CD Reviews: 21st Century | Chamber Musician Today

The Immanent Velvet

Artist(s): Floraleda Sacchi, Fero Krály, Guido Arbonelli, Piero Salvatori, Dušan Šujan, Daniel Garel, Ondrej Veselý, The Ján Pöschl Youth Orchestra with Anita Mirossayová conducting, Dawn Scarfe, Katariina Vuorinen, Caroline Bouissou, Eunjoo Noh, Elisabet Enebjörn, Ghenadie Rotari, Katka Máliková, Robert Mulch, Eva Pekárová

Composer(s): Peter Machajdík

The Immanent Velvet is the title of a new album of chamber music composed by one of Slovakia's most admired and frequently performed composers Peter Machajdík. The CD includes pieces for piano, guitar, cello, harp, voices and string ...

By Hannah Kubick | 28 Dec 2012 | Comments | 345 views

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Remembered States

Artist(s): Argeo Ascani, Nicole Camacho, Justin Friedman, Matthew Hough, Dillon Kondor, Annie Lyle, Joshua Modney, Anne Rainwater, Megan Schubert, Dennis Sullivan

Composer(s): Matthew Hough

I’m not going to lie, Remembered States is a challenging album. At the core of this collection of compositions is a full exploration of extended techniques at the pianissimo level (with a few exceptions) and the near absence of actual notes, not to mention a complete eschewal of meter. Nonetheless, once you get settled into its sound, the album is a surprisingly listenable one, drawing you in because its unusual, intricate world is so well constructed.

By Meg Wilhoite | 08 Oct 2012 | Comments | 439 views

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Toshio Hosokawa Landscapes

Artist(s): Munich Chamber Orchestra, conducted by Alexander Liebreich; Mayumi Miyata

Composer(s): Toshio Hosokawa

"Hosokawa has long been respected in both Japan and Europe. Of late, given the strong reception given Matsukaze, his second opera, in Berlin, his stock has risen considerably in the Euro Zone. One hopes that more American conductors and ensembles will take notice of Hosokawa, a composer with a compelling individual voice developing an impressive body of work.This disc, his first portrait CD for the ECM imprint, should help."

By Christian Carey | 26 Nov 2011 | Comments | 948 views

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21st Century

Waves Breaking on Rocks

Artist(s): Aki Takahashi, Ari Streisfeld, John Duykers, Santa Fe New Music (David Felberg, Ikuko Kanda, James Shields, John Marchiando, Lynn Gorman, Madeline Williamson, Jeff Cornelius, Angela Gabriel, Jim Goulden, David Tolen, John Kennedy)

Composer(s): Peter Garland

Hypothetical and literal size are beautifully separated in the newly released album of music byPeter Garland (b. 1952), Waves Breaking on Rocks.

By Elena SB | 21 Nov 2011 | Comments | 892 views

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21st Century

this was written by hand

Artist(s): Andrew Zolinsky

Composer(s): David Lang

The composer's new album features a cycle of memorial pieces

By Chris McGovern | 18 Nov 2011 | Comments | 580 views

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Rhízōma

Artist(s): Iceland Symphony Orchestra, CAPUT Ensemble, Justin DeHart

Composer(s): Anna Thorvaldsdottir

So much of music is meant to paint pictures of specific themes, images, or moments in life that the composer wants to recreate. Lyrics are written to songs that exemplify certain days, or orchestral compositions are often given a paved path in which they are meant to take the audience, as if guiding them into a narrow passageway of the composer’s brain.

By Elena SB | 03 Nov 2011 | Comments | 635 views

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21st Century

Line Upon Line Percussion

Artist(s): Line Upon Line Percussion

Composer(s): James D. Norman, Steven Snowden, Zack Stanton, Ian Dicke

Featuring the work of four local, Texas composers – James D. Norman, Steven Snowden, Zack Stanton and Ian Dicke – the self-titled album is a remarkably diverse journey in sound and expression. Each work revolves around contrasting, evolving relationships in timbre and employ a variety of pitched and unpitched, commonplace and specialized percussion instruments. Exquisitely produced and performed, the album is limitlessly captivating and stimulating thanks to the deft, elegant work the composers and the constant variety of colors present in their pieces.

By Garrett Schumann | 29 Oct 2011 | Comments | 755 views

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Stress Position

Artist(s): Marilyn Nonken, Drew Baker, Sean Connors, Peter Martin

Composer(s): Drew Baker

Drew Baker displays an array of works that are all very stark in nature but vary in intensity.

By Chris McGovern | 21 Oct 2011 | Comments | 313 views

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21st Century

Steve Mackey: IT IS TIME

Artist(s): So Percussion

Composer(s): Steve Mackey

IT IS TIME features the music of Steve Mackey. Mackey decided to make a four movement suite in which each movement serves as a “mini-concerto” for a different member of So Percussion. In addition to solo turns, there’s also plenty of formidably scored ensemble interactions. The piece has a diverse instrumentation, employing found objects, traditional instruments, metronomes, and more exotic components such as steel drums.

By Christian Carey | 19 Oct 2011 | Comments | 483 views

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