Classical Music

Nigel Clarke identifies himself with the virtuoso performer, and with the spirit of innovation, exploration and textural ambiguity. Utilising advanced aleatoric techniques and demanding that his performers "push the envelope", he produces fascinating pieces indeed.

Rhona Clarke is one of the Irish composers living in a shadow - the perception that Irish music consists only of stepdancing, jigs and reels. Our ongoing series of Irish music albums should demonstrate that fallacy. Clarke's work is eclectic, brilliant and vaired - from relatively "tough" constructs to quite tonal works with influences of jazz. Her Piano Trio No. 2 appeared on the previous Metier release "Dancing in Daylight", prompting one review to hope for a whole album devoted to her work - here it is. As well as three full pieces for Piano Trio, there are three for members of the ensemble. Apart from the said No. 2 Trio, all the works here are receiving the first recording. The Fidelio Trio continues to gain an ever more positive reputation as one of Europe's most skillfull and innovative ensembles, and is also gaining quite a following in the USA.

When a CD bears the title 'Fantasia' for Viol and Piano, it is perhaps surprising that no less than two of the four recorded works correspond to the clearly defined form of the sonata. However, fantasia is not the designation of a musical genre, but rather expresses a basic intellectual attitude, a program. This does not mean that it is 'program music' in the proper sense - none of the four works display clear content-related links to a given program. Yet while listening one can easily get the impression that stories are being told. Not stories with a heroine or hero, or victors and losers, but atmospheric and emotional stories. The dark, soft sound of the viol is a wonderful transport medium for this.

A Richer Dust, the epic First Symphony of the English composer Nigel Clarke (1960) explores what it means to live with violence and extremism, the constant companions of human history. The work intertwines words collated from a wide range of sources by the writer Malene Sheppard Skaeved with Clarke's music, weaving together ideas and images in fragments of text from both historically significant figures and voiceless, ordinary people. The dark and powerful atmosphere of the Symphony is prefaced by the bright and sassy sound of Clarke's Magritte-inspired Mysteries of the Horizon, a concerto for cornet and wind orchestra. Harmen Vanhoorne is an international cornet soloist from Belgium who has performed all over the world. He is known as an innovator for his instrument, commissioning composers from his own country and abroad on a regular basis, expanding the repertoire and further the profile of the cornet. H. Stephen Smith studied voice at the Eastman School of Music in Rochester, New York. He studied privately with Nicolai Gedda and has since alongside such artists as June Anderson, Tom Krause and several others. He joined the music faculty at Middle Tennessee State University in 1998, where he serves as Professor of Voice. Dr. Reed Thomas is teh Director of Bands and a Professor of Conducting at Middle Tennessee State University. He is an avid supporter of new music, commissioning over 40 compositions since 2003.

This is the first publication of Rhapsody as an authorized Performing Edition. Pianist John York meticulously edited the work whilst for the first-time having access to the full color manuscript (held by the Library of Congress) showing all the intricate markings and comments by Clarke, Mukle and Hess. Significant contributions were also made by cellists Lionel Handy and Raphael Wallfish. Christopher Johnson, Clark's executor, has overseen the entire project and provided invaluable supporting documents in the form of diary entries and correspondence from the time of Rhapsodies first performance. Christopher's stewardship of this partnership has delivered the definitive publication of arguably the most important cello work of the 20th century.

For three decades the English composer Nigel Clarke (b. 1960) has worked in close collaboration with the violinist Peter Sheppard Skærved and Longbow, Sheppard Skærved’s virtuoso thirteen-member string ensemble. Clarke’s engaging and energetic music often takes its cue from a dramatic or poetic impulse. Here it features two tributes to Edith Cavell, the British nurse shot in the First World War, one for solo violin, the other for the unusual combination of flugelhorn and strings; two of the other works here are musical portraits of the town of Dover, in the south-east of England, with white cliffs made famous in Vera Lynn’s wartime song. Nigel Clarke is Visiting Composer to Middle Tennessee State University Bands and has a long engagement with the symphonic wind-band movement in American universities.

REVIEW:

This is an unusual release for Toccata Classics, at least in my experience, which mainly includes lesser-known music for solo piano. But this material is fully within the philosophy of this wonderful British label, namely, the celebration of what they deem to be unduly neglected music. If that applies to Nigel Clarke, then hopefully the neglect will be corrected to some extent, for this is a fascinating and frequently enchanting music, presented, for the most part, with skill and conviction.

-- Fanfare

Danish conductor Emil Reesen — The composer and conductor Emil Reesen (1887-1964) was the remarkable Jack-of-all-trades of Danish music who mastered all genres and styles – the only thing that mattered to him was that the quality of the music was good. His career began in the world of the theatre, where he played the piano in music theatres in Copenhagen and as time went on also began to conduct, arrange and compose music for various operettas and revues. And he was really good at this. During the years around the First World War Reesen came to the conclusion that he was the best conductor in town despite not having studied at the conservatoire. The decisive thing was his considerable innate talent.

Classical Music

An extraordinary, tough and unconventional woman, Rebecca Clarke gives us her Music for Cello and Piano. Being the first female student to attend Stanford for composition, Clarke excelled. She quickly became a leader in her field and was able to support herself. Clarke's compositions took her around the world where she has showcased her works as well as her musicianship on the viola.

Nigel Clarke has always been fascinated by virtuosity and timbre- it is the brass band genre that has lent itself most to his passion for musical athleticism. ‘Dial ‘H’ for Hitchcock’ is an imaginary film score in the film noir vein, complete with classic and chilling sound effects, while the heroic, brooding and violent ‘Swift Severn’s Flood’ was inspired by a line from Shakespeare. Cornet concerto ‘Mysteries of the Horizon’ examines the atmosphere of paintings by Rene Magritte, and ‘Earthrise’ celebrates one of the most iconic photographs in history and the drama of the Apollo 8 mission.

Includes work(s) by Rebecca Clarke. Soloists: Philip Dukes, Sophia Rahman.