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Passionate Diversions: Celebration of Zwilich / Kalichstein-Laredo-Robinson Trio, Miami Quartet
Azica Records

Passionate Diversions: Celebration of Zwilich / Kalichstein-Laredo-Robinson Trio, Miami Quartet

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Details

Composer
ZWILICH, ELLEN TAAFFE
Artist
Tree, Robinson
Format
CD
Label
Azica Records
Released
Apr 29, 2014
Catalog #
ACD-71292
UPC
787867129227

About

A CD release of three works of chamber music celebrating American composer Ellen Taaffe Zwilich. The Kalichstein-Laredo-Robinson Trio's more than thirty years together began with their debut at President Jimmy Carter's inauguration. They remain one of America's finest, internationally renowned ensembles. A quartet for more than twenty years, the Miami String Quartet's programatic diversity, performance poise and musical clarity have kept them at the forefront of today's quartet ensembles.

REVIEWS:

Realizing that the technical proficiency of double bass players is nowadays considerably enhanced from what it was in Schubert’s time, Zwilich makes use of the player as an equal partner in the proceedings. That fact alone gives the work a sonorous characteristic that exceeds that of not only Schubert’s chamber work, but of other contemporary chamber pieces that lack the double bass. The opening movement is very vigorous and rhythmic, with the instruments given energetic licks that are tossed around among them. The second movement is much more subdued, and has a good bit of a bluesy atmosphere to it. At around the 2:35 mark, the movement momentarily sounds as if it is about to break into a Piazzolla tango of some sort. That feeling persists longer in the energetic third movement, which has tango-like harmonies and gestures throughout a good portion of its duration. These are displayed over a walking line in the pizzicato bass. In short, this quintet is the jazziest work that I can recall hearing from the pen of this composer.

At the antipodes of the chronology of the works on this CD is the 1987 Piano Trio. The vigorous opening of the work sounds very much like the ending of the previous work minus any of the jazz sonorities. Four-note scalar ostinatos are also very prominent in this movement. Some of these are quite dissonant, but Zwilich has always had the gift of making dissonance acceptable to listeners who might otherwise be bothered by it. The second movement opens with a whisper in the violin, playing without vibrato. Soon, the cello joins in for a short duet between the two instruments which is underpinned by repeated and static chords in the piano. The free rhapsodic nature of the movement continues throughout its duration, with many contrasts in mood and register of the instruments employed. The trio ends with a short presto movement that opens with a cascade of notes in the piano, and gives all three of the instruments a good workout, even though the pace of the piece occasionally lets up.

As at the beginning of the trio, the septet almost sounds like a continuation of the previous piece, since it begins with a very similar sonority to that of the ending of the trio. It quickly becomes apparent that this 2008 composition is scored for a larger ensemble, as there are more simultaneous lines and effects going on. The scoring combines the traditional piano trio with the string quartet. The powerful opening movement is very extroverted in its demeanor, quite a contrast to its second movement, “Quasi una Passacaglia,” that opens with a single mysterious line, quite reminiscent of certain passages in Bartók’s Music for Strings, Percussion and Celesta, or his sonata for two pianos and percussion. This is especially true in the way it “fills in” the chromatic notes that span a particular interval in a non-scalar way, one of the trademarks of the Hungarian master’s style. Pizzicato strings both close the second movement and open the third movement, “Games.” The latter is a spiky exercise, full of good humor, and jazz sonorities and syncopations. The work (and CD) concludes with “Au revoir,” a movement that is by turns nostalgic and full of energy, but the former mood being the prevailing one. The key of A Minor is prominent throughout, and the piece ends with a pianissimo sustained unison on that note.

All three of these works are presented in splendid fashion by the combined forces of the Kalichstein-Laredo-Robinson Trio and the Miami Quartet, with violist Michael Tree and bassist Harold Robinson assisting in the quintet...[the performers] capture every mood and nuance in these masterful works by one of America’s leading compositional lights. Recommended, then, on every level as an essential acquisition for your collection of contemporary chamber music.

-- FANFARE (David DeBoor Canfield)

Tracklist 10 tracks

  1. 1 I. Quarter note = 60 06:46
    Track
    1
    Title
    I. Quarter note = 60
    Duration
    06:46
    Composer
    Ellen Taaffe Zwilich
    Performer
    Michael Tree, Harold Robinson
    Ensemble
    The Kalichstein-Laredo-Robinson Trio
  2. 2 II. Fantasy 07:30
    Track
    2
    Title
    II. Fantasy
    Duration
    07:30
    Composer
    Ellen Taaffe Zwilich
    Performer
    Michael Tree, Harold Robinson
    Ensemble
    The Kalichstein-Laredo-Robinson Trio
  3. 3 III. Quarter note = 120 06:19
    Track
    3
    Title
    III. Quarter note = 120
    Duration
    06:19
    Composer
    Ellen Taaffe Zwilich
    Performer
    Michael Tree, Harold Robinson
    Ensemble
    The Kalichstein-Laredo-Robinson Trio
  4. 4 I. Allegro con brio 05:54
    Track
    4
    Title
    I. Allegro con brio
    Duration
    05:54
    Composer
    Ellen Taaffe Zwilich
    Ensemble
    The Kalichstein-Laredo-Robinson Trio
  5. 5 II. Lento, freely 06:09
    Track
    5
    Title
    II. Lento, freely
    Duration
    06:09
    Composer
    Ellen Taaffe Zwilich
    Ensemble
    The Kalichstein-Laredo-Robinson Trio
  6. 6 III. Presto 03:39
    Track
    6
    Title
    III. Presto
    Duration
    03:39
    Composer
    Ellen Taaffe Zwilich
    Ensemble
    The Kalichstein-Laredo-Robinson Trio
  7. 7 I. Introductions 03:32
    Track
    7
    Title
    I. Introductions
    Duration
    03:32
    Composer
    Ellen Taaffe Zwilich
    Ensemble
    The Kalichstein-Laredo-Robinson Trio, Miami String Quartet
  8. 8 II. Quasi una passacaglia 07:47
    Track
    8
    Title
    II. Quasi una passacaglia
    Duration
    07:47
    Composer
    Ellen Taaffe Zwilich
    Ensemble
    The Kalichstein-Laredo-Robinson Trio, Miami String Quartet
  9. 9 III. Games 04:23
    Track
    9
    Title
    III. Games
    Duration
    04:23
    Composer
    Ellen Taaffe Zwilich
    Ensemble
    The Kalichstein-Laredo-Robinson Trio, Miami String Quartet
  10. 10 IV. Au revoir 06:56
    Track
    10
    Title
    IV. Au revoir
    Duration
    06:56
    Composer
    Ellen Taaffe Zwilich
    Ensemble
    The Kalichstein-Laredo-Robinson Trio, Miami String Quartet