This recording of music by Ernest Krenek follows on from Toccata Classics’ wildly successful recording, in two albums, of his complete piano concertos. It covers almost half a century of his compositions, and shows the sheer range of his creativity. There are early piano fugues written for his teacher, Franz Schreker, via elegant fin de siècle Viennese lyricism to a relaxed application of Schoenberg’s dodecaphonic technique- often enlivened with a surprising degree of charm and a knowing sense of humor. The Ernst Krenek Ensemble is joined here by three of the finest lieder singers currently active, Laura Aikin, Bernarda Fink, and Florian Boesch. The Ernst Krenek Ensemble has set itself the task of introducing Ernst Krenek’s important and extensive chamber music oeuvre to the programmes of international concert halls, although its repertoire also includes works by composers such as Schubert and Beethoven, who provided Krenek with important stimulus. Its musicians delve with special curiosity into Krenek’s less familiar works and reveal the many colorful facets of his substantial output. Concerts have taken the ensemble throughout Europe and the USA.

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Bax's fine Quintet, its three movements composed in 1922, is the weightiest piece here, with numerous melodies that sound like Irish folktunes but are apparently original. The first movement has a rhapsodic introduction, the last is in the character of an Irish dance. As in the Harp Quintet (reviewed on page xxx) the textures are remarkably varied, and in the central Lento a long initial passage for strings alone is balanced by oboe cadenzas, solo and accompanied. Next in musical interest stands the Moeran, a quite powerfully moody single movement that passes through several distinct yet related areas of expression. Lacking the poetic imagination of these two works, Gordon Jacob's Quartet is still excellent, its four movements being written with clarity, economy and a ready invention. Like the Bax, it was designed for Leon Goossens.

Holst's contributions date from 1896, although the Pieces were revised in 1910. As Colin Matthews's sleeve-note honestly admits, there is nothing of the mature composer here, though he was already a deft craftsman. These performances, too, are most expressive and in general well recorded, although I feel that the oboe is rather forward in Bax's Quintet.

-- Gramophone [2/1985]

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On Remembering, the Danish cellist Jakob Kullberg continues his collaborations with two of the foremost Nordic composers: Per Nørgård and Kaija Saariaho. Praised internationally for his performances of the modern cello concerto, Kullberg regards the concerto form as the encounter of an individual soloist with the sound world of a composer. With living composers this approach often results in an unusual degree of collaboration, as the works gathered here bear witness to. Since 1999, Kullberg has enjoyed a close and unique partnership with Nørgård which has resulted in a large number of works. Between, the opening work on the album, hails from a time before this, but Nørgård’s viola concerto Remembering Child in its version for the cello is very much an example of Kullberg’s process. He has not only transferred the concerto to his own instruments, but has also – in consultation with the composer – written his own cadenza as well as added details to the score. Likewise, at a climactic point exactly halfway through Saariaho’s concerto Notes on Light, Kullberg creates an expressive space of his own, with a two-minute cadenza he has composed himself. In this work, as well as in Nørgård’s Between, Kullberg is supported by the BBC Philharmonic, with Sinfonia Varsovia appearing in the closing concerto.

JE SAIS NAGER

There is an art to combining formal composition with the free grooving essence of jam band music. For decades, guitarist/vocalist Francis Jacob studied and played music from all over the globe, condensing what he absorbed into his own unique style. Along with his longtime friends, bassist Stomu Takeishi and percussionist Gintas Janusonis, Jacob assembled his new group, The Three Blind Mice, that explores the sounds of jazz, funk, and world music through these musicians' unique prisms of influence. Originally from France, Jacob has been based in New York City for three decades. He has invested himself in the local music scene, specializing in the sounds of West Africa and his native France. The Japan born Takeishi has also been a longtime member of the New York music scene, specializing in experimental jazz but also the rhythms of South America. A midwestern with Lithuanian heritage, Janusonis has an eclectic resume with a solid foundation in groove-based music. The three musicians have worked on and off together for decades, but it was during the pandemic that Jacob decided that he wanted to establish a smaller ensemble. He invited Takeishi and Janusonis to regular jam sessions. The trio quickly developed a natural sound based on their mutual love and understanding of a wide variety of musical styles from around the world. Jacob began treating the jams as workshops for his compositions, bringing in pieces that would be fleshed out as the band explored them. Taking inspiration from the band's name, The Three Blind Mice focus on musical elements related to the number three on their self-titled album. Jacob decided to utilize devices based on song form, time signature, and beat subdivisions for his pieces informed by ternary systems. Many musical elements come together in the rich musical world of Francis Jacob, Stomu Takeishi, and Gintas Janusonis's The Three Blind Mice. Weaving these rich elements of world music together, the trio provides a vibrant and addictive listening experience on their new self-titled album.

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