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Piano Recital I

PARTITA No. 2 in C minor, BWV 826 JOHANN SEBASTIAN BACH (1685-1770) Bach's six Partitas date from the ripe period following his move to Leipzig (1723). His first published instrumental works, they appeared individually in the years 1726-31 (the present C minor Partita in 1727) and were assembled as his 'Opus One' in 1731, collectively titled Clavierübung (keyboard Practice or Exercise). According to Bach's first biographer, Johann Nicolaus Forkel, the partitas made 'a great noise in the musical world. Such excellent compositions for the clavier had never been heard before. Anyone who had learnt to perform well some pieces out of them could make his fortune in the world thereby,... they are so brilliant, well sounding, expressive, and always new.' Forkel was correct in his appraisal, and these creations do indeed unfailingly renew themselves. They are effectively playable on piano, harpsichord and clavichord, and lend themselves to a multitude of interpretations. The Partitas (known also as German Suites, as Bach announced, consisted of 'Preludes, Allemandes, Courantes, Sarabandes, Gigues, Minuets, and other Galanteries.' The Partita in C minor opens with a Sinfonia rather than a Preludium which is in effect a three-stage Italian Ouverture beginning with a clarion call to order. The proscribed Allemande, Courante and Sarabande are filled out with a Rondeau (replacing the Menuet} and a vigorous, driving Capriccio in lieu of the concluding Giga. VARIATIONS in F minor, Hob. XVII : 6 SONATA No. 53 in E minor Hob. XVI : 34 JOSEPH HAYDN (1732-1809) The F minor Variations (sometimes commonly known as 'Andante con Variazioni') were composed in 1793, and exemplify the mastery and tremendous emotional breadth of some other late Haydn symphonies. As a matter of fact, one can draw a striking analogy between the Tema of this masterpiece and one of the so-called 'Drumroll' Symphony's second movement: Both of these are double themes consisting of a first part minore, it's sequel in answering maggiore. Of course each variant becomes increasingly more embellished until the coda where a climax of astonishing intensity and subdued drama is joltingly introduced. When young Beethoven was sent to Vienna with a stipend from Count von Waldstein so that the burgeoning composer could study with Haydn and 'regain the soul of Mozart' (who had just died), I daresay that Beethoven did indeed inherit much from Mozart, but Haydn probably had the biggest influence on his young charge. These sublime Theme and Variations offer evidence for this writer's assertion. The Sonata in E minor was first published in July 1773 by Beardmore & Birchall of London but almost certainly, Haydn had composed it considerably earlier. In any event, this E minor Sonata is one of the finest and most popular of the master's 'middle period.' It's first movement, Presto's engaging, disjunctive style is for me reminiscent of C.P.E. Bach innovative mood. One noteworthy feature is the way the music keeps breaking up into small paragraphs and then resuming it's forward course. Such drama and imagination! In contrast, the Adagio slow movement sings with a long, ruminative line. As the movement reaches it's apex, the pulse begins to quicken and, almost without resolution we find ourselves face to face with a sprightly Finale, Vivace molto innocentemente. This linking of these two movements is very much a harbinger of the familiar device used by Beethoven in so many of his mature compositions (e.g. The Fourth and Fifth Piano Concertos, the Violin and Triple Concertos, the Waldstein, Appassionata and Lebewohl Sonatas and the Serioso String quartet). DREI KLAVIERSTÜCKE, Op. 117 JOHANNES B HMS (1833-1897) During the Summer of 1890, Brahms completed his String Quintet in G major, Op. 111 and, in September, sent the manuscript to Fritz Simrock, his publisher. Simrock had hoped Brahms would oblige with a Fifth Symphony and indeed, the composer had begun work on such a score. But, alas, along with the Quintet's manuscript, came a note: ' The time has come for you to say goodbye to any further compositions of mine.' A new symphony was out of the question and Brahms facetiously added further that he had thrown his leftover manuscript paper in the river at the end of his vacation at Bad Ischl. Incentive was restored by a visit to Meiningen in March 1891. The rejuvenating catalyst was an evidently superb musician named Richard Mühfeld and posterity owes to him a substantial debt for causing Brahms' change of heart. Having come forth with two works inspired by Mühlfeld, the Trio for Clarinet, Cello and Piano, Op. 114 and the Quintet for Clarinet and Strings Op. 115, and with his creative juices restored, the 'retired' master, as an extra bounty, penned a superb collection of short piano pieces, Op. 116-119, his two sonatas Op. 120, the Ernste Gesang, Op. 121 and the Chorale Preludes for Organ, Op. 122. The three Intermezzi Op. 117 were published in 1892, the same year as Op. 116. No. 1 in E Flat, an Andante in 6/8 metre with a second section, piu adagio--un poco andante, is a German version of a Scottish cradle song 'Lady Anne Rothwell's Lament' and Brahms follows it so closely that in one section the words can actually be fitted to his melody. The second Intermezzo in B flat minor is likewise, another song without words. It's mood of bittersweet nostalgia is very much akin to the poco Allegretto third movement of the Third Symphony, Op. 90 (Brahms tempo indication for Op.117/2 is Andante non troppo--piu adagio). The triptych is completed by the Intermezzo in C sharp minor (Andante con motto--poco piu lento moto ed espressivo, again inspired by an old ballad. SONATINA (1957) Edino Krieger (1928) Edino Krieger was born in Brusque, Santa Catarina on March 17, 1928. He studied music with his father, a conductor, composer, and founder of the local Conservatory, and later studied the violin with Edith Reis (1943) and composition with Hans-Joachim Koellreutter (1944-48) at the Rio de Janeiro Conservatory, and subsequently had lessons with Aaron Copland at the Berkshire Music Center in Tanglewood and with Peter Mennin (1948-49) at the Juilliard School. His early works were in late Romantic and Impressionist style, but after a brief dodecaphonic period (1947-53), he turned toward neo-Classicism with nationalistic allusions, and fused the latter two styles from 1966. The composer has given his own text for the Sonatina here recorded: 'Composed in 1957, the piano Sonatina belongs to Krieger's neoclassical period. In 1952 the composer abandoned avant-garde experiments in order to heighten his command of traditional forms, with classical and pre-classical styles within a free tonal-modal idiom and incorporating Brazilian thematic elements. The neoclassical phase includes teaching pieces, designed for developing young instrumentalists. Among these works are the Suite for Strings, the Prelude and Fugue and the Sonatina for piano. The Sonatina is in two movements. The first, marked Moderato, begins with a binary Alberti bass, below a ternary melodic line with a cantabile, lyric character. The contrasting marcato second theme appears in the left hand and both themes are worked in a long and dynamic development. The brief recapitulation brings the return of the initial lyric material. The second, Allegro, has a moto perpetuo character and is built upon a wild, undulating melodic figure in the low register. Above this appears an affirmative theme of episodic character, though the initial undulating material predominates throughout.' Music Notes by Harris Goldsmith.

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Melodia

Testimonials for the CD, "Melodia"... 'Your new album is great!!! My favorite piece is track #5, the Etude No. 3 in A Major, an absolutely beautiful melody for sure!' - Marbella A., Sacramento, California 'The music is lovely and perfect background music while dining!' - Bunny Beck, jazz pianist, New York City 'Thank you for the graciousness of your extremely lovely spirit, and all the beauty and peace you have brought me through your music.' - Madeline L., San Rafael, California 'I listened to the whole thing, twice. You really have created a beautiful resource, a musical grove of sprightly melodies encased in the warm body of wood that is your guitar. The variety of classics carefully chosen from Europe and Latin America, while inducing a state of calmness, also liven up the mind. In other words, this is not your father's Muzak!' - Mark O., Sausalito, California Melodia CD tracks: 1 Interrogando (João Texeira Guimarães) (Brazil, 1883-1947), 4:24 2 Confesión-Romanza (Agustín Barrios Mangoré) (Paraguay, 1885-1944), 4:30 3 Julia Florida (Agustín Barrios Mangoré) (Paraguay, 1885-1944), 5:04 4 Romance de los Pinos (Federico Moreno-Torroba) (Spain, 1891-1982), 1:48 5 Etude No. 3 in A major, opus 60 (Matteo Carcassi) (Italy, 1792-1853), 3:23 6 Capricho Árabe (Francisco Tárrega) (Spain, 1852-1909), 5:08 7 Prelude 5 (Heitor Villa-Lobos) (Brazil, 1887-1959), 5:23 8 Dengoso (João Texeira Guimarães) (Brazil, 1883-1947), 3:58 9 El Noy de la Mare (Miguel Llobet) (Spain, 1878-1938), 2:48 10 Canción Popular Gallega (Manuel Ponce) (Mexico, 1885-1948), 1:59 11 Venezuelan Waltz No. 3 (Antonio Lauro) (Venezuela, 1917-1986), 2:56 12 Granada from Suite Española, opus 47 (Isaac Albéniz) (Spain, 1860-1909), 4:58 13 Prelude no. 4 in E ? minor, "Lento", opus 16 (Alexander Scriabin) (Russia, 1872-1915), 1:26 14 Lágrima (Francisco Tárrega) (Spain, 1852-1909), 1:46 15 Scherzino Mexicano (Manuel Ponce) (Mexico, 1885-1948), 3:07 16 Choro de Saudade (Agustín Barrios Mangoré) (Paraguay, 1885-1944), 5:26 17 Oración (Agustín Barrios Mangoré) (Paraguay, 1885-1944), 4:53 18 Sons de Carilhões (João Texeira Guimarães) (Brazil, 1883-1947), 2:35.

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Looks Like I'm Tall

'For about four or five years now, I've been playing Henning's songs for people and saying they were my own. Please don't tell him that. Brief, romantic and simple, in a why-didn't-I-think-of-that way, his stories and melodies touch people without resorting to attitude or pretense. If his name weren't so hard to pronounce, he'd be Yngwie Malmsteen by now.' -- Chris Collingwood (Fountains of Wayne) You wouldn't necessarily call a friend to come over to hang out with you as you sort, fold, and put away the laundry. Similarly, it's difficult to read a magazine while you do the dishes. So you slap an album on the CD player. But you're not looking for "Moondance," which you know by heart, nor is this the time to put on the new Belle & Sebastian album to decode for the first time - what you need is an old friend who will speak to you as he sings, engaging your mind and heart at the same time. Every time one listens to Henning Ohlenbusch's 'Looks Like I'm Tall,' it reveals another shade, it grows a new leaf, it sheds a tear through a sung sigh. Although gifted with a talented, expressive backing band in School for the Dead (The Chain CD, The New You), Henning set aside this collection of songs to form a solo album in every sense. Over 2005, in his home studio, Henning by his tall lonesome penned lyrics, composed tunes, arranged and then played all instrumentation, devised and crooned harmonies, moved the amps, pressed all the buttons, and took out the trash. From the sprightly opener "But We Did," a feast of gurgly synths surfing across a tasty banquet of hooks to the closer, "It's Now," which is marked by a sadly lilting recorder line in the intro and a pluvial cascade of plucked strings announcing the pensively sweet chorus, Ohlenbusch broadens his palette with a set of reflective songs set to contemplative moods presented by his solitary muse. Herein you'll also find "Held His Gaze," which is the most fully realized distillation of Paul Simon's considerable influence upon Ohlenbusch's writing, but after one or two listens, the tune eases into your consciousness as one of Henning's own best. The title track and "This Nightly Progression" both express Henning's mixed feelings about his place in the independent music world. Lyrics are married to latchkey melodies, then lovingly swaddled in majestic prisms of instrumentation and harmonies. Looks like I'm tall, smells like teen spirit, feel like makin' love, sounds like we have a winner. And we do. Taste the victory.

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Music for Voice

THE OWL AND THE PUSSY-CAT AND OTHER SONGS OF LOVE Here are eight songs by diverse poets. Among them are Edward Lear's whimsical yet touching nonsense-romance, "The Owl and the Pussy-Cat," Conrad Aiken's plaintive remembrance of a life partner, "Music I Heard with You," and Daniel Ladinsky's exuberant "There Is a Wonderful Game," an invitation to realize the transcendent unity of all mankind. FOUR SONGS OF EDNA ST. VINCENT MILLAY This cycle includes "Recuerdo", one of Millay's most familiar poems, in which the poet recalls a happy night traveling back and forth on the Staten Island Ferry, and "Afternoon on a Hill", a song of youthful delight in nature. SANCTUS This is a portion of the Mass, in Latin. Composed in five sections, the short text becomes a full canvas of personal, spiritual feeling: from rapturous praise, to quiet and steadfast faith, to a sense of urgent pleading that we, on earth, become aware of God's glorious presence. TOM HERMAN'S compositions have been performed both in the United States and Canada as well as in Europe. He has written art songs, chamber music, and music theater pieces for which he served both as composer and lyricist. He has received various grants for composition, including a National Endowment Fellowship Award for his theater piece "Objets trouvés." Mr. Herman has taught at Fordham University and Sarah Lawrence College. REBECCA LUKER starred in the acclaimed revival of "The Music Man," garnering Tony, Drama Desk, and Outer Critics Circle Award nominations for her role as Marian. She appeared in the Kennedy Center production of Stephen Sondheim's "Passion," and her other theatrical credits include roles in "Mary Poppins," "Nine," "The Sound of Music," " Show Boat," "The Secret Garden," and "The Phantom of the Opera." She performed in the New York City Opera production of "Brigadoon" and has appeared with many orchestras, including the New Jersey and St. Louis Symphonies, the Hollywood Bowl, and the Boston Pops. Her numerous recording credits include "Leaving Home," "Anything Goes: Rebecca Luker Sings Cole Porter," "The Sound of Music," "The Secret Garden," and "The Music Man." REVIEW BY ROB LESTER at talkinbroadway.com: Setting various texts and poems with moods ranging from dreamy-romantic to sorrowful to the reverence of the Latin Mass, composer Tom Herman has found the dream of a muse for his music-Broadway's Rebecca Luker. The CD begins with a sprightly tune for the kid-friendly Edward Lear tale of the inter-species marriage of "The Owl and the Pussycat" before going into more serious material, with some pieces that could be classified as art songs. The often-surprising melody lines are variously tender and intimate or soaringly joyful or meditative. Versatile Rebecca Luker truly serves the material. Happily, the wide-ranging melodies with some shimmering ascents and elastic lines also become a showcase for her strong and glorious, clear soprano voice. Her chameleon-like performance proves her to be comfortably at home with each piece. Her strengths include projecting a sense of awe in both the Mass and various love-struck romantic ruminations. Rhapsodically, "Recuerdo" relishes a rush of memories of a heady night for two lovers, one of the five poems of Edna St. Vncent Millay. Not all is sweetness and light. Addressed subjects include grieving and loss, both for specific people and times gone by. Though they confront sorrow, the musical choices and interpretation keep the sad subject matter in a thoughtful mode, rather than drowning in melodramatic mawkish misery. There's a classical elegance here that makes feelings float rather than spurt. The long-lined legato approach with a high voice sometimes has the music and voice demand a listener's initial attention more so than the words. The album title stating this is music for voice perhaps justifies this. There is no question, however, that agendas for mood-setting and broad strokes are definitely achieved, even if some specific images that are painted in the words are swept along in the wave of music. These assert themselves more with repeated listenings and by following the full texts provided in the booklet (which also characterizes each piece succinctly in liner notes by the composer). Accompaniment does not distract or diffuse, as it is kept minimalistic. Recital style, there is just piano for the first 12 tracks (well done by Brian Zeger for eight and Joseph Thalken for the cluster of four short Millay poems). The Sanctus features Grant Wenaus on piano and adds the cello of Clay Ruede, a great asset not just for variety but for his fine work. Especially effective and evocative is "I, Icarus" (text by Alden Nowlan), where the speaker recalls, "I lay on my bed and willed myself to fly." Without resorting to telegraphing or cliché, composer Herman makes musical choices to illustrate the poem's images of flight and the repeated words "above," "higher" and "slowly" to tell the story and give it also an attitude of determined convincingness and a longing for a long-ago time. Taking up more than one third of the album's playing time (49:43), the Sanctus from the Mass is in five movements, just using the few lines over and over, so it's in it's own category. It's a matter of glorying in the glory (of the Lord and the Heaven-sent music and lovely, lithe Luker vocal sounds that swell and soar). Recording classical music and a reverential approach is not a new feather in the singer's cap: she has lent her voice to a series of Aria albums that use her soprano's ethereal quality. Here it's the brightness and clarity and directness of the approach that are front and center. Still, listeners who are strictly Broadway fans and tend not to be musical genre-jumpers may not be as willing to make the leap to the art song and religious territory. But many admirers of Rebecca Luker's gleaming and warm soprano should find the same qualities they've enjoyed on her many cast albums. As for composer Tom Herman, who is new to me, I enjoy his talents on display here and am interested to hear a musical he has on tap, Jack's Back. One piece here has his own words, "Birthday Horoscope for B.R." and that shows sensitivity, too, like his affectionate attention to other words he sets. His other career is as a massage therapist (you may have seen him play one in the 2006 comic film Borat), and Music for Voice, indeed, with it's soothing sounds and sure-handed musicality is like a massage for the ear and brain. There's much to relax to-and be moved by-here, when musical masseuse meets marvelous chanteuse.

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Appassionata: Beethoven Liszt Chopin Rachmaninoff

The name 'Appassionata' was given to this Sonata by one of Beethoven's publishers, and it is dead on accurate. In her novel 'The Vampire Armand' author Anne Rice has the protagonist of her book describe his reaction to hearing Beethoven's celebrated work. This 'outside the box' description reawakens our senses yet again to Beethoven's masterpiece. I knew the piano Sonata and had loved it in passing and now it's fury paralyzed me. Appassionata. Up and down the notes rang in gorgeous throbbing arpeggios, thundering downward to rumble in a staccato drumming, only to rise and race again. On and on went the sprightly melody, eloquent, celebratory and utterly human, demanding to be felt as well as heard, demanding to be followed in every intricate twist and turn. Appassionata. In the furious torrent of notes, I heard the resounding echo of the wood of the piano, I heard the vibration of it's giant taunt bronze harp. I heard the the sizzling throb of it's multitudinous strings. Oh, yes, on, and on, and on, and on, louder, harder, ever purer and ever perfect, ringing out and wrung back as if a note could be a whip. How can human hands make this enchantment, how can they pound out of these ivory keys this deluge, this thrashing, thundering beauty? Ann Rice The Vampire Armand reprinted by permission. Random House Provincetown was the place where, for many weeks, I prepared the music for this CD. The spectacular natural beauty of this little fishing village at the tip of Cape Cod has been the inpiration for many artists, musicians, painters and authors for countless decades. In the back of my mind I also kept as a guidepost the astonishing concerts by Arthur Rubinstein . I actually heard Rubinstein play the Chopin B-flat minor Scherzo at the Academy of Music in Philadelphia and the experience of such great music making is etched in my brain forever. The great Provincetown author Michael Cunningham won a Pulitzer Prize for his book 'The Hours'. He mentions listening to the music of Phillip Glass as he writes his prose. The Academy Award winning screen version of 'The Hours' has music by Glass. The final track on this CD is one of the works from that score. Paul Bisaccia Provincetown MA Check out excerpts from Paul Bisaccia's PBS television shows on youtube.com Critical acclaim for Bisaccia 'A magical evening which just got better and better... completely passionate in his performance.' The Barrie Examiner Ontario 'Delivered with power, poignancy, authority and aplomb' Worcester Telegram Gazette 'His fabulous encore with plenty of scintillating, puckish fingerwork on the ivories.' The Straits Times, Singapore 'Bisaccia brought the audience to their feet with genuine spontaneous cheers erupting out of sheer joy.' Steinway Society of the Bay Area (CA) 'Bisaccia is a serious artist with a compelling presence at the piano.' Connecticut Life 'For Gershwin interpretations Bisaccia wins hands down.' American Record Guide 'You really must hear him!' Brasilia Super Radio FM Brazil 'Earnest vivacity and sparkling virtuosity... infectious excitement.' Union-News Springfield (MA) 'George Gershwin would have joined the audience in the standing ovation at the conclusion of 'Rhapsody in Blue'. ' The Hartford Courant (CT) 'Prepare to be dazzled!' OnCenter Arts Quarterly, Hilton Head SC 'It just proves that talent always prevails in these times of mediocrity.Consummate musicianship. ' Michael Feinstein.

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Pulse of An Irishman: Irish & Scottish Songs Arranged by Beethoven

Early in the nineteenth century, George Thomson was concerned that the traditional songs of the British Isles were being lost. In an effort to preserve them, he commissioned arrangements from the finest composers of his time, including Ludwig van Beethoven. Beethoven tackled the commission enthusiastically, although not without some grumbling regarding his fee. This new recording offers a selection of these entertaining and unjustly neglected pieces. All songs are performed in English, as intended by Beethoven and are accompanied with piano, violin and cello. The Pulse of an Irishman features singers Steven Stull, Timothy LeFebvre, Kimberly LaGraff, Linda Larson and Todd Geer, accompanied by violinist Brian Brooks, cellist Laura Kramer and pianist Kathy Hansen. REVIEW: 'Celtic folk tunes with a classical flavor? Sounds like another crossover marketing ploy, but back in 1809 they didn't have to hire a hack arranger to reconstruct how Auld Lang Syne would have sounded had Beethoven written it. They could get Beethoven himself. In all, Beethoven arranged over 180 Irish, Welsh and Scottish songs, 21 of which have been included on this new release featuring five of the Southern Tier's best and brightest young singers. Steven Stull, Kimberly LaGraff, Timothy LeFebvre, Linda Larson and Todd Geer have become familiar figures on the stages of the Ithaca, Tri-Cities and Syracuse Operas and are versatile enough to be a welcome presence in the Broadway repertory. It's the combination of strong classical technique combined with ease and naturalness of expression that make this disc such a pleasure to listen to. Steve and Timothy blend hauntingly in the wistful Farewell Bliss and Farewell Nancy, Todd adds his verve to the charming Sally in Our Alley (my personal favorite), Linda sings sensitively about Faithfu' Johnie, and the whole group joins on an uptempo version of Auld Lang Syne, a sprightly alternative to what one usually hears on New Year's Eve. The instrumental accompaniment, played by pianist Kathy Hansen, violinist Brian Brooks and cellist Laura Kramer, bears the clear imprint of Beethoven's personality. This disc will fill a gap in the Beethoven discographies of most classical listeners, and Celtophiles may also find that these alternative takes on the traditional tunes are, like Sally, right up their alley.' The Ithaca Times REVIEW: 'On commission from a publisher in the British Isles, Beethoven wrote more than 150 folksong settings, here are twenty-one. Far more than hackwork, his arrangements rank with latter-day settings by Bartok, Kodaly and Britten. A delightful touch is the scoring for piano trio, written at a level that would be negotiable at home. This CD benefits from fresh, youthful, unpretentious singing. The [five] soloists also do some ensemble turns, and their accompanists, if somewhat recessively recorded, dispatch the music smartly.' Opera News.

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Australian Festival

Jade CDs are widely heard on national and fine music stations throughout Australia, and are recognised as a valuable resource by educational authorities as being uniquely representative of the work of Australian composers. They are manufactured in limited runs of 500 and stocks are therefore may be regarded as collectors' items! All Jade CD covers are distinctive. Most Jade CDs have an anthology format and include works by several composers. It's great to have these CDs on offer for a wider audience at CD Baby. 'AN AUSTRALIAN FESTIVAL' JADCD 1095 Works by: Tomas Luis de Victoria, Robert Allworth, Carson P. Cooman, Lawrence Bartlett, Derek Strahan, Ann Carr-Boyd. Eric Gross, Duration: 64'09' Summary: This CD displays a characteristic feature of Jade releases - a combination of sacred and secular music. The colourful cover illustration of St. George slaying a dragon, illustrates the opening 4'30' track by Allworth: Prelude for the Most Holy Name of Jesus and Saint George and The Dragon (1990) which is followed by Allworth's 6 Meditations on Early English Saints (1990). Both works are for organ and are given a vivid interpretation by US organist and composer, Carson P. Cooman, on the organ of the Harvard University Memorial Church. Two contrasting works by Cooman follow -Tenebrae Canticle (2001), exploring ideas of liturgical darkness, and the sprightly Dawning, a birthday portrait for a friend. Two historical recordings made in 1979 at Sydney's Christ Church St. Lawrence capture the ambience of this location as Colin Sapsford directs the choir in settings by Tomas Luis de Victoria (1548-1611) of Missa O Magnum Mysterium and a Good Friday Hymn. Bartlett's own Ceremonial Te Deum (1988) is heard, as sung by choir and organ at a special service of Morning Prayer, at St, Andrews Cathedral, Sydney, in the presence of the Prince and the Princess of Wales, during the 1988 Bicentennial celebrations. In secular mode, Gross contributes two works: Rondino Pastorale for flute and Plectrum Ensemble (1962), and Prefatory Sonnet (1984) one of 3 Songs for soprano or tenor, clarinet and piano, in this instance sung by Anthony Walker. Strahan's Atlantis Variations for Solo Piano, Pt. 2, (1992) is one of several works developing material for a proposed 4-opera cycle on Atlantis, this one centred around the character of Calypso, a rebellious daughter of Atlas. The CD closes with Carr-Boyd attractive miniature for piano, Maladies Of Love (1982). Track list: - with more details about each piece and the performances. Prelude and Meditations by ROBERT ALLWORTH (b.1943) Tracks 1 - 7 were recorded by CARSON P. COOMAN in the Memorial Church at Harvard University, USA on the ISHAM MEMORIAL ORGAN on the I7th of May 2002 for the 60th Birthday year of the Composer. Track 1- PRELUDE FOR THE MOST HOLY NAME OF JESUS AND SAINT GEORCE AND THE DRAGON. The organ prelude,composed in 1990, is derived from two themes in the slow movement of the composer's orchestral work PLATEAU which was recorded by PATRICK THOMAS conducting the OUEENSLAND SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA in 1974. MEDITATIONS OF EARLY ENGLISH SAINTS (1990) Track 2 - SAINT GILES AND SAINT CHAD. Saint Ciles - ninth century, with 150 Churches dedicated in his honour, in Great Britain. He is the patron Saint of Cripples and the Indigent. Saint Chad - Bishop in Northumbria,died in 672 at Lichfield where he founded a Monastery. Track 3 -SAINT RICHARD OF CHICHESTER. Bishop l244,died at Dover, 1253. He became Chancellor of his University. SAINT THOMAS OF HEREFORD, Bishop at Hambleden in Buckinghampshire, died in 1282. Educated at Oxford and ordained a priest by Pope Innocent IV. Track 4 - SAINT DUNSTAN, Bishop, born near Glastonbury in 909. He restored monastic life at Glastonbury which had ceased to exist since the Scandinavian invasions. In 959 he was made Archbishop of Canterbury. SAINT CUTHBERT, Bishop, died 687, buried at Lindisfarne. His remains were removed after the Viking Raids. His remains were placed in Durham Cathedral. Ln 1827,the Medieval shrine was rediscovered in Durham Cathedral. Track 5 - SAINT CHARLES died in 945 at Glastonbury. A monk who had visions of the Holy Family. Many miracles of healing have been attributed to this saint. SAINT ALBAN is venerated as the First Martyr in the Island of Britain. He was martyred in 209. Track 6 - SAINT JOSEPH OF ARIMATHAEA. First century. The Apostle Paul sent Joseph to be a missionary in the Island of Britain, whose first church he founded at Glastonbury. SAINT WILLIAM OF NORWICH died at Norwich in 1144. William was venerated locally as a martyr, after his mutilated body was found in a wood outside Norwich. He was 12 years old when he died. Track 7- SAINT ROBERT OF NEWMINSTER died 1159 He was accepted by Saint Bernard of Clairvaux into the Cistercian Order and then at Newminster. SAINT PETER OF SALISBURY died in Kent in 542. He was an assistant of the Augustian Friars, founded in 520. Tracks 8/9: Two Works for organ by CARSON P. COOMAN performed by the composer on the ISHAM MEMORIAL ORGAN in the Memorial Church at Harvard University, USA. Track 8 - Tenebrae Canticle (2001) was written for Rochester Christian Reformed Church and an Advent 2001 service Of darkness. Lt is a work exploring ideas of liturgical darkness, inspired by a verse from the Psalms (I8:11): He made darkness his secret place, his pavilion round about him were dark waters and thick clouds of the skies. Track 9 - Dawning (2002) for Organ was written for and is dedicated to Sandra Gay, on her birthday. The work is vibrant and vital (a personality portrait). Two fast outer sections surround a slower, more lyrical one. HISTORICAL RECORDINGS OF TWO WORKS BY TOMAS LUIS DE VICTORIA (1548-1611) MADE IN CHRIST CHURCH ST. LAWRENCE, SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA. Track 10 - KYRIE ELEISON - GLORIA IN EXCELSIS DEO from MISSA O MAGNUM MYSTERIUM Performance: Choir of Christ Church Saint Laurence Conductor - Colin Sapsford. Soprano - Diana Sapsford, Alto - Lyn Moffat, Tenor - Charles Dale, Bass - Neil McEwan.(Track to recorded in 1979) Track 11 - GOOD FRIDAY HYMN - THE ROYAL BANNERS FORWARD GO - translated by J.M. Neale from the Latin of BISHOP VENANTIUS FORTUNATUS, 530-606.Tune: ANDERNACH from the ANDERNACH GESANGBUCH .1608. Sung by the Choir and Congregation of Christ Church St. Laurence. With Colin Sapsford at the organ. Track 12 - CREMONIAL TE DEUM (1988) by LAWRENCE BARTLETT (1933-2002) Performance: Choir of St. Andrews Cathedral conducted by Michael Deasey, Bransby Byrne, organist. Lawrence Bartlett was for many years rector of St. Michael's Anglican Church, Vaucluse, Sydney, Australia, and also preceptor at St. Andrews Cathedral, Sydney. He composed a considerable amount of fine choral and organ music, including this work which was composed as part the Australian Bicentennial celebrations of 1988. It was sung at a special service of Morning prayer, in the presence of their Royal Highesses, Prince Charles, and the late Princess Diana. Track 13 - RONDINO PASTORALE OP. 33 (1962) by ERIC GROSS (b.1926) Performance: Michael Scott, flute and the Sydney Mandolins. A brief work designed to convey a relaxed, pastorle atmosphere. Originally composed as a piece for flute and harp, and subsequently arranged by the composer for various other instrumental combinations. Track 14 - PREFATORY SONNET OP. 139/1(1984) by ERIC GROSS (b.1926) Setting of a poem by Henry Kendall Performance: Anthony Walker, tenor, Ingrid Pearson, clarinet, Peter Maddox, piano. ATLANTIS VARIATIONS FOR SOLO PIANO PART 2 (1992) by DEREK STRAHAN (b.1935) Derek Strahan, piano Composer's notes: Written in 1992, Atlantis Variations for piano (in 3 parts) is one of four works written developing material for use in a proposed 4-opera cycle dealing with antediluvian civilisations of antiquity. Musical ideas for the third opera, Calypso In Exile, are developed in Atlantis Variations Part 2, heard here. Part 1 develops ideas for the second opera, and Part 3 for the final opera in which Atlantis

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Rotary Phone

Welcome to Rotary Phone. Ten new songs featuring some amazing players including Natalia Zukerman, Erin McKeown, Roxanne Layton, Julie and Kate Wolf to name a few. A jazzy, folky collection full of pianos, ukuleles, fiddles, bass saxophones and other marvelous sounds. Grooves from around the world take us to France one minute and then on to Brazil and even India. A joyous celebration of the simpler things in life! 'Music like a map!' TIME OUT, NY 'A masterful combination of song, performance and artistry with a contagiously positive attitude and free spirit. Probably one of the most the most charismtic performances I've ever seen.' -BAY GUARDIAN, San Francisco, CA Originally from the UK Zoë now calls Cape Cod her home. She's toured all over the world picking up musical grooves and stories, performs at folk and jazz festivals in the U.S. and Canada and has 5 albums under her belt. Her song SMALL IS TREMENDOUS has received much commercial success and can be heard on ads for MINI PRINGLES and TJ MAAX in the U.S. and U.K. Another of her songs SHEEP was part of a PUTUMAYO compilation and became #1 in the children's satellite radio charts. The "Small is Tremendous" album was signed in 2006 to WILDFLOWER RECORDS owned by folk legend JUDY COLLINS. Zoë has toured with MS. COLLINS as well as RICHIE HAVENS and NANCI GRIFFITHS. She has also written soundtracks for films and has penned a musical entitled SNAIL ROAD! Her songs are now being performed on Broadway! 'She stormed the main stage playing everything from swinging folk and latin jazz to acoustic funk and sprightly celtic flavoured tunes. Her boundless energy was hard to ignore.' OTTAWA XPRESS, Canada 'An amazing modern day Noel Coward.' -Rich Warren, WFTM, Chicago, IL.

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Sweet Time

Dafni's mother tells a story that sounds like something out of a fable. When Dafni's grandmother would sing in the hills around her home in Samos, Greece, her beautiful voice was so compelling that the villagers would stop what they were doing and listen. When the Italians invaded during World War II, Dafni's grandfather went into hiding because he was in the resistance. His wife was also in danger, but an Italian soldier was so taken with her singing that he hid her from the authorities. This musical talent lives on in Dafni, whom a friend called "the little girl with a big voice." She embodies many contrasts, beyond that first, most obvious one. A writer of heartbreaking songs, she is also a doctor of chemistry. A haunter of late night dive bars, she exercises two hours a day. A polite Midwesterner, her drive rivals that of any other dreamer who strikes out for the West Coast. In Sweet Time, Dafni's most personal album to date, she takes a conscious look at her past, her relationships and various facets of her personality. Dafni grew up in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin, and first realized that she wanted to sing as a child while watching The Wizard of Oz. In fact, she cried at the end of the movie because there wasn't any more. Soon, she was picking out tunes on a toy piano and later on her godmother's organ. An involved music teacher taught her the French horn (the school concert band had too many flutes - Dafni's first choice) and encouraged her to write an original composition. He was the first to tell her she had musical talent, which was a great motivation. An even more common motivation - a crush on a boy - led her to take up bass in her high school's jazz band. As she was gaining a basis in classical music and jazz, Dafni was also pursuing an interest in science, first studying psychology in Chicago, then pre-med at the University of Wisconsin, Madison. She switched majors again after falling in love with the bane of most med students' existence: organic chemistry. She found in science an inspiration similar to that which she found in music - a sense of elegant order with the opportunity to be creative in discovering new ways of doing things. As she worked chemistry problems - which she liked to do at the library while listening to live opera from the Met - her heart would beat fast with excitement, the same way it did when writing a song. While pursuing her doctorate in chemistry at UCLA, Dafni's musical career progressed through a combination of hard work and serendipity. Her first original songs were performed on piano at Madison's student bar, the Rathskeller. When the event moved outside for the summer, she taught herself guitar. In Los Angeles, when her guitar teacher couldn't go with her to an open mike, she hopped in a cab (she's one of the few in L.A. who doesn't drive) and went alone, managing to book a future 45-minute gig - which led to some hustling because, at the time, she only had five songs! Several years later, she met her current bandmates through a chance encounter at a bus stop with the music booker of her local farmers market. (Really, she doesn't drive.) After sharing the market's stage with the Richard Glaser Trio, a jazz ensemble, she eventually convinced the rhythm section - Mark San Filippo on drums and Geoff Rakness on bass - to play in her combo as well. Peter Kavanaugh has since joined them by on lead guitar. "Geoff and Mark have been playing with me for almost five years and Peter now for two," says Dafni. "I feel so blessed to have them in my band, I adore these guys! I've learned so much from them over the years, and we're more cohesive than ever." Dafni quickly became a familiar face in L.A.'s Americana scene, performing her heartfelt songs - combining country, jazz and pop - accompanied by her adept fingerstyle guitar playing, with various friends sitting in on a range of instruments, including Latin-inspired guitar, accordion, fiddle, banjo, piano, and trumpet. She is particularly grateful to the regulars of the Cinema Bar, the heart of the scene, who have been generous with their help and encouragement and inspiring with their music. An avid runner, she says that, as in a race, she looks up to the top performers there as her role models. "The Cinema is like a hidden treasure here in L.A.," says Dafni. "It's amazing how many top-notch musicians play there." Among her wider influences, Dafni cites Anita O'Day, Billie Holiday, and Nina Simone, as well as, more surprisingly, artists like The Police, Radiohead, and her hero, Jimmy Page. She also admires local indie darlings like Gwendolyn and Eleni Mandell for their songwriting, drive, and strong self-belief. In recognition of her own expanding sense of confidence as an artist, Dafni wanted her new album to be more personal than the three that came before it [Red (2004), Drifting in Circles (2005), and Charlie's Lonely Sunday (2007)], drawing mostly from real life as opposed to disguising her experiences in fictional tales. In Sweet Time, she explores moments from her past, her marriage and her family. The catchy and enchanting Anything at All, centered around Dafni's delayed guitar drone and peppered with Kavanaugh's graceful interludes, is inspired by her feelings toward her husband, and describes that wonderful moment of first realizing complete comfort with another person. "We used to joke in the band that it was our 'Conan O'Brien song,' the one that would get us on the Tonight Show, maybe there is still hope, one way or the other!" The title track, Sweet Time, deals with a runaway's torment: whether or not to reconcile with the people she left behind. And Under the Blue Skies deals with a search for a personal heaven. One new experience for Dafni in the recording of Sweet Time was having someone other than herself or the engineer take over the producer's reins. She chose her friend Dan Janisch because, in addition to admiring his musicianship, she loves the way he thinks about music. "Dan is a free and spontaneous soul. I knew he was the one to ask after he played guitar with us one night at the Cinema, even his wrong notes sounded good! He sings and plays straight from his heart, and he sounds absolutely beautiful. I trust him a great deal and I needed someone like that, external to the band, making the decisions in the studio." Janisch plays the lead guitar parts on Floating, an OK Computer-inspired song about escaping to a meditative state, and Fly Away, a melodic lullaby that contrasts with a bleak lyric about feeling trapped. He also sings backing vocals and harmonies on the record along with Lisa Finnie, a top-notch chanteuse and songwriter in her own right. Rounding out the contributors to the album are Michael Bolger and Tony Gilkyson. Bolger played piano, trumpet and accordion and can be heard on the title track, the New Orleans-style gospel Save Me, and the sprightly Under the Blue Skies. "Mike's a true musician and he plays just about everything, talk about role models! He can even play piano and trumpet at the same time - I've seen him do it with my own eyes!" Gilkyson, a veteran of the L.A. punk, country, and roots scenes, added his tasty licks to Under the Blue Skies in addition to the bittersweet country waltz, Part of Me, and the rebetika-inspired Oh, How I Wish. "It was an honor to have Tony play on my record, he's my guitar hero. He has a style that's all his own, and it's drop-dead gorgeous. He can play a single note and it stands out. I think if I were blindfolded and put into a room with Tony and 20 other guitar players I would be able to pick out his parts." In advance of hitting the studio, the arrangements of almost all of the songs were worked out with her band through a few rehearsals and many live performances. "When I have a new song I usually introduce it at practice, we play it through a few times and then take it apart. Geoff - we call him the 'The Wolfman' - is a true master at arranging and always brings a lot to the table." T

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Stellar Moments

In a recent conversation, Dale Fielder mentioned that he was a musician. When asked what instrument he played, he answered without hesitation, "I play all four saxophones." Over his recorded career, it is hard to pen down which saxophone is Fielder's primary instrument or which one he sounds best on. He plays them all equally well. He has displayed them all throughout thirteen recordings starting in 1993. Most recently, he has concentrated on the baritone sax through his last three recordings: Howling Monk (2003), Baritone Sunride (2005) and Plays The Music of Pepper Adams (2007). On this new recording, Stellar Moments, Fielder plays no baritone and concentrates the bulk of the material on the tenor sax, also performing two compositions on soprano and one on alto. Fielder also has a penchant for finding new or unheard jazz talent. He brought back the legendary ex-Mingus pianist Jane Getz from obscurity and introduced pianist Danny Grissett who is now with Tom Harrell and taking NYC by storm. Here in his new group, Angel City Quartet, he introduces another considerable jazz talent in pianist Greg Gordon Smith. And along with bassist Bill Markus (who looks and sounds like the late Albert Stinson) and the ubiquitous Thomas White on drums, Angel City Quartet sounds like a tight, cohesive ensemble that belies the fact that they have only been together just over a year. They play like a band, not like a collection of separate individuals just getting through the session like a day at the office. There's a lot of passion here. The music contained in Stellar Moments flows like a movie soundtrack as it is sequenced much like a suite. The first three compositions are from Fielder's own pen. From the opening bars of the title cut, you can tell that this is not your father's jazz! The shifting 7/4-4/4 composition is a most exciting 4:30 minutes of jazz! It flows into the trance-like The Quickening where Fielder makes his only appearance on alto conjuring up Bird meeting Trane in an impassioned solo. The loose interplay of the rhythm section during Smith's solo is sublime. Next is the elegant Patricia's Flow, a 7/4 ballad where Fielder introduces his tenor. Next up is an intelligent and swinging rendition of the Joe Henderson classic, Punjab followed by the sprightly, danceable Fielder bossa original, Escapade With Ese, which incidentally has an affectuous melody. Wayne Shorter's Yes And No is certainly a standout composition that should see quite a bit of airplay. Fielder's re-arrangement gives it a 'Maiden Voyage' rhythm which gives this tune a definite contemporary flavor. The standard The Night Has A Thousand Eyes is given a straight down the middle straight-ahead jazz treatment with White displaying some deft brush work. Fielder's sensuous writing is displayed on Mulu, a 6/8 Latin tune that again features White. The closer is Thelonius Monk's I Mean You, where Markus opens the soloing with an incredible arco solo. Dale Fielder is an anachronism. Yet he sounds thoroughly modern and up to date. One can imagine Fielder on the bandstand comfortably sidling up next to a Kenny Dorham or Art Farmer as his sound is classic. Fielder himself has said that of all the saxophonists currently playing, he feels more in common with saxophonist Scott Hamilton. Perhaps this is because Fielder is also a product of the 1970s, the so-called lost generation that spawned such other underrated sax greats such as Billy Harper, Bobby Watson and Bennie Maupin. In any event, Stellar Moments should go a long way to bringing Fielder closer to the recognition he so rightly deserves. This for the simple fact that so few are unabashedly and unapologetically pursuing this type of modern, updated, straight-ahead jazz today. Most of today's current artists attempt to distance themselves from traditional jazz and seek a fusion with other world music influences. They do so in an attempt to be considered 'contemporary' because traditional or straight ahead jazz has been judged old fashioned. Yet here in Stellar Moments, while embracing the tradition, Fielder sounds completely contemporary. Fielder has been quoted as saying that he is not ashamed of the word jazz. Thank God for that!

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Price: 23.16 EUR excl. shipping

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