Four Strings Around the World / Muresanu
Details
- Composer
- BACH ENESCU KREISLER VALI
- Artist
- Irina Muresanu
- Format
- CD
- Label
- Sono Luminus
- Released
- Apr 27, 2018
- Catalog #
- DSL-92221
- UPC
- 053479222121
About
Strings Attached
Four Strings Around the World is a quite stunning solo CD from the Romanian-born violinist Irina Muresanu that features diverse musical styles from across Europe, the Middle East, Asia and both North and South America (Sono Luminus DSL-92221 sonoluminus.com). Muresanu introduced her Four Strings Around the World project in 2013 after her difficulty in learning Mark O’Connor’s Cricket Dance led her to explore worldwide non-traditional violin styles.
Enescu’s Airs in Romanian Folk Style opens the disc, with works by Ireland’s Dave Flynn, Iran’s Reza Vali, India’s Shirish Korde and China’s Bright Sheng surrounding Paganini’s 24th Caprice, Kreisler’s Recitativo and Scherzo Op.6 and a strongly melodic reading of the Bach D Minor Chaconne. Then it’s Piazzolla’s Tango Étude No.3 and a work by Chickasaw Nation composer Jerod Impichchaachaaha’ Tate before the short Cricket Dance that apparently gave Muresanu so much trouble.
Not that you would know it – complete with foot stomps, it’s a simply dazzling end to one of the best solo CDs I’ve heard.
Terry Robbins, The Whole Note, June/July/August2018 edition
The program divides in two: Western and Eastern Europe, which ranges from Bach to the contemporary David Flynn via Enescu, Paganini and Kreisler, and Music from the Middle East, Asia, and North and South America; quite a lot to include here all round...
“Muresanu has selected wisely when it comes to her fellow countryman, Enescu, whose Airs in Romanian Folk Style, though written in 1926, was not to be published until 2006. There aren’t many recordings around. The four movements offer plenty of opportunities for characteristic rubato-style performance and for vital dance patterns. The taut melancholia of the third piece is followed by the giocoso vibrancy of the concluding Allegro. This galvanizing reading shows its charms in fine fashion...
“For the second part of her journey she visits Iran via Reza Vali’s Calligraphy No.5. This draws on traditional Persian modes, employing the Dastg?h. This is something of which Behzad Abdi is an outstanding exponent and, like Abdi, Vali aims at a concordance between Persian and Western techniques: Bartók is a probable starting point. Representing India, Shirish Korde’s Vák, for violin and electronic drone invariably owes its inspiration to Ragas. The drone effect allows Muresanu to negotiate the work’s three unbroken sections with considerable virtuosity. Bright Sheng’s international reputation is now of long standing and The Stream Flows, of which we hear only the second part (shame) evokes the sound of the erhu in this dance-patterned and pizzicato-flecked piece. Piazzolla’s Tango Etude No.3 possesses all its resonant and driving capital in this solo reading...”
- Jonathan Woolf, MusicWeb International
Tracklist 16 tracks
-
1 I. Moderato: Molto rubato 02:59
- Track
- 1
- Title
- I. Moderato: Molto rubato
- Duration
- 02:59
- Composer
- George Enescu
- Performer
- Irina Muresanu
-
2 II. Allegro giusto 01:47
- Track
- 2
- Title
- II. Allegro giusto
- Duration
- 01:47
- Composer
- George Enescu
- Performer
- Irina Muresanu
-
3 III. Andante 02:12
- Track
- 3
- Title
- III. Andante
- Duration
- 02:12
- Composer
- George Enescu
- Performer
- Irina Muresanu
-
4 IV. Allegro giocoso 01:52
- Track
- 4
- Title
- IV. Allegro giocoso
- Duration
- 01:52
- Composer
- George Enescu
- Performer
- Irina Muresanu
-
5 Tar Éis an Caoineadh' 08:14
- Track
- 5
- Title
- Tar Éis an Caoineadh'
- Duration
- 08:14
- Composer
- Dave Flynn
- Performer
- Irina Muresanu
-
6 24 Caprices, Op. 1: No. 24 in A Minor: Tema quasi presto - 11 Variations - Finale 04:58
- Track
- 6
- Title
- 24 Caprices, Op. 1: No. 24 in A Minor: Tema quasi presto - 11 Variations - Finale
- Duration
- 04:58
- Composer
- Niccolò Paganini
- Performer
- Irina Muresanu
-
7 Recitative and Scherzo-Caprice, Op. 6 04:55
- Track
- 7
- Title
- Recitative and Scherzo-Caprice, Op. 6
- Duration
- 04:55
- Composer
- Fritz Kreisler
- Performer
- Irina Muresanu
-
8 Violin Partita No. 2 in D Minor, BWV 1004: V. Ciaccona 04:08
- Track
- 8
- Title
- Violin Partita No. 2 in D Minor, BWV 1004: V. Ciaccona
- Duration
- 04:08
- Composer
- Johann Sebastian Bach
- Performer
- Irina Muresanu
-
9 Calligraphy No. 5 (version for violin) 06:36
- Track
- 9
- Title
- Calligraphy No. 5 (version for violin)
- Duration
- 06:36
- Composer
- Reza Vali
- Performer
- Irina Muresanu
-
10 I. Alap 04:25
- Track
- 10
- Title
- I. Alap
- Duration
- 04:25
- Composer
- Shirish Korde
- Performer
- Irina Muresanu
-
11 II. Jor 02:23
- Track
- 11
- Title
- II. Jor
- Duration
- 02:23
- Composer
- Shirish Korde
- Performer
- Irina Muresanu
-
12 III. Jhalla 03:27
- Track
- 12
- Title
- III. Jhalla
- Duration
- 03:27
- Composer
- Shirish Korde
- Performer
- Irina Muresanu
-
13 The Stream Flows: II. — 04:23
- Track
- 13
- Title
- The Stream Flows: II. —
- Duration
- 04:23
- Composer
- Bright Sheng
- Performer
- Irina Muresanu
-
14 Tango-Étude No. 3 03:39
- Track
- 14
- Title
- Tango-Étude No. 3
- Duration
- 03:39
- Composer
- Astor Piazzolla
- Performer
- Irina Muresanu
-
15 Oshta (Four) 08:31
- Track
- 15
- Title
- Oshta (Four)
- Duration
- 08:31
- Composer
- Jerod Impichchaachaaha' Tate
- Performer
- Irina Muresanu
-
16 The Cricket Dance 01:52
- Track
- 16
- Title
- The Cricket Dance
- Duration
- 01:52
- Composer
- Mark O'Connor
- Performer
- Irina Muresanu