Connolly: Music for Strings (plus…)

$25.99
Label
Metier
Release Date
March 14, 2025
Format
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    Featuring ⌄
    • COMPOSER
      Justin Connolly
    • PERFORMER
      Mihailo Trandafilovski, Peter Sheppard Skaerved, Neil Heyde, Emily Su, Dmytro Fonariuk, Roger Heaton
    Product Details ⌄
    • RELEASE DATE
      March 14, 2025
    • UPC
      809730720925
    • CATALOG NUMBER
      MEX 77209
    • LABEL
      Metier
    • NUMBER OF DISCS
      2
    • GENRE
      Chamber Music & Recitals
    Works ⌄

    1. I. Vivo ed energico

      Composer: Justin Connolly

      Performer: Mihailo Trandafilovski, Peter Sheppard Skærved, Neil Heyde

    2. II. Calmo ed espressivo

      Composer: Justin Connolly

      Performer: Mihailo Trandafilovski, Peter Sheppard Skærved, Neil Heyde

    3. III. Presto, Vigoroso, Largamente

      Composer: Justin Connolly

      Performer: Mihailo Trandafilovski, Peter Sheppard Skærved, Neil Heyde

    4. I. Intrada

      Composer: Justin Connolly

      Performer: Neil Heyde

    5. II. Presto con sordina

      Composer: Justin Connolly

      Performer: Neil Heyde

    6. III. Alla sarabanda

      Composer: Justin Connolly

      Performer: Neil Heyde

    7. IV. Alla burlesca

      Composer: Justin Connolly

      Performer: Neil Heyde

    8. V. Ripresa

      Composer: Justin Connolly

      Performer: Neil Heyde

    9. I. Misterioso, velato

      Composer: Justin Connolly

      Performer: Dmytro Fonariuk, Emily Su, Neil Heyde

    10. II. Risoluto, piuttosto brusco

      Composer: Justin Connolly

      Performer: Dmytro Fonariuk, Emily Su, Neil Heyde

    11. III. Come prima

      Composer: Justin Connolly

      Performer: Dmytro Fonariuk, Emily Su, Neil Heyde

    12. I. Misterioso

      Composer: Justin Connolly

      Performer: Roger Heaton, Neil Heyde

    13. II. Concitato

      Composer: Justin Connolly

      Performer: Roger Heaton, Neil Heyde

    14. III. Vivace

      Composer: Justin Connolly

      Performer: Roger Heaton, Neil Heyde

    15. IV. Scherzando, concitato

      Composer: Justin Connolly

      Performer: Roger Heaton, Neil Heyde

    16. I. Gathering

      Composer: Justin Connolly

      Performer: Peter Sheppard Skærved, Tiago Soares Silva, Muriel Oberhofer, Mihailo Trandafilovski

    17. II. Dordfiansa (spear-clashing dance)

      Composer: Justin Connolly

      Performer: Peter Sheppard Skærved, Tiago Soares Silva, Muriel Oberhofer, Mihailo Trandafilovski

    18. III. Night

      Composer: Justin Connolly

      Performer: Peter Sheppard Skærved, Tiago Soares Silva, Muriel Oberhofer, Mihailo Trandafilovski

    19. IV. Four-Hand Reel

      Composer: Justin Connolly

      Performer: Peter Sheppard Skærved, Tiago Soares Silva, Muriel Oberhofer, Mihailo Trandafilovski

    20. I. —

      Composer: Justin Connolly

      Performer: Peter Sheppard Skærved

    21. II. —

      Composer: Justin Connolly

      Performer: Peter Sheppard Skærved

    22. III. —

      Composer: Justin Connolly

      Performer: Peter Sheppard Skærved

    23. Collana, Op. 29b

      Composer: Justin Connolly

      Performer: Neil Heyde

    24. Celebratio super Ter in lyris Leo, Op. 29/II

      Composer: Justin Connolly

      Performer: Peter Sheppard Skærved, Adonis Lau, Andrea Fages Saiz, Alina Silina

    25. I. Capriccio

      Composer: Justin Connolly

      Performer: Nancy Turetzky, Bertram Turetzky

    26. II. Melodia I

      Composer: Justin Connolly

      Performer: Nancy Turetzky, Bertram Turetzky

    27. III. Serenata

      Composer: Justin Connolly

      Performer: Nancy Turetzky, Bertram Turetzky

    28. IV. Melodia II (recitativo interrotto)

      Composer: Justin Connolly

      Performer: Nancy Turetzky, Bertram Turetzky


Metier celebrates the music of Justin Connolly (1933-2020) with a landmark double album. Featuring world premiere recordings of his intricately crafted works, this release shines a long-overdue spotlight on a composer once named by Pierre Boulez among the most compelling British voices of his era. Connolly's music, characterized by conceptual rigor, lyrical intensity, and flashes of playful invention, has remained largely absent from the public stage in recent decades. A long compositional hiatus in the late 20th century may have contributed to this neglect, but his unique voice is now rediscovered through this comprehensive recording. Cellist and producer Neil Heyde reflects on Connolly's impact as an inspirational teacher at the Royal Academy of Music and as a curious, collaborative force within the musical community: "His intellectual engagement with music was unparalleled, and his enthusiasm for exploring the unconventional was as legendary as his generosity of spirit. This project seeks to capture the essence of his unique sensibility through these premiere recordings." Heyde leads the project alongside Kreutzer Quartet colleagues Peter Sheppard Skaerved and Mihailo Trandafilovski, with clarinettist Roger Heaton featured on Gymel-B. The album also includes collaborations with Royal Academy of Music students, providing a vibrant intergenerational exchange in Connolly's larger ensemble works. Four pieces receive world premiere performances, making this the most extensive exploration of Connolly's music to date. These works illuminate a fascinating spectrum, from virtuosic solos to ensemble compositions that are as deeply intricate as they are expressively bold. Recorded in spring 2024 in London by the renowned engineer Adaq Khan, and supported by a research grant from the Royal Academy of Music's Research Committee, this project captures the brilliance and nuance of Connolly's artistry with exceptional clarity. This album reintroduces Justin Connolly as a vital figure in British contemporary music, offering an arresting portrait of a composer whose intellectual rigor and lyrical depth remain as relevant today as ever.