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SOMM Recordings

Habanera - Music for Eight Cellos & Voice

$18.99

Details

Composer
Henri du Bailly, Manuel de Falla, Xoan Montes, Xavier Montsalvatge, Jean-Philippe Rameau, Maurice Ra
Artist
Ana Beard Fernandez, Roderick Williams, Iain Hall, The Endellion Cellists
Format
CD
Label
SOMM Recordings
Released
May 09, 2025
Catalog #
SOMMCD 0699
UPC
748871069923

About

Multi-part music for the same instrument, dating back to Elizabethan consorts of viols, remains outside the typical orchestral repertoire nowadays, but as ever, SOMM remains true to it's stellar reputation for presenting rare and singular releases. Habanera, Music for Eight Cellos and Voice is a joyous recording that grew out of a collaboration between baritone Roderick Williams and cellist Joely Koos, joint Artistic Directors at the 2023 Endellion Summer Music Festival. The camaraderie enjoyed by the artists and the Endellion Cellists was particularly strong, and a special concert was devised for cello ensemble and voice featuring British-Spanish soprano Ana Beard Fernandez.  Now, SOMM presents the formidable Endellion Cellists, soprano Ana Beard Fernandez, and baritone Roderick Williams in a recording of these two artists' uniquely colourful arrangements. The musicians are led by award-winning choral, orchestral, and operatic conductor William Vann. As an added bonus, Roderick Williams plays eighth cello, and recorder-player Iain Hall joins the artists for this recital of shared pleasure and a sense of fun that is palpable. The programme opens with the most famous original composition for cello ensemble: Bachianas Brasilieras No. 5 for soprano solo and eight cellos. From the set of nine Bach-inspired Brazilian pieces by Heitor Villa-Lobos, it's two movements are a haunting A´ria and a Danc¸a inspired by a Brazilian saudades song. When the Spanish composer and pianist Manuel de Falla was asked by a soprano for his advice about Spanish songs, he was inspired to arrange some himself. The result was Siete Canciones Populares based on seven folksongs from different parts of Spain, for which he composed wholly original accompaniment, here transcribed for eight cellos. The best-known works by Spanish composer Xavier Montsalvatge are born of his fascination for the music of the Antilles and West Indian music. His Cinco canciones Negras came out of this aesthetic, and are among the finest examples of late twentieth-century Spanish art-song. The individual songs that make up the second half of this recital include the haunting Vocalise-etude en forme de Habanera by Maurice Ravel, who was born in Basque country near the Spanish border. Three varied songs collected as Tres Canciones include I am madness by the seventeenth-century French composer Henri du Bailly; an anonymous song, So the Oak; and Black Shadow from Six Galician Ballads by the nineteenth-century Spanish composer Xoan Montes. Two twentieth-century Russian songs are the much-transcribed Vocalise by Sergei Rachmaninoff from his Melodies; and a relatively unknown gem by Dmitri Shostakovich, Farewell, Granada, from Six Traditional Spanish Folksongs. By way of a rambunctious encore, the recital closes with the duet, Forêts paisibles (Peaceful forests) by the eighteenth-century French master Jean Philippe Rameau from his opera-ballet Les Indes Galantes.

Tracklist 21 tracks

  1. 1 I. Aria: Cantilena 06:24
    Track
    1
    Title
    I. Aria: Cantilena
    Duration
    06:24
    Composer
    Heitor Villa-Lobos
    Performer
    Ana Beard Fernández
    Ensemble
    The Endellion Cellists
    Conductor
    William Vann
  2. 2 II. Danza: Martelo 04:56
    Track
    2
    Title
    II. Danza: Martelo
    Duration
    04:56
    Composer
    Heitor Villa-Lobos
    Performer
    Ana Beard Fernández
    Ensemble
    The Endellion Cellists
    Conductor
    William Vann
  3. 3 No. 1. El paño moruno 01:16
    Track
    3
    Title
    No. 1. El paño moruno
    Duration
    01:16
    Composer
    Manuel de Falla
    Performer
    Ana Beard Fernández
    Ensemble
    The Endellion Cellists
    Conductor
    William Vann
  4. 4 No. 2. Seguidilla murciana 01:18
    Track
    4
    Title
    No. 2. Seguidilla murciana
    Duration
    01:18
    Composer
    Manuel de Falla
    Performer
    Ana Beard Fernández
    Ensemble
    The Endellion Cellists
    Conductor
    William Vann
  5. 5 No. 3. Asturiana 02:14
    Track
    5
    Title
    No. 3. Asturiana
    Duration
    02:14
    Composer
    Manuel de Falla
    Performer
    Ana Beard Fernández
    Ensemble
    The Endellion Cellists
    Conductor
    William Vann
  6. 6 No. 4. Jota 03:10
    Track
    6
    Title
    No. 4. Jota
    Duration
    03:10
    Composer
    Manuel de Falla
    Performer
    Ana Beard Fernández
    Ensemble
    The Endellion Cellists
    Conductor
    William Vann
  7. 7 No. 5. Nana 01:41
    Track
    7
    Title
    No. 5. Nana
    Duration
    01:41
    Composer
    Manuel de Falla
    Performer
    Ana Beard Fernández
    Ensemble
    The Endellion Cellists
    Conductor
    William Vann
  8. 8 No. 6. Canción 01:25
    Track
    8
    Title
    No. 6. Canción
    Duration
    01:25
    Composer
    Manuel de Falla
    Performer
    Ana Beard Fernández
    Ensemble
    The Endellion Cellists
    Conductor
    William Vann
  9. 9 No. 7. Polo 01:24
    Track
    9
    Title
    No. 7. Polo
    Duration
    01:24
    Composer
    Manuel de Falla
    Performer
    Ana Beard Fernández
    Ensemble
    The Endellion Cellists
    Conductor
    William Vann
  10. 10 No. 1. Cuba dentro de un piano 04:09
    Track
    10
    Title
    No. 1. Cuba dentro de un piano
    Duration
    04:09
    Composer
    Xavier Montsalvatge
    Performer
    Ana Beard Fernández
    Ensemble
    The Endellion Cellists
    Conductor
    William Vann
  11. 11 No. 2. Punto de Habanera 01:56
    Track
    11
    Title
    No. 2. Punto de Habanera
    Duration
    01:56
    Composer
    Xavier Montsalvatge
    Performer
    Ana Beard Fernández
    Ensemble
    The Endellion Cellists
    Conductor
    William Vann
  12. 12 No. 3. Chevere 01:56
    Track
    12
    Title
    No. 3. Chevere
    Duration
    01:56
    Composer
    Xavier Montsalvatge
    Performer
    Ana Beard Fernández
    Ensemble
    The Endellion Cellists
    Conductor
    William Vann
  13. 13 No. 4. Cancion de Cuna para Dormir a un Negrito 02:35
    Track
    13
    Title
    No. 4. Cancion de Cuna para Dormir a un Negrito
    Duration
    02:35
    Composer
    Xavier Montsalvatge
    Performer
    Ana Beard Fernández
    Ensemble
    The Endellion Cellists
    Conductor
    William Vann
  14. 14 No. 5. Canto Negro 01:26
    Track
    14
    Title
    No. 5. Canto Negro
    Duration
    01:26
    Composer
    Xavier Montsalvatge
    Performer
    Ana Beard Fernández
    Ensemble
    The Endellion Cellists
    Conductor
    William Vann
  15. 15 Vocalise-étude en forme de habanera (arr. R. Williams for voice) 03:00
    Track
    15
    Title
    Vocalise-étude en forme de habanera (arr. R. Williams for voice)
    Duration
    03:00
    Composer
    Maurice Ravel
    Performer
    Ana Beard Fernández
    Ensemble
    The Endellion Cellists
    Conductor
    William Vann
  16. 16 Yo soy la locura (I am madness) (arr. A.B. Fernández for 2 voices and cello ensemble) 02:36
    Track
    16
    Title
    Yo soy la locura (I am madness) (arr. A.B. Fernández for 2 voices and cello ensemble)
    Duration
    02:36
    Composer
    Henri Le Bailly
    Performer
    Ana Beard Fernández, Roderick Williams
    Ensemble
    The Endellion Cellists
    Conductor
    William Vann
  17. 17 So el encina (arr. A.B. Fernández for 2 voices and cello ensemble) 03:08
    Track
    17
    Title
    So el encina (arr. A.B. Fernández for 2 voices and cello ensemble)
    Duration
    03:08
    Composer
    Anonymous
    Performer
    Ana Beard Fernández, Roderick Williams
    Ensemble
    The Endellion Cellists
    Conductor
    William Vann
  18. 18 Negra Somba (arr. A.B. Fernández for 2 voices and chamber ensemble) 03:37
    Track
    18
    Title
    Negra Somba (arr. A.B. Fernández for 2 voices and chamber ensemble)
    Duration
    03:37
    Composer
    Xoan Montes
    Performer
    Ana Beard Fernández, Roderick Williams, Iain Hall
    Ensemble
    The Endellion Cellists
    Conductor
    William Vann
  19. 19 14 Songs, Op. 34: No. 14. Vocalise in E Minor (arr. R. Williams for voice and cello ensemble) 07:32
    Track
    19
    Title
    14 Songs, Op. 34: No. 14. Vocalise in E Minor (arr. R. Williams for voice and cello ensemble)
    Duration
    07:32
    Composer
    Sergei Rachmaninoff
    Performer
    Ana Beard Fernández
    Ensemble
    The Endellion Cellists
    Conductor
    William Vann
  20. 20 Ispanskiye pesni (Spanish Songs), Op. 100: No. 1. Proschay, Grenada! (Farewell to Granada) (arr. A.B. Fernández for voice and cello ensemble) 02:42
    Track
    20
    Title
    Ispanskiye pesni (Spanish Songs), Op. 100: No. 1. Proschay, Grenada! (Farewell to Granada) (arr. A.B. Fernández for voice and cello ensemble)
    Duration
    02:42
    Composer
    Dmitri Shostakovich
    Performer
    Roderick Williams
    Ensemble
    The Endellion Cellists
    Conductor
    William Vann
  21. 21 Les Indes galantes, Act IV: Forets paisibles (arr. A.B. Fernández for 2 voices and chamber ensemble) 03:17
    Track
    21
    Title
    Les Indes galantes, Act IV: Forets paisibles (arr. A.B. Fernández for 2 voices and chamber ensemble)
    Duration
    03:17
    Composer
    Jean-Philippe Rameau
    Performer
    Ana Beard Fernández, Roderick Williams, Iain Hall
    Ensemble
    The Endellion Cellists
    Conductor
    William Vann