clouds" and God's amazing natural invention, the rainbow, plays into "Walking Towards The Rainbow." The overall impression left by this work is that of beauty. Beauty that is consistently found in nature, matched with beautiful music likely intended to reflect nature's beauty. Rock and pop music fans may be hesitant to investigate an album such as this one that prominently features a counter tenor singer in it's credits. For many, the very thought of a classical participant might give them cause to hesitate. However, once you hear what these three talented musicians have created together, your prejudices will likely disappear like a vapor. Reviewer: Dan MacIntosh, Review You Rating: 4 Stars (out of 5) REVIEW Those who haven't listened to a lot of new age releases might think of new age as a genre that is electronic 100% of the time. But while it is true that some new age recordings rely on electronic programming exclusively, that is by no means true of all new age recordings. Many other new age albums have successfully combined the electronic and the acoustic. On such albums, electronic programming and synthesizers are likely to be used alongside acous
    • Shop: odax
    • Price: 15.42 EUR excl. shipping
  • Thumbnail
    Complete Chamber Music With Piano
    A collection of effervescent French chamber music, generously compiled (almost 140 minutes), unrivalled in the current catalogue, in stylish new recordings, complemented by an extensive and authoritative booklet-note. André Jolivet (1905-1974) is surely one of the most interesting yet neglected French composers of the last century. Outside the constraints of the Parisian conservatoire tradition, he developed an idiom way ahead of its time compared to many of his contemporaries, indeed, while Edgard Varese was ploughing his furrow, Jolivet was his only European pupil between 1929 and 1933. However, Varese-like acerbity and austerity is out of place here. Jolivet was never less than a skilled melodist, and one who wrote for his chosen instruments rather than against them. Much that is here such as a sensuous Flute Sonata, a muscular Violin Sonata or a jocular Suite for oboe and piano is pitched, to ears unfamiliar with Jolivet, in an idiom somewhere between Poulenc, Messiaen and Dutilleux, but that's the voice of Jolivet, and closer acquaintance with this set will accustom listeners to it in all its unpredictable, quicksilver charm. The Flute Sonata has received several recordings in the company of the likes of Poulenc and Koechlin, but there is much here that will be unfamiliar to even the most dedicated discophiles and followers of French musical fashions: an Ouverture en Rondeau for 4 ondes martenot, piano & percussion, for example, or the Petite Suite for string quintet, piano and percussion. Few of the individual pieces or movements are of any great length - Jolivet knew the value of succinct expression like many French musicians of his generation, and had a horror of pomposity - but there is a ten-minute Nocturne for cello and piano, and a rhapsodic Chant de Linos for flute and piano of the same length. The later music - the set is helpfully arranged in chronological order - is especially intriguing, once Jolivet had found for himself a new form of classicism aimed at synthesizing serial and freely atonal music together with modal developments. One fine example is the Hopi Snake Dance for two pianos. An invaluable set, masterminded by the pianist Filippo Farinelli, who has previously accompanied distinguished colleagues in the complete songs of Jolivet (BC9220), Ravel (BC94743) and Dallapiccola (BC95202). André Jolivet (1905-1974) is considered one of the most interesting French composers of the 20th century. His vast oeuvre includes nearly all musical genres. Actively open to all musical genres (he never had a proper conservatory education) he developed a personal style that was distinctly avant-garde. This new recording spans Jolivet's entire lifetime, and presents his complete chamber music with piano in combination with violin, viola, cello, flute, oboe, saxophone, clarinet, trumpet, double-bass and Ondes Martenot. Fascinating, vibrant and colourful music! Excellent performances by Italian soloists and pianist Filippo Farinelli, the driving force behind several Brilliant Classics projects: complete songs by Ravel, Jolivet and Dallapiccola, Koechlin Saxophone Music and others. The extensive liner notes are written by a musicologist.
    • Shop: odax
    • Price: 16.75 EUR excl. shipping
  • Thumbnail
    Black Knight
    Six years ago, I had the idea that a few 19th century composers might have set a few poems by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow to music. If that music existed, I had hoped to create a choral concert in commemoration of the 200th birthday of our Portland-born poet. In it's third season, 2009, after performing and recording nearly 100 musical settings of Longfellow texts -- among them an astounding 32 world premieres of the winning entries in our annual Longfellow Chorus International Composers Competition -- The Longfellow Chorus stood before what seemed to be a potentially boundless repertory of Longfellow vocal music, new and old. There are hundreds of period songs yet to be sung and recorded, and a number of very good period cantatas. Beyond these older settings, numerous new Longfellow songs, choruses and cantatas were -- and still are -- being created for The Longfellow Chorus International Composers Competition by composers from around the world -- Australia and New Zealand, Asia, Europe, North and South America -- and these are adding a fresh, modern perspective. More than 200 composers have answered our call. The music contained in this CD set is from our third annual Henry Wadsworth Longfellow Birthday Choral Concert, which took place on February 28 and March 1, 2009, just after Longfellow's 202nd birthday. Published in 1845, The Day is Done is a fairly early poem. Longfellow was experiencing family life as a young father, and it is easy to imagine that the person "lending the beauty of" her "voice" to the "rhyme of the poet" was young mother Frances Appleton Longfellow, 1817-1861. George Whitefield Chadwick, 1854-1931, set Longfellow's Allah translation to music in 1887. At the time, he was a freelance composer in Boston and a church organist known for a certain Bohemian streak. Marienne Kreitlow has adeptly captured the dramatic mood of The Challenge -- a poem first published in Longfellow's 1873 Birds of Passage, Flight the Third -- in her setting for baritone voice. No less than in his early works, Longfellow shows in his later works an awareness that certain poems would inevitably be set to music by someone, somewhere, at some time. The Tide Rises, The Tide Falls was published near the end of Longfellow's life in Ultima Thule, 1880, and is included under the subtitle Folk-Songs. John Knowles Paine, 1839-1906, is Portland's other Victorian-American superstar. He grew up on Oxford Street. His father, Jacob, ran the local Chickering piano dealership where, in 1843, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow bought a piano as a wedding present for "Fanny" Appleton. It Is Not Always May -- text from Longfellow's Ballads and Other Poems, 1842 -- is based on a Spanish proverb, no hay pájaros en los nidos de antaño: "there are no birds in last year's nest." You can't see the beautiful, light snowflakes that were falling in South Portland on March 1, 2009, as The Longfellow Chorus performed Pontet's and Hopson's versions of Snow-Flakes, but if you listen carefully, you might hear them. About his humorous setting for bass-baritone voice and piano, composer Riccardo La Spina comments: "'Prescrizione'...evokes the style of comic operatic aria for bass of Longfellow's time, with a nod to Mozart's Don Giovanni..., one of the poet's favorite operas." Christmas Bells was Longfellow's response to the outbreak of the American Civil War, and over the past 147 years, numerous composers have turned to it as a source for musical expression of outrage and hope during the onset of newer wars. In 1916, John S. Matthews, 1870-1934, used the poem as the basis for his musical response to the First World War. Kevin Jones's contribution expresses his response to the 2003 Invasion of Iraq. Charles Ives's impressionistic, truncated version of The Children's Hour is paired with the atonal setting of Autumn Within by Traci Mendel. With his setting of Nature, Stanley Hoffman remembers his father, Josef, and, as the father of a four-year-old daughter, reflects on his own experience as a parent. The mother of Edward Elgar didn't believe that her son understood women enough to be able to attract a young bride, so she made him read Longfellow's novel Hyperion for inspiration. The result was a strange, rarely-performed cantata called The Black Knight, something that leaves the musical impression of being a late-Victorian precursor of Star Wars. - -Charles Kaufmann, Artistic Director of The Longfellow Chorus.
    • Shop: odax
    • Price: 19.63 EUR excl. shipping

Similar searches: