At the season of the winter solstice, light diminishes in our world. To counteract the onslaught of the darkness, traditional religions have created festivals to hold fast to a small steady flicker of illumination. Essential Voices USA presents a sampler of music celebrating this effort to infuse light and joy into the holiday season. We go from Thanksgiving to Christmas to Chanukah and to the New Year, with both new music and traditional carols - an emotional journey through the holiday seasons. Judith Clurman's Essential Voices USA is one of New York's preeminent choral ensembles - it performs in many of the city's iconic venues and events and records and premieres works by America's finest composers and lyricists. Regularly on stage with the New York Pops in it's Carnegie Hall subscription series, televised on NBC's July 4th Macy's 2014 Spectacular Fireworks and the Rockefeller Center Tree Lighting in 2011 and 2012, the ensemble comprises a talented roster of seasoned professionals and auditioned volunteers, dynamically fitted to the unique needs of each project.

Schumann, R.: Piano Cocnerto, Op. 54 / BRAHMS, J.: Piano Con

A long-admired figure on the New York scene, cellist Michael Nicolas enjoys a diverse career as soloist, chamber musician, recording artist, and improvisor. His eclectic tastes and willingness to try just about anything have led him to forge a musical path of uncommon breadth, from performing masterpieces of the past in the world’s most prestigious concert halls, to free-form improvisation in a downtown New York experimental venue with giants of the genre, to working with contemporary composers of all styles, pushing the boundaries of musical expression and meaning. The ensembles Michael plays in illustrate his commitment to diversity. He is the cellist of the intrepid and genre-defying string quartet Brooklyn Rider, which has drawn praise from classical, world music, and rock critics alike. He is also a member of Ensemble Ditto, a chamber group based in South Korea that has garnered extraordinary success in reaching young and new classical music audiences, selling out concert halls all over Korea, Japan, and China. As a member of the acclaimed International Contemporary Ensemble (ICE), he has worked with countless composers from around the world, premiering and recording dozens of new works. Another group, Third Sound, which Michael helped found, made its debut with an historic residency at the 2015 Havana Contemporary Music Festival, in Cuba. This disc marks his Sono Luminus solo debut.

There is a thought experiment among futurologists called Roko’s Basilisk, which imagines an artificially intelligent supercomputer in the not-too-distant future who develops self-awareness and decides to torture and punish all those who did not help bring about its existence. Not that I necessarily believe it, but if music indeed has charms to soothe a savage beast, then let this record be my attempt to tame the monster and show that humans and computers can co-exist peacefully, and that technology is an indispensable partner capable of deep musical expression.

In this collection of six pieces, Michael adheres not to any one genre, but simply to a general idea exploring the human/machine dichotomy. He tried approaching it from as many angles as possible, and so this record is a very diverse one featuring composers from 3 continents with works spanning over 50 years. There are duos for cello and electronics, cello solos with electronic backing tracks, pieces with multiple layered cello tracks, a solo cello piece. The music deals with intensity and hyperexpression in the Davidovsky and Oliver, fragility and expansiveness in Fulmer and Thorvaldsdottir, rhythmic drive and transformation in Reich and Gosfield. It is Michael's hope that the listener will be exposed to many new sounds and ways to organize them, and be able to connect them to more traditional ideas of musical expression.

The tradition of transcribing, arranging and adapting the music of Johann Sebastian Bach can be traced to the master himself: Bach made a lifelong habit of arranging works, his own and those of other composers. Indeed, Bach ranks among the most skilled and prolific arrangers in the history of music. Arrangements of his work by others can be considered in two broad catagories. In the first are contained those transcriptions which do not incorporate substantial changes to the original compositions, for example Liszt's Six Preludes and Fugues. In the second category are found those arrangements which display a creative intent on the part of the arranger - one can think of Mozart's transcription for string trio of six fugues from The Well-Tempered Clavier, each preceded by an original prelude (KV 404a), or Gounod's Méditation sur le premier prélude de piano de S. Bach (1853), to which the words of the Ave Maria were subsequently added. It is to this latter genre of creative Bach transcriptions that the works contained on this disc belong. - Thomas Labé

REVIEW:

Did Domenico Scarlatti, who is most famous for his collection of more than 500 keyboard sonatas, actually write similar works for guitar duo? Unless you know the harpsichord pieces very well, or you're very familiar with Domenico's musical oeuvre, you will still be wondering after listening to this exceptionally well-played and musically invigorating recording. The interesting and otherwise very informative liner notes give no clue--and it's only when you examine the fine print amid the disc's technical information that you discover the truth: these 14 selections are arrangements "from the harpsichord originals". Well, it's easy to accept that these guitar pieces might be the true originals, given the fact that they work so well for this combination of instruments--and that the arrangements, by guitarists Julian Gray and Ronald Pearl, are so perfectly wrought and seamlessly played. This award-winning duo, often noted for its original programming and commissions of new works, not only has extensive experience performing together, but each musician maintains an active teaching career. Their performances here show nothing less than a commanding mastery of instruments, music, and of the kind of sensitivity it takes for two players to perform as one.

The closeness of the miking, which mostly is done to the listener's and music's benefit, carries with it a little too much finger/string scraping and squeaking for my comfort. I know that these sounds are part of playing the guitar--and these occurrences are only occasionally intrusive; however, it seems that today's super-detailed recordings sometimes let us hear things we wouldn't hear if we were sitting in an audience (unusually prominent clacking of keys on wind instruments, pianists' clicking fingernails or vocalizations, a flute player's every breath). Performers and recording engineers need to be sensitive to this and work to keep these often unavoidable artifacts of musical performance from becoming distracting to listeners--after all, without any visual or other concert performance cues and extra-musical sounds to process, we focus our attention almost exclusively on the sound, and finger-scraping becomes an issue. Nevertheless, guitar enthusiasts will find lots to enjoy here (we are reminded that the duo has published some of these arrangements), and others who want to hear some really fine Scarlatti keyboard music played in a new way shouldn't hesitate.

--David Vernier, ClassicsToday.com

Resonance Lines, a term borrowed loosely from physics, refers to the energy emitted or absorbed by an atom as it transitions between different energy states. This is a unique and innate quality for each type of atom that can only be measured and observed under the right enabling circumstances. An ideal artistic collaboration feels like the discovery and realization of deeply held potential for shared creativity—a sympathetic resonance or surge of energy in the colloquial sense—that is revealed when the right conditions are in place. It may feel lucky or it may feel destined, and in special cases, the “resonating” artists are able to nurture and develop their complementary qualities with lasting effect. This album is a collection of music grown of such pairings, collaborations between composers and cellists joined by shared experiences that lead to creative sparks, unique musical gestures, and new sound worlds.

REVIEW:

Despite featuring works created centuries apart, Resonance Lines is distinguished by a remarkable degree of uniformity. That’s attributable to three things in particular: first, Hannah Collins’ cello is the sole instrument involved; second, the cellist brings a deep level of conviction to all six pieces; and third, each of them makes distinct references to music from the past, a move that helps collapse temporal boundaries between the pieces and reveals how the composers built on their personal musical histories with the creation of something new. Collins also has personal connections to the material, which amplifies their resonance all the more.

Every performance on the sixty-five-minute release is so engrossing, one quickly loses sight of the fact that the recording is the product of a single person and instrument. No supplemental effects are used, and neither are they needed when Collins is involved. Solo recordings expose the performer most nakedly, but she in no way suffers as a result. One comes away from the release with a heightened appreciation for her as both cellist and collaborator.

-- Textura

This is without doubt one of the finest collections of Latin American classical music in the catalog. All of the music is great, offering a wide range of character and feeling, from Orbón's vibrantly neo-classical Concerto Grosso, to Revueltas' atmospheric film score Redes ("Nets"), to Ginastera's folk-tinged romantic expressionism. There isn't a dull second anywhere, and the performances are stunning. The outstanding item here is Orbón's Concerto Grosso, a Stravinsky-goes-Latin extravaganza of spicy harmony, buoyant rhythm, bright color, and captivating melody that ought to be in the standard repertoire (but then, all of this music belongs there). The Cuarteto Latinoamericano's trademark astringent timbre suits the idiom very well, and Eduardo Mata has his Venezuelan orchestra playing at the top of its very considerable form. Dorian's engineering, as with all the discs in this series, is a touch low level. Turn it up, and it's extremely natural and vivid. This is a most welcome reissue.

--David Hurwitz, ClassicsToday.com

Includes traditional work(s) by Nancy Karpeles, Sue Richards. Ensemble: Ensemble Galilei.

Although the works of Josquin DesPrez (cl440-1521) are better known today than those of any other fifteenth-century composer, his biography remains shrouded in uncertainties. The general outlines --- his birth in the area of northern France that produced so many composers of the day, his travel to Milan, Rome and Ferrara, and then his return to the north at the end of his life - are clear. But, his connections to the Court of France, to the Provençal court of King René, to the court in Hungary, and many other details about his life remain contested or simply unknowable. - Peter Urquhart

Respighi, O.: Roman Festivals / Brazilian Impressions / Pine

Quietly spectacular scores, beautifully played and recorded; a most desirable issue.

-- MusicWeb International

The Iceland Symphony Orchestra is widely praised for its performances and recordings and concerts devoted to modern music. Since 2011, the orchestra's home has been Harpa Concert Hall in Reykjavik. Daniel Bjarnason is the orchestra's Artist-in-Residence and is active in a variety of roles as conductor, composer, and educator. Daniel Bjarnason's composer and conducting takes him around the world working with amongst others the Los Angeles Philharmonic, Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, Rambert Dance Company, Britten Sinfonia, So Percussion and the Calder Quartet. Daniel's first opera for the Danish National Opera in Aarhus, Brothers, will be premiered in August, 2017. As well as composing her own music, Maria Huld Markan Sigfúsdóttir has performed music around the world with her band, amiina, as well as recorded and collaborated with a range of other bands and artists. Anna Thorvaldsdottir works with large sonic structures that reveal the presence of a vast variety of sustained sound materials, reflecting her sense of imaginative listening to landscapes and nature. Thurídur Jónsdóttir has frequently tacked the relation between acoustic and electronic sounds. In that regard we might mention INNI - musica da camera for baroque violin and sound curtains of an infant murmur, Flutter for flute, orchestra and field recordings of insects and Winter for voice and electronics. Hlynur A. Vilmarsson has enjoyed a diverse career in music, be it as a member of Icelandic rock bands or the composers' collective s.l.a.t.u.r. Infused with a passion for experimentation, his work has also extended to the realm of technology within the platform of LornaLab.

REVIEW:

The sound worlds here will surely appeal to those who know and like the music of Iceland’s best-known composer, Jón Leifs (Geysir especially), and the Dane Anders Hillborg. Bjarnason’s own three-movement Emergence, the longest work here, becomes more compelling as it unfolds. Yes, it’s comparatively emphatic and angular—nothing too sharp, mind—but that’s welcome in a programme so full of shifts and shimmers. That said, the final movement—Emergence—has a spare, evolving loveliness that cossets the ear as much as anything I’ve heard thus far. The quiet virtuosity of both the writing and playing is a joy to hear. Quietly spectacular scores, beautifully played and recorded; a most desirable issue.

– MusicWeb International

“Decades ago the Sugarcubes proved to the rest of the world that Icelandic rock was its own original creation - now Nordic Affect promises to do the same for the country’s new-music community.” - The Chicago Reader. "Taking risks, buoyed by collaborative support, contributes to a developing, changing self. Through collaboration we can transcend the constraints of biology, of time, of habit, and achieve a fuller self, beyond the limitations and the talents of the isolated individual." - John-Steiner, 2000. Raindamage is the fruit of artistic collaboration, a kind of a micro lab exploring the creative possibilities and processes involved in the making of an album. It is an attempt to unpack the ‘tacit processes of musical collaboration’ and immediately raises the question: how do you crack them open in order to gain a further insight, which in return can lead to new ways of doing? At the heart of Raindamage are the most valuable systems of all: the collective and the collaborative. The Raindamage narratives are of course as many as the participants. In my instance, the continual tossing of the creative ball between my generous friend and colleague Valgeir Sigurðsson and myself, led to the creation of VARP, an installation room which invites you into the nesting site of Raindamage: a space for ecological navigation. VARP had its premiere already in November 2016 in Sweden, before the album release. This only goes to show the fast changing work paradigm here at the cusp of the 21st century. An unreleased album had already become a new work. Icelandic ensemble Nordic Affect has been hailed for its “affectionate explorations” (BBC Music Magazine) and “commitment to their repertoire” (Classical Music). Founded in 2005, Nordic Affect was formed by a group of period instrument musicians who were united in their passion for viewing familiar musical forms from a different perspective and for daring to venture into new musical terrain. In 2013, the ensemble was nominated for the Nordic Council Music Prize and was named Performer of the Year at the Iceland Music Awards in 2014. Believing that music knows no boundaries, Nordic Affect has brought its music-making to contemporary and rock audiences alike and performed to critical acclaim at festivals such as TRANSIT festival, Dark Music Days, November Music, BRQ Vantaa Festival, Estonian Music Days and Iceland Airwaves. Its members have individually performed and recorded with artists and groups such as The English Concert, Concerto Copenhagen, Anima Eterna Brugge and Björk.

Includes sonata(s) by Salomone Rossi, Biagio Marini. Ensemble: Ensemble Rebel. Conductor: Jörg-Michael Schwarz.
Includes suite(s) by Salomone Rossi. Ensemble: Ensemble Rebel. Conductor: Jörg-Michael Schwarz.
Includes work(s) by Giovanni Buonamente. Ensemble: Ensemble Rebel. Conductor: Jörg-Michael Schwarz.

For all that’s made of The Rite of Spring’s extraordinary rhythmic component, there’s a sophisticated harmonic dimension as well, something easily discerned in Eduardo Mata’s very intellectual reading. Part One’s Dance of the Adolescents goes at a slowish pace (similar to Bernstein in his last recording with the Israel Philharmonic on DG), but this allows you to hear Stravinsky’s pungent harmonies and tangy tone colors. Echoes of Petrushka abound, as do suggestions of Mussorgsky. That’s not to say that Mata shortchanges the music’s physicality–there’s plenty of brawn to go along with the brain, as in Dance of the Earth, which features a wonderfully prominent tam-tam, or the rhythmically exacting Glorification of the Chosen One. Still, there’s a certain ferocity that you find in recordings by Bernstein, Chailly, Muti, or Salonen that’s missing in Mata’s (listeners wanting the most shocks-per-minute, as well as the loudest bass drum, should definitely seek out Chailly’s performance). Mata’s reading is more about power allied to color and nuance: listen to his beautifully balanced (again, somewhat slow) Sacrificial Dance at the work’s close.

 

A similar approach informs Prokofiev’s Scythian Suite. Although Mata generates sufficient brutality from the Dallas Symphony, it’s tempered a bit by the musicians’ exceptionally polished playing–more beautiful than brash (no such concern in Bernstein’s rough-and-raw rendition with the New York Philharmonic). However, as with the Stravinsky, the playing is a delight in itself. Dorian’s spacious and very vivid recording really brings the music to life, setting the seal on an interesting coupling, and one certainly desirable for Mata fans.

 

-- Victor Carr Jr., ClassicsToday.com

This set includes a blu-ray audio CD playable on blu-ray players only and a standard CD playable on all CD players.

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Review:

Five virtuosic viola pieces exploring some of the many varied aspects of American music. All the composers are American with one exception: Russian Nikolai Kapustin, included because he incorporates American jazz elements in his music. GRAMMY® nominated violist Eliesha Nelson has a passion for performing and promoting music of neglected composers who have created masterworks for the viola. She has been critically acclaimed in international publications for her outstanding interpretive abilities. She is a marvelous player, a ravishing violist.

– Los Angeles Times