Bill Heck’s Favorites of 2024

For several reasons, I’ve written very few reviews this year, so my list of favorites is necessarily short. Even so, here’s my customary warning: the recordings below are not to be considered somehow “the best” of the year; instead, they are simply recordings that I found both interesting and well done, ones that I returned to long after reviewing them. (And yeah, I could make the list longer by including all of the performances that I wrote about, but that’s hardly in the spirit of “favorites”!)

Duke Ellington: Night Creature (arr. David Berger); George Gershwin: An American in Paris (ed. M. Clauge); Leonard Bernstein: Symphonic Suite from “On the Waterfront”. Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, cond. Louis Louis Langrée.  Fanfare Cincinnati. While we all know that “serious” music does not have to sound like Mozart or Beethoven or even Shostakovich, it’s still easy to somehow think that music by more “popular” composers, especially those who lived in recent times, and very especially Americans, can’t really be “serious” and worthwhile. If proof of the silliness of such an attitude were needed, this album would do the job. Here we have creative, interesting, enjoyable music played with gusto and verve. Give this a listen (if you haven’t already) and find out for yourself.

Florence Price: Symphony 4; William Dawson: Negro Folk Symphony. Yannick Nézet-Séguin, Philadelphia Orchestra.  DG CC 72970. This actually is half a favorite. I enjoyed the Price symphony, so I’m certainly not dissing it -- but the Dawson Negro Folk Symphony just is in another league. My reaction after hearing the work in concert early in the year was “where has this been all my life?”, so I was delighted to see this recording only a few months later. Do give it a listen and, if you are fortunate enough to see it on a concert program, go for it – it was just made for the concert hall!

Note: both of the above are available only by download or streaming.

The Vox “Audiophile Edition” remasterings.  I reviewed the set of Prokofiev complete piano music in this series in 2023, and my colleague Karl has reviewed a number of these Vox "Audiophile Edition” releases this year. It’s hard to remember a series that has been so consistently worthwhile: not a clunker in the bunch. If any of them catch your eye, buy with confidence.

That’s it. I wish you the best of the holiday season, and may your world be filled with favorites every day!

Karl Nehring’s Favorites of 2024

As we come to the end of another year, it’s time once again to look back and recall our favorite releases from the past 12 months. Given that 2024 was the year that Classical Candor went into semi-retirement, shifting at the beginning of August from regularly publishing at least two reviews a week to publishing reviews on a less frequent, less regular basis, we found ourselves with fewer releases to choose from; however, we still have been able to pull together a list of cracking good recordings for your kind consideration. Enjoy! 

Ravel: Valses nobles et sentimentales; Ma mère l’Oye (Complete Ballet); Daphnis et Chloé, Suites Nos. 1 and 2; L’Éventail de Jeanne: Fanfare. St. Olaf Choir; Minnesota Orchestra; Stanisław Skrowaczewski, conductor. VOX-NX-3037CD

 

Many classical music lovers of a certain age are no doubt familiar with Vox, a budget label that produced some real gems that provided the music lover on a budget an excellent way to expand their classical LP collections at a reasonable price. Appearing on the back cover of these new “Vox Audiophile Edition” releases is a highlighted statement affirming that “The recordings of American orchestras produced for VOX by the legendary Elite Recordings team of Marc Aubort and Joanna Nickrenz are considered by audiophiles to be among the very finest sounding orchestral recordings ever made” They certainly did a fine job on the Ravel recordings they did in Minnesota. The Polish-born Stanisław Skrowaczewski (1923-2017) became Music Director of the orchestra in 1959, a position he held for 19 years. He was then appointed conductor laureate, returning every year to Minnesota to lead his beloved orchestra. In all, his relationship with the orchestra stretched over 56 years. He was instrumental in their getting the acoustically resplendent new concert hall in 1974, the venue in which Elite Recordings was called in to record their complete set of Ravel’s orchestral works for orchestra, of which this new release offers a substantial sampling on one CD.

Fauré: Complete Music for Solo Piano. (CD1) Romances sans paroles (“Songs without Words”), Op. 17; Ballade in F sharp major, Op. 19; Impromptu No. 1 in E flat major, Op. 25; Barcarolle No. 1 in A minor, Op. 26; Valse-caprice, Op. 30; Impromptu No. 2 in F minor, Op. 31; Mazurka, Op. 32; 3 Nocturnes, Op. 33; (CD2) Impromptu No. 3 in A flat major, Op. 34; Nocturne No. 4 in E flat major, Op. 36; Nocturne No. 5 in B flat major, Op. 37; Valse-caprice, Op. 38; Barcarolle No. 2 in G major, Op. 41; Barcarolle No. 3 in G flat major, Op. 42; Barcarolle No. 4 in A flat major, Op. 44; Valse-caprice, Op. 59; Valse-caprice, Op. 62; Nocturne No. 6 in D flat major, Op. 63; (CD3) Barcarolle No. 5 in F sharp minor, Op. 66; Barcarolle No. 6 in E flat major, Op. 70; Thème & Variations, Op. 73; Nocturne No. 7 in C sharp minor, Op. 74; Pièces brèves (8), Op. 84; Barcarolle No. 7 in D minor, Op. 90; Impromptu No. 4 in D flat major, Op. 91; Barcarolle No. 8 in D flat major, Op. 96; Nocturne No. 9 in B minor, Op. 97; (CD4) Nocturne No. 10 in E minor, Op. 99; Barcarolle No. 9 in A minor, Op. 101; Impromptu No. 5 in F sharp minor, Op. 102; Préludes (9), Op. 103; 2 Pieces, Op. 104 – I. Nocturne No. 11 in F-Sharp Minor, II. Barcarolle No. 10 in A Minor; Barcarolle No. 11 in G minor Op. 105; Barcarolle No. 12 in E flat major, Op. 106; Nocturne No. 12 in E minor, Op. 107; Barcarolle No. 13 in C major, Op. 116; Nocturne No. 13 in B minor, Op. 119. Lucas Debargue, piano. Sony Classical 19658849882 4 

 

Here we have yet another example of an album that largely owes its existence to the COVID-19 pandemic. Debargue writes, “in 2020, when travel and concerts were disrupted by the coronavirus pandemic, I was able to return to one of my favourite musical pleasures: lengthy sessions spent sight-reading at the piano. This was the occasion on which I discovered the Nine Preludes op. 103 of 1909 and 1910. And I was immediately struck by the profound originality and mastery of these brief pieces from Fauré’s final period… The late-period style of Fauré’s was a revelation. Initially, my reaction was negative as I found myself dealing with scores whose harmonic language was beyond my grasp. To decipher Fauré’s ultimate enigmas I needed to draw on all the passion that I have invested in studying tonal harmony over the years… This voyage of discovery has provided me with a number of musical pleasures that have transformed my life both as a person and as a musician. I needed to go into the recording studio in order for me to be able to be able to share this adventure with my listeners.” A unique dimension of this recording is the piano itself. Rather than the typical Steinway, Yamaha, etc. that we usually encounter on an album of this sort, Debargue has instead chosen to record these tracks on an Opus 102 piano. As he explains, “I needed the sound of the piano to express a spirit of experimentation in the clearest possible way. The project found an ideal complement in my choice of an Opus 102 piano, an innovatory concert grand that has one hundred and two keys (as opposed to the standard eighty-eight) and a choice of keyboard that to my ears makes total sense in this repertoire.” Although of course Fauré would not have written any notes for any of those 14 extra keys, there does seem to be a clarity of sound to this recording, especially in the upper registers, that adds to the lister’s musical enjoyment. Debargue provides brief comments on all the works included in the set, making this box an excellent way for someone to take a deep dive into the world of Fauré’s music for piano. 

After Bach II. Brad Mehldau: Prelude to Prelude; J.S. Bach: Prelude No. 9 in E Major from The Well-Tempered Clavier Book I, BWV 854; Prelude No. 6 in D Minor from The Well-Tempered Clavier Book I, BWV 851; Mehldau: After Bach: Toccata; Bach: Partita for Keyboard No. 4 in D Major, BWV 828: II. Allemande; Mehldau: After Bach: Cavatina; Bach: Prelude No. 20 in A Minor from The Well-Tempered Clavier Book I, BWV 865; Mehldau: Between Bach; Bach: Fugue No. 20 in A Minor from The Well-Tempered Clavier Book I, BWV 865;Mehldau: Variations on Bach’s Goldberg Theme – Aria-like; Variation I, Minor 5/8 a; Variation II, Minor5/8 b; Variation III, Major 7/4; Variation IV, Breakbeat; Variation V, Jazz; Variation VI, Finale; Bach: Prelude No. 7 in E-Flat Major from The Well-Tempered Clavier Book I, BWV 852; Mehldau; Postlude. Brad Mehldau, piano. Nonesuch 7559790077 

 

The American pianist Brad Mehldau (b. 1970) is best known for his work in the jazz arena, perhaps most widely as the leader of his own trio, but also for his work with other prominent jazz musicians such as guitarist Pat Metheny and saxophonist Josh Redman. However, his musical interests are not restricted to jazz alone. Early in 2018, some months before my old friend and colleague John Puccio invited me to join him here at Classical Candor. Mehldau released his solo piano album After Bach,which contains five selections from The Well-Tempered Clavier plus some Mehldau originals inspired by them. Fast-forward six years and we now are now blessed with After Bach II, which as you can see from the track listing above follows the same formula of selections from The Well-Tempered Clavier plus some Mehldau originals inspired by them. In addition, we also get to hear Mehldau improvising on the theme from Bach’s Goldberg Variations, a nice bonus. Veteran engineer Tom Lazarus is responsible for the superb sound quality, and Mehldau’s liner notes are packed with insight. To any lover of Bach’s keyboard music, this album is recommended without reservation, for it opens a whole new perspective on the great master’s music.

Silvestrov: Symphony for Violin and Orchestra “Widmung” (“Dedication”); Postludium for Piano and Orchestra. Janusz Wawroski, violin; Jurgis Karnavičius, piano; Lithuanian National Symphony Orchestra; Christopher Lyndon-Gee, conductor. NAXOS 8.574413

 

The Ukrainian composer Valentin Silvestrov was born in Kyiv in 1937. In March of 2022, at the age of 84, he left his home city with his daughter, granddaughter, and a suitcase full of manuscripts to undertake the difficult three-day journey to Berlin. He found himself and his family refugees, victims of the invasion of their home country ordered by Russian leader Vladimir Putin. His music is like no other. At times it floats serenely, but at other times can suddenly shout as though having a terrifying dream or disturbing memory. But much of it seems to allude rather than refer, suggest rather than imply, playing with memories of melodies, suggestions of sounds, reminders of rhythms. There are composers who just have a sound. Sibelius, for example, even though his symphonies vary in style, has an orchestral sound that is easy to hear. So it is with Silvestrov. When I first listened to the Symphony for Violin and Orchestra that opens this album, my mind was immediately drawn back to the first Silvestrov compositions I had ever encountered. Three decades ago, violinist Gidon Kremer headlined a CD release on the Teldec label that included this very composition – “Dedication” – coupled with a work titled Post Scriptum for violin and piano. It struck me at the time as an amazing work, like nothing I had never heard before. I could only think that had Mahler lived maybe five or ten years longer, he may have written something along these lines. Maybe…  According to the NAXOS booklet, “when Gidon Kremer first heard his own recording of the work he spontaneously shouted out, ‘Death in Venice!’ And, after a moment, then closer to the truth, ‘Death in Kyiv!’... This music is like a Mass for everything that exists that is desirable, unattainable, or only to be arrived at in one’s imagination.”  Kremer’s reaction takes me back more than 50 years, back to my discovery of the music of Gustav Mahler, when as a young G.I. stationed in Germany I took a chance on a Deutsche Grammophon LP I found on sale for $1.25 in a PX in Stuttgart: the soundtrack to Visconti’s film Death in Venice, which featured several movements from Mahler symphonies. One listen and I was hooked for life. It was the same with Silvestrov ever since I first heard Dedication. This new release has meant reconnecting with something precious. Postludium maintains a similar sound world, but of course with the piano rather than the violin as the featured instrument. Note that neither of these two pieces is described as a concerto; indeed, neither features a soloist showing off virtuoso chops to orchestral accompaniment. From the liner notes: “Malcolm MacDonald has said of Silvestrov’s music, that he ‘seems to compose, not the lament itself, but the lingering memory of it, the mood of sadness that it leaves behind’.” It is music like no other; it deserves to be heard.

Bruckner: Symphony No. 7 in E Major (1863, Edition Nowak); Bates: Resurrexit. Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra; Manfred Honeck, conductor. Reference Recordings FR-757SAC

As is his custom, Maestro Honeck provides extensive notes on the music, not only its history and context, but also his approach to performance. Honeck observes that “throughout the music, Bruckner takes special care to notate specific expressive directions, for example the markings of ‘solemn’ or ‘misterioso,’ words that on the surface perhaps seem to have more to do with feeling than tempo. I view these, however, as direct clues to the tempo character, not only defining the expressive intent, but also signaling tempo modifications that would have been understood as part of the sensibility of the time. It is interesting to note that over time, these conventions would later come to be stretched to an extreme, leading Gustav Mahler to provide even clearer artistic instructions to the musicians, such as ‘don’t drag’ or ‘short break like a breath.’ Ultimately, I believe that with Bruckner, a balance must be found in honoring the expressive intent hidden within the musical text rather than merely focusing on pure execution. Just as Anton Bruckner himself remarked, ‘… many important things are not noted in the score’ …” Honeck leads his Pittsburgh forces in a powerful performance that is captured in convincing sonic splendor by the engineering team from Soundmirror, the Boston-based firm that Reference Recordings employs for its Pittsburgh sessions. Reference Recordings made its name based on its audiophile-quality sound (“Professor Johnson’s Astounding Sound Show”), so if they trust Soundmirror to record for them, you know that Soundmirror knows what they are doing. This is Bruckner played and recorded superbly. Resurrexit was commissioned by the Pittsburgh Symphony in honor of Honeck’s 60^th birthday. It is an amazing piece, 11 minutes of spellbinding musical excitement. It opens with a quasi-Middle Eastern sound, developing with brass, percussion, ultimately building into Telarc-level bass drum explosions that underpin passages of controlled orchestral fury. It is one of the most remarkable orchestral compositions I have auditioned in years. With a first-rate Bruckner Seventh, an exciting piece by Bates, audiophile sound, and extensive liner notes, this is a recording not to be missed. 

Pat Metheny: MoonDial; La Crosse; Corea/Potter: You’re Everything; Lennon/McCartney: Here, There, and Everywhere; Metheny: We Can’t See It, But It’s There; Falcon Love; Dennis/Adair: Everything Happens to Me/(Bernstein/Sondheim): Somewhere; Traditional: Londonderry Air; Metheny: This Belongs to You; Shõga; Raskin/Mercer: My Love and I; Dennis/Brent: Angel Eyes: Metheny: MoonDial (Epilogue). Pat Metheny, guitar. BMG 964026842

 

Guitarist Pat Metheny (b.1954) has enjoyed a long and productive career that has taken him to venues large and small all around the globe. In addition to leading his own ensembles, he has played with a veritable who’s who of jazz musicians. In 2021, he released his first overtly classical recording, Road to the Sun, which found him stepping back as a performer and forward as a composer, penning a solo piece for classical guitarist Jason Vieaux and an ensemble piece for the Los Angeles Guitar Quartet. Then in 2023 Metheny released Dream Box, an album of primarily lyrical, inward-looking music, most of which he recorded using a hollow-bodied electric guitar (which musicians refer to as a “dream box,” hence the album’s title). Although the guitar might be electric, the sound is smooth and mellow. At the end our review (which you can read here), we mentioned that Metheny was embarking on a solo tour – the Dream Box tour – centered around the music from the album. In March of 2024 I caught his concert in Columbus, Ohio – an amazing evening that saw Metheny perform on 6- and 12-string acoustic guitars, his hollow-body electric as well as other electrics, his 42-string Pikasso, and even his MIDI-controlled, solenoid-driven Orchestrion. At one point during his two-and-a-half-hour performance he brought out the guitar he plays on MoonDial, which he explained was a six-string baritone nylon-string guitar that had been custom made for him by his friend Linda Manzer. In the MoonDial liner notes, Metheny tells the story of how this particular baritone guitar came to be (it turns out that finding nylon strings capable of handling the unusual tuning he prefers was a challenge), how he came to use it more and more during the Dream Box tour, and how after the first extended part of the tour went to break, he headed to the studio so that he could “capture the magic of this new sound as quickly as possible and build on the immediate experiences of playing it every night for several months while it was all still fresh. The result of this journey is this recording: MoonDial.” Although the compositions are varied, the prevailing mood is remarkably consistent throughout the album. Yes, there are subtle shifts in melody, rhythm, and harmony, but the whole transcends its parts. If any particular tune stands out from the rest, it might be the Lennon/McCartney tune Here, There, and Everywhere, at least to these boomer ears, but even there, Metheny’s gift for improvisation and the sweet tones of the baritone guitar carry this music far beyond the familiar. As Metheny notes, “the feeling of this record follows the instrument’s nature. The central vibe here is one of resonant contemplation. This guitar allows me to go deep. Deep to a place that I maybe have never quite gotten to before. This is a dusk-to-dawn record, hard-core mellow.”  Hard-core mellow might strike classical music lovers as a strange way to describe music; however, it strikes me as a perfectly apt descriptor of some of the beloved piano music of Debussy. In any event, MoonDial is a beautiful recording, highly recommended to jazz and classical fans alike.

 Oded Tzur: My Prophet. Epilogue; Child You; Through a Land Unsown; Renata; My Prophet; Last Bike Ride in Paris. Oded Tzur, tenor saxophone; Nitai Hershkovits, piano; Petros Klampanis, double bass; Cyrano Almeida, drums. ECM 2821 651 4241

 

The Israeli-born New York-based tenor saxophonist Oded Tzur (b. 1984) has developed a distinctive tone and style of playing that gives his music an appeal capable of drawing in listeners who might not typically characterize themselves as jazz fans. Tzur studied Indian classical music; moreover, he was inspired to adapt techniques from masters of Indian instruments to the saxophone, enabling him to play microtones and slide between notes that the instrument would normally produce. This ability adds an extra sense of lyricism to his playing; in addition, much of the time the sound he draws from his instrument makes it seem as though he is somehow simply modulating some primal breath rather than blowing himself – as if he is the conduit, not the ultimate source of the breath, and thus the sound. It’s truly uncanny. We previously reviewed a recording by the pianist from this ensemble, Nitai Hershkovits, (you can read that review here). His energetic playing is a welcome complement to Tzur’s saxophone stylings, while Klampanis on bass and Almeida on drums provide solid and steady rhythmic support. From the sliding notes of Epilogue (can that really be a tenor sax?) through the bouncing rhythms of Child You, the plaintive call of Through a Land Unsown, the tender portrait of Renata, the heartfelt ode My Prophet, ending with the rowdy Last Bike Ride in Paris, Tzur and his fellow musicians deliver a spellbinding musical experience that should have appeal for a far wider audience than just hardcore jazz fans. 

Anna Clyne: Shorthand; Three Sisters; Prince of Clouds; Within Her Arms; Shorthand REDUX. Yo-Yo Ma, cello; Avi Avital, mandolin; Colin Jacobsen, Pekka Kuusisto, violins; The Knights; Eric Jacobsen, conductor. Sony Classics

 

It was back in early 2020 when I first became acquainted with the music of British-born composer Anna Clyne, who now resides in the Hudson Valley area of New York.  This new release features her music being played by the well-known superstar soloists Yo-Yo Ma of Sesame Street fame (just [half] kidding) and mandolin virtuoso Avi Avital, supported by the up-and-coming young New York-based chamber orchestra, The Knights. Clyne writes, “I wrote Shorthand in 2020 when we were in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic and when I was invited to write a piece for The Knights’ recording project, The Kreutzer Project. I was thrilled to compose this piece as I am a cellist, and I love writing for strings – I can imagine and relate to the physicality of the instruments... The title comes from Tolstoy’s comment that ‘Music is the shorthand of emotion. Emotions, which let themselves be described in words with such difficulty, are directly conveyed to man in music, and in that is its power and significance’.” From the opening phrases of Ma’s cello, the emotions do indeed pour forth from this piece, but with sincerity and power, not saccharine and schmaltz. The way The Knights reflect and interact with Ma’s solo part the highlights the beauty of both his playing and Clyne’s writing, both of which are sublime. The next work on the program offers a contrasting sonority as the solo instrument shifts from the cello to the mandolin. The plucking of the mandolin set against the contrasting sounds of the strings offers a fascinating musical sonority over the work’s three movements, each lasting a little over five minutes, with the movements being cast in the traditional fast-slow-fast concerto arrangement. It’s an utterly delightful work, an unexpected highlight – at least for those of us who never would have expected the mandolin, these days so associated with bluegrass music (sorry, I’m showing my USA provincialism here – but Avi Avital’s playing is completely convincing. Such a wonderful performance of such an enticingly entertaining work this proves to be! Next on the program is Prince of Clouds, featuring violinists Colin Jacobsen (brother of conductor Eric Jacobsen and a co-director of The Knights) and Pekka Kuusisto. It’s an intense piece that alternates between lyrical passages and almost violent outbursts from the soloists. Within Her Arms, which is scored for fifteen individual string parts, is a composition that is at once calm and intense, swirling with emotion that stirs the soul. The listener can feel longing, but also resolution as the sound of the strings rises and fades. The album ends with an abbreviated version of Shorthand, which this time around seems to be the perfect way to follow the emotional tone set by Within Her Arms. There is a sense of looking back with satisfaction toward what has come before, of accepting life’s losses, challenges, and blessings with equanimity. Of course, each lister will have their own reaction to this – or any – music, for such reaction is certainly subjective; however, I feel confident in making the objective judgment that Anna Clyne is a composer whose time has come, and that Shorthand is an album well worth a serious audition. 

Danish String Quartet: Keel Road. Turlough O’Carolan: Mabel Kelly; Danish traditional/Rune Tonsgaard Sørensen: Pericondine/Fair Isle Jig; Ale Carr: Stormpolskan; Danish traditional: Skomager Har Jeg Været; Sørensen: Once a Shoemaker; English traditional: Lovely Joan; O’Carolan: Carolan's Quarrel With The Landlady; Faroese traditional: Regin Smiður; O’Carolan: Captain O'Kane; Fredrik Schøyen Sjölin: Kjølhalling; O’Carolan: Planxty Kelly; English traditional: As I Walked Out; Danish traditional: Marie Louise; Fredrik Schøyen Sjölin, Sørensen: The Chat: Sørensen Gale Warning; Norwegian traditional: Når Mitt Øye, Trett Av Møye. Danish String Quartet (Rune Tonsgaard Sørensen, violin, clog fiddle, harmonium, spinet, voice, whistle; Frederik Øland, violin, voice, whistle; Asbjørn Nørgaard, viola, voice, whistle; Fredrik Schøyen Sjölin, violoncello, bass, voice, whistle) with Nikolaj Busk, piano; Ale Carr, cittern. ECM New Series 2785 487 5884

 

Back in 2017, the Danish String Quartet released an album on ECM titled Last Leaf, a program of music based around northern European folk and traditional sources. More recently, they embarked upon a multi-year, five-album deep dive into Bach, late Beethoven, and their connections to other composers, the Prism series. With Keel Road, the four Danes have once again returned to music with deep roots in folk and traditional sources. As they explain: “We set out on a musical journey that traverses the North Sea -- for centuries, the main communication channel of Northern Europe, the highway and the internet of bygone eras. And even though known for its swift upsurges and strong gales, brave sailors would again and again travel the keel road, enabling a continuous exchange of goods, culture and music. The musical keel road of this album will take us from Denmark and Norway to shores far away: to the Faroe Islands, to Ireland and England. While folk music represents local traditions and local stories, it is also the music of everywhere and everyone. At the end of the day, our stories and our music remain closely connected.” You know it is going to be a lively, melodic, and downright fun album when you look over the list of compositions and see several by Turlough O’Carolan (1670-1738), the legendary harpist from Ireland’s County Meath. Unusual among the itinerant harpists of his day, O’Carolan drew influence not only from local tradition but also from then-contemporary European composers including Vivaldi and Corelli, intuitively seeking his own blend of form and folk spontaneity. Back in my old $ensible Sound days, I reviewed a few albums that featured music by O’Carolan, and I always found myself with a big smile on my face. I daresay that same reaction will come to those who hear his tunes as arranged for string quartet and played in such a lively manner as they are here. And that’s that appealing thing about Keel Road – the sense of spontaneity and joy that the musicians bring to these tunes. In addition to the more traditional compositions on the program, Keel Road interweaves compositions by DSQ members Rune Tonsgaard Sørensen and Fredrik Schøyen Sjölin that also convey a folk spirit in keeping with the overall mood. A brief excerpt from a field recording of the Danish traditional En Skomager Har Jeg Været (“A cobbler I was”) precedes Sørensen’s reflective tune Once a Shoemaker. Guest musicians Ale Carr (cittern) and Nikolaj Busk (piano), of the folk trio Dreamers’ Circus join the DSQ for a performance of Carr’s Stormpolskan. Keel Road should appeal to a wide variety of musical tastes: classical, folk, and world music to name a few. 

Ethan Iverson: Playfair Sonatas .(CD1) Fanfare; Violin Sonata – I. Andante-Allegro Moderato II. Blues (for Ornette .Coleman) III. Rondo. Allegro; Marimba Sonata – I. Allegro II. Blues (for Eric Dolphy) III. Cadenza IV. Rondo. Presto; Clarinet Sonata – I. Allegro II. Music Hall (for Carla Bley) III. Scherzo-Minuet IV. Rondo. Allegro moderato; (CD2) Trombone Sonata – I. Allegro moderato II. Hymn (for Roswell Rudd) III. Rondo; Alto Saxophone Sonata – I. Allegro II. Melody (for Paul Desmond) III. Allegro; Trumpet Sonata – I. Allegro II. Theme (for Joe Wilder) III. Rondo; Recessional. Ethan Iverson, piano; Miranda Cuckson, violin; Makoto Nakura, marimba; Carol McGonnell, clarinet; Mike Lormand, trombone; Taimur Sullivan, alto saxophone; Tim Leopold, trumpet. Urlicht AudioVisual UAV-5960

  

Iverson’s background in and love for both jazz and classical music is evident throughout Playfair Sonatas. As you can see from the track listings above, each of the sonatas includes movements designated by the typical European classical terms such as Allegro or Rondo; however, each also contains a movement featuring the name of a prominent jazz figure, such as Blues (for Ornette Coleman) or Hymn (for Roswell Rudd). In the liner notes, Iverson explains, "These dedications came about late in the game. I had scrapped a previous Adagio for clarinet, and wrote a new middle movement I really liked. However, was this ‘oom-pah' rhythm too much like one of Carla Bley's amusing ‘music hall’ pieces? Well, what if I dedicated the movement to her? That would fix the issue of appropriation. As it turned out, Carla passed away the same day I finished ‘Music Hall’ and devised the ‘dedications’ stratagem. The other five salutations to Ornette Coleman, Eric Dolphy, Paul Desmond, Joe Wilder, and Roswell Rudd came easily, for they had been in the back of my mind the whole time." Why are they called the “Playfair” sonatas? It turns out that like Beethoven’s Diabelli Variations, they are named for an actual person – in this case, Piers Playfair, an entrepeneur with a long history of curating, producing, and commissioning new works, especially at the intersection of jazz and classical music. When Playfair and Iverson became acquainted, they realized that they shared many common ideals about music. When the COVID pandemic forced Iverson to downsize and move his grand piano into a cheap studio space, Playfair asked Iverson if he needed help, and when Iverson admitted that he did, Playfair responded that he would cover six months of studio rent in exchange for six sonatas for various instruments of his choosing. The end result is what we have on this two-disc set: the Playfair Sonatas. Making the physical package particularly attractive is the quirky and delightful cover art by the famed New Yorker cartoonist Roz Chast. Delightful art, informative booklet, and rewarding music that brings a dash of jazz seasoning to chamber music make Playfair Sonatas an irresistible release for music lovers of the jazz and classical persuasions alike.

Danish String Quartet: Keel Road (CD Review)

by Karl Nehring

Turlough O’Carolan: Mabel Kelly; Danish traditional/Rune Tonsgaard Sørensen: Pericondine/Fair Isle Jig; Ale Carr: Stormpolskan; Danish traditional: Skomager Har Jeg Været; Sørensen: Once a Shoemaker; English traditional: Lovely Joan; O’Carolan: Carolan's Quarrel With The Landlady; Faroese traditional: Regin Smiður; O’Carolan: Captain O'Kane; Fredrik Schøyen Sjölin: Kjølhalling; O’Carolan: Planxty Kelly; English traditional: As I Walked Out; Danish traditional: Marie Louise; Fredrik Schøyen Sjölin, Sørensen: The Chat: Sørensen Gale Warning; Norwegian traditional: Når Mitt Øye, Trett Av Møye. Danish String Quartet (Rune Tonsgaard Sørensen, violin, clog fiddle, harmonium, spinet, voice, whistle; Frederik Øland, violin, voice, whistle; Asbjørn Nørgaard, viola, voice, whistle; Fredrik Schøyen Sjölin, violoncello, bass, voice, whistle) with Nikolaj Busk, piano; Ale Carr, cittern. ECM New Series 2785 487 5884

For the past several years the Danish String Quartet had been engaged in recording a series of five albums for ECM in which they paired the late Beethoven string quartets with Bach fugues plus complementary works by other composers. We reviewed the final two volumes in what ECM termed their Prism series: Volume IV, which in addition to Bach’s Fugue in G minor from the Well-Tempered Clavier (in an arrangement by Viennese composer Emanuel Aloys Förster) paired Beethoven’s String Quartet No. 15 with Mendelssohn’s String Quartet No. 2 (please see our review from 2022 here); and Volume V, which looked both forward and backward from Beethoven’s time, in a program that finds his final string quartet surrounded with works by Bach and Webern (you can find our 2023 review here).

 

Keel Road is something different. Back in 2017, the Danish String Quartet released an album on ECM titled Last Leaf, a program of music based around northern European folk and traditional sources. After their multi-year, five-album deep dive into Bach, late Beethoven, and their connections to other composers, the four Danes have once again returned to music with deep roots in folk and traditional sources. As they explain: “We set out on a musical journey that traverses the North Sea -- for centuries, the main communication channel of Northern Europe, the highway and the internet of bygone eras. And even though known for its swift upsurges and strong gales, brave sailors would again and again travel the keel road, enabling a continuous exchange of goods, culture and music. The musical keel road of this album will take us from Denmark and Norway to shores far away: to the Faroe Islands, to Ireland and England. While folk music represents local traditions and local stories, it is also the music of everywhere and everyone. At the end of the day, our stories and our music remain closely connected.”

 

You know it is going to be a lively, melodic, and downright fun album when you look over the list of compositions and see several by Turlough O’Carolan (1670-1738), the legendary harpist from Ireland’s County Meath. Unusual among the itinerant harpists of his day, O’Carolan drew influence not only from local tradition but also from then-contemporary European composers including Vivaldi and Corelli, intuitively seeking his own blend of form and folk spontaneity. Back in my old $ensible Sound days, I reviewed a few albums that featured music by O’Carolan, and I always found myself with a big smile on my face. I daresay that same reaction will come to those who hear his tunes as arranged for string quartet and played in such a lively manner as they are here. And that’s that appealing thing about Keel Road – the sense of spontaneity and joy that the musicians bring to these tunes. In addition to the more traditional compositions on the program, Keel Road interweaves compositions by DSQ members Rune Tonsgaard Sørensen and Fredrik Schøyen Sjölin that also convey a folk spirit in keeping with the overall mood. A brief excerpt from a field recording of the Danish traditional En Skomager Har Jeg Været (“A cobbler I was”) precedes Sørensen’s reflective tune Once a Shoemaker. Guest musicians Ale Carr (cittern) and Nikolaj Busk (piano), of the folk trio Dreamers’ Circus join the DSQ for a performance of Carr’s Stormpolskan.

 

As the Christmas/Hanukkah/Kwanzaa Holiday season approaches, many of us might find ourselves looking for appropriate gifts for those friends with an appreciation for music. The Keel Road CD should appeal to a wide variety of musical tastes: classical, folk, and world music to name a few. Heck, I’ll bet even a lot of children would like it. (And hey, don’t forget the Deadheads on your list…)  Highly recommended.

Ethan Iverson: Playfair Sonatas (CD Review)

by Karl Nehring

(CD1) Fanfare; Violin Sonata – I. Andante-Allegro Moderato II. Blues (for Ornette Coleman) III. Rondo. Allegro; Marimba Sonata – I. Allegro II. Blues (for Eric Dolphy) III. Cadenza IV. Rondo. Presto; Clarinet Sonata – I. Allegro II. Music Hall (for Carla Bley) III. Scherzo-Minuet IV. Rondo. Allegro moderato; (CD2) Trombone Sonata – I. Allegro moderato II. Hymn (for Roswell Rudd) III. Rondo; Alto Saxophone Sonata – I. Allegro II. Melody (for Paul Desmond) III. Allegro; Trumpet Sonata – I. Allegro II. Theme (for Joe Wilder) III. Rondo; Recessional. Ethan Iverson, piano; Miranda Cuckson, violin; Makoto Nakura, marimba; Carol McGonnell, clarinet; Mike Lormand, trombone; Taimur Sullivan, alto saxophone; Tim Leopold, trumpet. Urlicht AudioVisual UAV-5960

 

Although Classical Candor didn’t see the light of Internet day until 2009, its roots go back much farther, with founder John Puccio and current contributor Karl Nehring getting involved in the early days (late 1970s) of an audio magazine that also featured an abundance of music reviews, The $ensible Sound, now sadly but inevitably out of print. John was the magazine’s Classical Music Editor, while Karl started as an equipment and music reviewer and a few years later became Editor. Meanwhile, in the late 1990s pianist Ethan Iverson (b. 1973) was serving as music director for the Mark Morris Dance Group, playing all sorts of classical repertoire for large audiences, including Robert Schumann’s Fünf Stücke im Volkston with Yo-Yo Ma onstage with dancers including Mikhail Baryshnikov. During this era Iverson also met the tenor Mark Padmore; eventually Iverson accompanied Padmore in several performances of Schubert’s Winterreise. He has long been interested in the intersection of jazz and classical music, and his career has been marked by significant milestones in both idioms.

 

In 2002 Iverson left Morris and formed the progressive jazz trio The Bad Plus along with bassist Reid Anderson and drummer Dave King. Iverson first came to my attention as the pianist in the jazz trio The Bad Plus back around 2003 when I heaped praise on their major label debut album These Are the Vistas in my “More Jazz Than Not” column in The $ensible Sound. (Could that really have been more than 20 years ago? I can imagine Iverson asking himself the same question from time to time…) I was less enamored of the group’s subsequent albums and did not think that much of it when I read about Iverson leaving the group in 2017. In 2018, I enjoyed an ECM album he recorded as part of a quartet with trumpeter Tom Harrell (Common Practice, ECM 2643). However, one of the Bad Plus’s most celebrated projects during Iverson’s time with them was a version of Igor Stravinsky’s Rite of Spring wherein Iverson essentially played the Stravinsky piano part "straight." Their recording for Sony Masterworks garnered a rare five-star review in the jazz magazine DownBeat – not only that, it got a favorable review in Classical Candor back in 2014 from none other than our own John Puccio, which you can read here.

More recently, we have reviewed more albums by Iverson. In February, 2022, we reviewed Every Note Is True, a trio album with bassist Larry Grenadier and drummer Jack DeJohnette for the venerable Blue Note label (you can read our review here). Then earlier this year, we reviewed  Technically Acceptable (see review here), an album on which he plays not only jazz, but also a classical piece, his own Piano Sonata No. 1. On a personal note, in my review of that album, I noted that a highlight was the track Killing Me Softly with His Song – a huge 1970s hit for Roberta Flack – on which Iverson is joined by Simón Willson on bass and Vinnie Sperrazza on drums. On Halloween night 2024 I was able to drive down to Cincinnati, Ohio, to join my son Isaac in attending a performance by the Ethan Iverson Trio in which the highlight of the show was having these same three musicians kill us convincingly with their performance of that very tune. 

Sometime over the past few years I started following Iverson Twitter, where I discovered that in addition to his talents as a musician, he has blossomed into a writer, critic, interviewer, and blogger of note.  I would strongly suggest those with an interest in jazz, classical music, or culture in general to check out his website at ethaniverson.com. We recently posted a portion of an interview that he did with a European publication on the topic of the relationship between jazz and classical music, which you can find here. 

 

Iverson’s background in and love for both jazz and classical music is evident throughout Playfair Sonatas. As you can see from the track listings above, each of the sonatas includes movements designated by the typical European classical terms such as Allegro or Rondo; however, each also contains a movement featuring the name of a prominent jazz figure, such as Blues (for Ornette Coleman) or Hymn (for Roswell Rudd). In the liner notes, Iverson explains, "These dedications came about late in the game. I had scrapped a previous Adagio for clarinet, and wrote a new middle movement I really liked. However, was this ‘oom-pah' rhythm too much like one of Carla Bley's amusing ‘music hall’ pieces? Well, what if I dedicated the movement to her? That would fix the issue of appropriation. As it turned out, Carla passed away the same day I finished ‘Music Hall’ and devised the ‘dedications’ stratagem. The other five salutations to Ornette Coleman, Eric Dolphy, Paul Desmond, Joe Wilder, and Roswell Rudd came easily, for they had been in the back of my mind the whole time."

 

After a brief, playful, fanfare by the entire ensemble, the program proper begins with the longest movement of the entire album, the first movement of the Violin Sonata.  What is especially interesting to hear is the interaction between violin and piano, characteristic of both chamber music and jazz, of course. (The dedication of the second movement to the iconoclastic saxophone legend Ornette Coleman reminded me that he also took up the violin later in his career.) It’s a lively piece, informed by the blues but sprightly in spirit. It is followed by what seems at first blush an unlikely candidate for a sonata, the Marimba Sonata. Any doubts I might have had about the aesthetic appeal of sonata for marimba and piano were instantly swept away the first time I heard a preview track on Amazon Music. What fun! Iverson’s piano and Nakura’s marimba combine with exuberant effect. CD1 closes with the Clarinet Sonata, certainly a contrast in sonority to the marimba. The overall mood, though, still has that underlying feeling of playful interaction that feels so jazz-like; indeed, as you listen, you can imagine the two players looking at each other for inspiration and feeding off each other’s energy as they play music that at some moments sounds as though it is flowing spontaneously from them.

 

CD2 continues in much the same way A special highlight is the second movement of the Trombone Sonata, designated Hymn (for Roswell Rudd). The movement evokes a late-night bluesy melancholic atmosphere that slows down time. Iverson writes, “Mahler said the trombone was the voice of God. The orchestral palette requires trombone for climactic passages but solo repertoire is uncommon. However, jazz musicians have made the most of this epic and unwieldy instrument. All three movements of my Trombone Sonata address the blues and the preach; the last movement has some old-time train boogie as well. The middle dedication movement is Hymn (for Roswell Rudd). I have a special affection for Roswell Rudd… in addition to being a wonderful trombonist, Rudd practiced ethnomusicology, assisted Alan Lomax, and wrote the definitive essay on his friend Herbie Nichols, the pianist who may have done the most of anyone in the 1950s to combine classical and jazz tropes. I did not really know Mr. Rudd but I met him briefly and thanked him not just for his music but for his writing, for there is no doubt my own scribbling follows his example.” In the Alto Saxophone Sonata that follows, the sound that saxophonist Taimur Sullivan produces from his instrument is more mellifluous than what listeners accustomed to the sound of the alto sax from old bebop LPs might expect. The piece is structured in traditional fast-slow-fast three-movement form, as is the concluding sonata on the album, the Trumpet Sonata, which features a playful opening movement, a reflective second movement at a much slower tempo, closing with a final Rondo in which Iverson’s piano and Leopold’s trumpet seem to be engaged in an exhilarating dance of delight. 

 

Why are they called the “Playfair” sonatas? It turns out that like Beethoven’s Diabelli Variations, they are named for an actual person – in this case, Piers Playfair (left), an entrepeneur with a long history of curating, producing, and commissioning new works, especially at the intersection of jazz and classical music. When Playfair and Iverson became acquainted, they realized that they shared many common ideals about music. When the COVID pandemic forced Iverson to downsize and move his grand piano into a cheap studio space, Playfair asked Iverson if he needed help, and when Iverson admitted that he did, Playfair responded that he would cover six months of studio rent in exchange for six sonatas for various instruments of his choosing. 

 The end result is what we have on this two-disc set: the Playfair Sonatas. Making the physical package particularly attractive is the quirky and delightful cover art by the famed New Yorker cartoonist Roz Chast. Delightful art, informative booklet, and rewarding music that brings a dash of jazz seasoning to chamber music make Playfair Sonatas an irresistible release for music lovers of the jazz and classical persuasions alike.

VOCES8: Nightfall (CD Review)

by Karl Nehring

Jung Jae-il: Psalm 22:21; Sigur Rós: Fljótavík; Reger: Nachtlied; Taylor Scott Davis: Stardust; Ludovico Einaudi: Experience; Alfvén: Aftonen; Max Richter: On the Nature of Daylight; Caroline Shaw: and the swallow; Kim André Arnesen: Even When He Is Silent; Koji Kondo • Zelda's Lullaby; Dan Forrest: Good Night Dear Heart;  Lucy Walker: O Nata Lux; Kerensa Briggs: Media Vita; Frank Ticheli: There Will Be Rest; Jung Jae-il: Psalm 10:1. VOCES8 (Andrea Haines [1-15], Molly Noon [1, 3, 4, 6, 8, 9, 11-13, 15] Maryruth Miller [2, 5, 7, 8, 10, 14], soprano; Katie Jeffries-Harris, Barnaby Smith [artistic director], alto; Blake Morgan, Euan Williamson, tenor; Christopher Moore, baritone; Dominic Carver, bass; with Thomas Gould, violin [2, 5]; Emma Denton, cello [2, 5]; Sam Becker, double bass [2]; Lara Somogy, harp [5]; Lise Vandersmissen, harp [10]; Elsa Bradley, marimba {5]. DECCA 487 0458

 

VOCES8 is an English vocal octet that has made numerous recordings and recital appearances throughout the world. In June of 2025, they plan to mark the 20^th anniversary of their first public performance with a concert at the Barbican Center in London. They will be joined on stage by the VOCES8 Scholars, former members of the ensemble, and special guests, the BBC Singers. They have undergone numerous personnel changes over the years but have remained consistent in their overall sound. Indeed, as you can see from the personnel listing above, while recording Nightfall, there was a change in their soprano section. Unfortunately, the minimal liner sheet included by Decca with the CD provides scarcely any information about either the group or the music other than the names of the performers, the composers, and the titles and timings of the compositions. 

As its title implies, this album comprises a collection of reflective and generally soothing music inspired by the concept of night. Not, it would seem, the fearful darkness of deepest night, but the peace and calm that the night can bring. The program features a mix of choral classics and contemporary arrangements, including new choral versions of popular works by Ludovico Einaudi, the Icelandic alternative band Sigur Rós (see our review of one their albums here) Koji Kondo (composer of Nintendo video game music), Max Richter, plus world premiere works from British composer and 2024 Classic FM Rising Star Lucy Walker, as well as US composer and regular VOCES8 collaborator Taylor Scott Davis. The album opens and closes with contemplative psalm settings by South Korean composer Jung Jae-il, known for his work on Squid Game and Parasite. 

As usual with a VOCES8 recording, the sound is exquisite; almost too much so, as those soprano voices recorded in a reverberant space can become overbearingly intense over the space of an hour. Can there be such a thing as too much beauty? That judgment will lie with the individual lister. Nightfall is a beautiful release; beautifully sung and beautifully recorded. Yes, I dearly wish the producers would have seen fit to include a proper booklet with notes on the composers and their compositions; sadly, in this digital age, such niceties seem to be disappearing. Still, Nightfall is a recommendable release.

Mass of the Eternal Flame: New Music by Ēriks Ešenvalds and Rachel Laurin (CD Review)

 by Karl Nehring

Ešenvalds: Mass of the Eternal Flame; Lux Æterna; Stars; The Heavens’ Flock; O Salutaris Hostia; Salutation; Who Can Sail Without the Wind; Laurin: Dedisti Domine, Op. 85; Diptych, Op. 107 – I. Bucolico II. Con fuoco. The Choir of Christ Church Cathedral, Houston (Robert Simpson, Canon for Music, conductor); The Treble Choir of Houston at Christ Church Cathedral (Marianna Parnas-Simpson, conductor); Thomas Marvil, organ; Daryl Robinson, organ; with Paragon Brass; Craig Hauschildt, percussion; Laura Smith, harp. Acis APL53868

 

It was back in 2020 that I first came across the music of the music of the contemporary Latvian composer Ēriks Ešenvalds (b. 1977) on a remarkably beautiful Naxos release titled Translations, which featured utterly convincing sonics courtesy of former Stereophile magazine editor, John Atkinson (you can read our review here). Although not particularly long in duration at just over twenty minutes, his Mass of the Eternal Flame is large in its sonic scope and impact. Organ, brass, and chorus combine with great effect, producing a sense of hopeful, positive faith and energy. As Ešenvalds writes in the liner booklet, “it is inspiring to me tom know that in Houston, Texas, there is also a choir with faith in God in their hearts and a true passion for expressing the Good News through music.” You can feel that passion in this recording. 

The other works by Ešenvalds sustain the reverential atmosphere of the Mass, the brief (2:59) Lux Æterna for choir only, then Stars featuring the other-wordly sound of The Treble Choir with their voices augmented by the ringing of water-tuned glasses – a celestial combination indeed! Following the gorgeous The Heavens’ Flock performed by the Cathedral Choir. The Treble Choir continues to weave its spell in O Salutaris Hostia, this time with solo voices added to the mix. The Cathedral Choir returns for the composer’s settings of a poem by the Bengali poet and musician Rabindranath Tagore, Salutation, which adopts a more subdued tone, an attitude of prayer and supplication. The final piece by Ešenvalds, Who Can Sail Without the Wind, finds the Treble Choir accompanied by a harp. As the title implies, it is a song of parting; actually, it is a Swedish folk song, so something of a departure from the more religious orientation of the previous compositions. However, it does not feel entirely out of place.

The program continues with a pair of compositions by the late Canadian composer and organist Rachel Laurin (1961-2023). Dedisti Domine is a motet that she composed for the 50th anniversary of her parish in Ottawa, Canada. It is one of the few choral pieces that she wrote, and features a Latin text sung here by the Cathedral Choir and accompanied by Thomas Mervil on organ. The piece takes the listener back to the more religious atmosphere of the Ešenvalds Mass, but with a somewhat different slant. 

The CD closes with Laurin’s Diptych, a work for organ in two parts, both of which are played by organist Daryl Robinson. The first, designated Bucolico, comprises five minutes of relatively calm, contemplative music, similar to what one might hear played in church. The second section, Con fuoco, gets more energetic, more virtuosic – out of church, into the recital hall, bringing the program to a rousing if somewhat disconnected finish. To be honest, however, I’m a bit puzzled as to why an organ piece was added to the program of choral music; it just doesn’t quite fit in. Unfortunately, in this context it just seems – and sounds – tacked on. It is enjoyable music in itself, but perhaps the producers would have been better advised to leave it off the program and leave us with an all-choral release. Still, this is an album well worth recommending for the sheer excellence of the works it contains by Ēriks Ešenvalds (and the Laurin choral work), which are outstanding.

Sofia Gubaidulina: Triple Concerto for Violin, Cello, and Bayan (CD Review)

by Karl Nehring

Also: “Freue Dich! (Rejoice!) Sonata for Violin and Cello. Baiba Skride, violin; Harriet Krijgh, cello; Elsbeth Moser, bayan; NDR Radiophilharmonie; Andrew Manze, conductor. ORFEO C230121

 

Back in 2022 we posted a review that featured CDs with music composed by Florence Price and Sofia Gubaidulina (you can read that review here) in which we began by pointing out what an abrupt shift in both style and mood it was to go from the music of one composer to the other. Surprisingly enough, this new release of two pieces from the Russian-born Gubaidulina (b. 1931), who has lived near Hamburg, Germany, for the past 32 years, features an even greater contrast in musical style and mood. It’s a strange production choice. We have paired together here on the same CD a full-blown concerto for three soloists (violin, cello, and bayan – a Russian cousin of the accordion with buttons only) and orchestra paired with an austere, rather severe, chamber composition for violin and cello. Beyond the obvious fact that they are written by the same person, about the only thing these two compositions have in common to merit their being paired together on the same program is fact that they have performers in common: violinist Baiba Skride and cellist Harriet Krijgh.

(By the way, when I went to look for the album on Amazon, I found the composer listed not as Gubaidulina, but rather as – are you ready for this? – Mozart. Huh? The best I can figure is that the AI “brain” or whatever they now use to put their site together somehow confused “Moser” and “Mozart,” had some sort of foggy mountain breakdown, and forgot all about poor Sofia. Sigh…)

 

At any rate, Gubaidulina discovered the bayan and its musical possibilities in the late 1970s and began writing classical compositions for it. It was the Swiss musician Elsbeth Moyer, who was teaching in Hanover, who suggested to Gubaidulina the idea of a concerto for the bayan plus the violin and cello. It is a fascinating work; not a relaxing, melodic work, but not a forbidding, hostile work either. Lasting nearly half an hour, it explores a variety of sonorities, the bayan adding an unusual contribution to the mix. Those who cannot abide contemporary orchestral music should probably pass this one by, but those who enjoy exploring new dimensions of orchestral sounds should find themselves delighted. The sonata, on the other hand, may not have quite the same widespread degree of appeal, being aimed more specifically at chamber music aficionados. As such, it is a piece that I believe one would have to see being performed in live recital to truly appreciate. As a purely sonic experience,  listening through loudspeakers or headphones, the sheer intensity of the music makes it challenging to follow over its more than half-hour duration. In any event, it certainly seems mismatched with its discmate, for the listener in the mood for an orchestral concerto is unlikely to be looking to follow that listening session with a sonata for two string instruments, and vice versa. 

The liner notes are informative, the engineering is of a high standard, and the music – the concerto especially – is certainly interesting. Although I find the two compositions on this CD mismatched in terms of style and sonority, your taste may surely vary – and the concerto is well worth an audition by anyone with an ear inclined toward contemporary music. It would certainly be be nice for a number of you to step up an prove me wrong, for this release is a fine one.