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Alpha

Blackbirds

$20.99

Details

Composer
Grazyna Bacewicz, The Beatles, Benjamin Britten, Morton Feldman, Sandor Veress
Artist
Nicolas Altstaedt, Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra, Maxim Emelyanychev
Format
CD
Label
Alpha
Released
Apr 10, 2026
Catalog #
ALPHA1213
UPC
3701624512135

About

Nicolas Altstaedt's starting point for this recording was the magnificent Second Concerto for Cello and Orchestra by Polish composer Grazyna Bacewicz (1909-1969): "On reading through the work for the first time, I immediately thought: why is this never played? Astonishing, how with just a few notes she can make a whole world appear." Pianist and conductor Maxim Emelyanychev conducts the Swedish Radio Orchestra and accompanies his friend in a work composed two years earlier: Benjamin Britten's Sonata for Cello and Piano, as well as a work by Morton Feldman from 1960, Durations II... Next comes a sonata by Sándor Veress, one of Altstaedt's favourite composers, this time for solo cello: composed in 1967, this landmark work in the solo cello repertoire completes this overview of music from the 1960s, which concludes with a live recording of John Lennon and Paul McCartney's famous Blackbird, recorded with Thomas Dunford on lute and vocals, in a church in Portugal as the bells strike midnight.

Tracklist 13 tracks

  1. 1 I. Allegro (fantastico) 06:00
    Track
    1
    Title
    I. Allegro (fantastico)
    Duration
    06:00
    Composer
    Grażyna Bacewicz
    Performer
    Nicolas Altstaedt
    Ensemble
    Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra
    Conductor
    Maxim Emelyanychev
  2. 2 II. Adagio 04:47
    Track
    2
    Title
    II. Adagio
    Duration
    04:47
    Composer
    Grażyna Bacewicz
    Performer
    Nicolas Altstaedt
    Ensemble
    Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra
    Conductor
    Maxim Emelyanychev
  3. 3 III. Allegro 06:07
    Track
    3
    Title
    III. Allegro
    Duration
    06:07
    Composer
    Grażyna Bacewicz
    Performer
    Nicolas Altstaedt
    Ensemble
    Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra
    Conductor
    Maxim Emelyanychev
  4. 4 Durations II 04:28
    Track
    4
    Title
    Durations II
    Duration
    04:28
    Composer
    Morton Feldman
    Performer
    Nicolas Altstaedt, Maxim Emelyanychev
  5. 5 I. Dialogo 07:08
    Track
    5
    Title
    I. Dialogo
    Duration
    07:08
    Composer
    Benjamin Britten
    Performer
    Nicolas Altstaedt, Maxim Emelyanychev
  6. 6 II. Scherzo-pizzicato 02:18
    Track
    6
    Title
    II. Scherzo-pizzicato
    Duration
    02:18
    Composer
    Benjamin Britten
    Performer
    Nicolas Altstaedt, Maxim Emelyanychev
  7. 7 III. Elegia 05:40
    Track
    7
    Title
    III. Elegia
    Duration
    05:40
    Composer
    Benjamin Britten
    Performer
    Nicolas Altstaedt, Maxim Emelyanychev
  8. 8 IV. Marcia 02:04
    Track
    8
    Title
    IV. Marcia
    Duration
    02:04
    Composer
    Benjamin Britten
    Performer
    Nicolas Altstaedt, Maxim Emelyanychev
  9. 9 V. Moto Perpetuo 02:37
    Track
    9
    Title
    V. Moto Perpetuo
    Duration
    02:37
    Composer
    Benjamin Britten
    Performer
    Nicolas Altstaedt, Maxim Emelyanychev
  10. 10 I. Dialogo 06:44
    Track
    10
    Title
    I. Dialogo
    Duration
    06:44
    Composer
    Sándor Veress
    Performer
    Nicolas Altstaedt
  11. 11 II. Monologo 04:28
    Track
    11
    Title
    II. Monologo
    Duration
    04:28
    Composer
    Sándor Veress
    Performer
    Nicolas Altstaedt
  12. 12 III. Epilogo 02:34
    Track
    12
    Title
    III. Epilogo
    Duration
    02:34
    Composer
    Sándor Veress
    Performer
    Nicolas Altstaedt
  13. 13 Blackbird (arr. for voice, cello and lute) 03:39
    Track
    13
    Title
    Blackbird (arr. for voice, cello and lute)
    Duration
    03:39
    Composer
    John Lennon, Paul McCartney
    Performer
    Nicolas Altstaedt, Thomas Dunford