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Matej Meštrovic: 3 Rhapsodies for Piano & Orchestra
Navona

Matej Meštrovic: 3 Rhapsodies for Piano & Orchestra

$16.99

Details

Composer
MESTROVIC, MATEJ
Artist
Vaupotic, Mestrovic
Format
CD
Label
Navona
Released
Mar 22, 2019
Catalog #
NV6219
UPC
896931005197

About

It is tempting to compare Matej Meštrovic's compositional style to his great predecessors in the late-Romantic tradition. After all, much of the Croatian composer's style and techniques would be right at home in Rachmaninoff's concertos, Tchaikovsky's works, or Prokofiev's neoclassicism; and the name of the album's first work, Danube Rhapsody, naturally evokes associations with Smetana's similarly river-themed Vltava. Add to all of this that Meštrovic, like most of his great musical ancestors, is a talented virtuoso pianist, and it's easy to see why 3 Rhapsodies is bound to meet with enthusiasm. Of course, a skillful composer like Meštrovic doesn't confine himself to mere epigonism. And indeed, there is an original voice which constantly rises out from tradition. This is partially achieved through Meštrovic's clever instrumentation: the Danube Rhapsody's scoring includes, among others, a cimbalom and a tamburitza (the Croatian long-necked lute), which immediately tells the listener that he or she is hearing the Balkans, not Russia or Czechia. Similarly, the Chinese Rhapsody employs traditional Chinese instruments such as the pipa, erhu, and zheng, gorgeously contrasting them against the tremolo strings of the Zagreb Philharmonic Orchestra. American East Coast natives will find themselves swept back home in Meštrovic's New England Rhapsody, a composition initially as comforting and sentimentally heart-warming as the Transatlantic accent in a 1940's film. It's a deceptive respite, however: the final movement, interspersed with jazzy rhythmic elements and Meštrovic's resurfacing Croatian voice, takes the listener right back to the exalting ardor of the album's beginning. Instead of fizzling out like lesser compositions might, it finishes with a bang. There is no way around it: 3 Rhapsodies is a triumph. It is not at all unlikely that future generations, when asked to name the first famous Croatian composer that comes to mind, will exclaim with conviction: "Meštrovic, of course!"

Tracklist 8 tracks

  1. 1 I. Birth of a River 07:54
    Track
    1
    Title
    I. Birth of a River
    Duration
    07:54
    Composer
    Matej Meštrović
    Performer
    Matej Meštrović, Marjan Krajna, Svetlana Krajna, Alan Kanski, Dani Bošnjak
    Ensemble
    Zagreb Philharmonic Orchestra
    Conductor
    Miran Vaupotić
  2. 2 II. Danube Dance 06:47
    Track
    2
    Title
    II. Danube Dance
    Duration
    06:47
    Composer
    Matej Meštrović
    Performer
    Matej Meštrović, Marjan Krajna, Svetlana Krajna, Alan Kanski, Dani Bošnjak
    Ensemble
    Zagreb Philharmonic Orchestra
    Conductor
    Miran Vaupotić
  3. 3 III. Water Reflections 04:27
    Track
    3
    Title
    III. Water Reflections
    Duration
    04:27
    Composer
    Matej Meštrović
    Performer
    Matej Meštrović, Marjan Krajna, Svetlana Krajna, Alan Kanski, Dani Bošnjak
    Ensemble
    Zagreb Philharmonic Orchestra
    Conductor
    Miran Vaupotić
  4. 4 IV. Danubius 09:43
    Track
    4
    Title
    IV. Danubius
    Duration
    09:43
    Composer
    Matej Meštrović
    Performer
    Matej Meštrović, Marjan Krajna, Svetlana Krajna, Alan Kanski, Dani Bošnjak
    Ensemble
    Zagreb Philharmonic Orchestra
    Conductor
    Miran Vaupotić
  5. 5 Chinese Rhapsody 12:00
    Track
    5
    Title
    Chinese Rhapsody
    Duration
    12:00
    Composer
    Matej Meštrović
    Performer
    Tu Shan Xiang, Zhang Pei, Bai Yu, Li Xinxing
  6. 6 I. New England Vibe 05:45
    Track
    6
    Title
    I. New England Vibe
    Duration
    05:45
    Composer
    Matej Meštrović
    Performer
    Matej Meštrović
    Ensemble
    Zagreb Philharmonic Orchestra
    Conductor
    Miran Vaupotić
  7. 7 II. Poco a Poco 05:30
    Track
    7
    Title
    II. Poco a Poco
    Duration
    05:30
    Composer
    Matej Meštrović
    Performer
    Matej Meštrović
    Ensemble
    Zagreb Philharmonic Orchestra
    Conductor
    Miran Vaupotić
  8. 8 III. Fly Over North Hampton 06:02
    Track
    8
    Title
    III. Fly Over North Hampton
    Duration
    06:02
    Composer
    Matej Meštrović
    Performer
    Matej Meštrović
    Ensemble
    Zagreb Philharmonic Orchestra
    Conductor
    Miran Vaupotić