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20th Century Harpsichord Concertos / Vinikour, Speck, Chicago Philharmonic
Cedille

20th Century Harpsichord Concertos / Vinikour, Speck, Chicago Philharmonic

$19.99

Details

Composer
KALABIS LEIGH NYMAN ROREM
Artist
Vinikour, Chicago Philharmoic, Speck
Format
CD
Label
Cedille
Released
Jun 14, 2019
Catalog #
CDR 188
UPC
735131918824

About

Acclaimed, multiple Grammy-nominated harpsichordist Jory Vinikour partners with renowned conductor Scott Speck and the award-winning Chicago Philharmonic for an exciting program of modern harpsichord concertos. Featuring the premiere recording of American composer Ned Rorem’s neoclassical 1946 Concertino da Camera, the album also includes English composer Walter Leigh’s charming, brief Concertino for Harpsichord and Strings, Czech composer Viktor Kalabis’s substantial, tour de force Harpsichord Concerto, and contemporary composer Michael Nyman’s wild Concerto for Amplified Harpsichord and Strings — a real sonic blockbuster. Recognized as one of the outstanding harpsichordists of his generation, Jory Vinikour has cultivated a highly-diversified career that takes him to the world’s most important festivals, concert halls, and opera houses as recitalist and concerto soloist, partner to many of today’s finest instrumental and vocal artists, coach, and conductor.

REVIEW:

For imaginative choice of repertoire married to sterling performances, this has got to be one of the outstanding discs of 2019. Yes, there are great 20th-century harpsichord concertos besides those of Poulenc, Martin, Falla, and Martinu. Jory Vinikour has chosen four. Let’s get right to the music, which spans a 60+ year period, from the Walter Leigh Concertino of 1934 to Michael Nyman’s virtuosic Concerto for Amplified Harpsichord and Strings of 1995. The Leigh is charming, busy, neoclassically English, and nine minutes of pure joy. Nyman’s concerto is considerably more substantial and full of surprises. The various sections play continuously, organized around a central tango followed by a thrilling cadenza for the soloist that Vinikour plays marvelously.

In between these two works, we have the world-premiere recording of Ned Rorem’s early Concertino da Camera for harpsichord and seven instruments, already recognizably his own voice in its French elegance and distinctively beautiful harmonies. The most substantial and serious work, however, is Viktor Kalabis’ Concerto Op. 42. Written for his wife, the legendary Czech harpsichordist Zuzana R?ži?ková, the piece is a deeply intimate, often troubled work that haunts the memory. The harmonic palette is acerbic but always expressive, and the writing for strings in combination with the solo keyboard is just exquisite–perfectly judged and finding an amazing range of color despite the limited forces employed. Again, Vinikour plays with great sensitivity and feeling, especially in the central Andante.

The accompaniments provided by the Chicago Philharmonic under Scott Speck are ideally calibrated, while the engineering balances the harpsichord(s) perfectly against the larger ensembles. Vinikour also deserves a shout-out for selecting instruments that invariably suit the music, and sound attractive in their own right. You can play the entire 75-minute disc without ever tiring of the solo timbres. As I already said, this is surely one of the discs of the year.

– ClassicsToday.com (David Hurwitz)

Tracklist 15 tracks

  1. 1 I. Allegro 03:28
    Track
    1
    Title
    I. Allegro
    Duration
    03:28
    Composer
    Walter Leigh
    Performer
    Jory Vinikour
    Ensemble
    Chicago Philharmonic
    Conductor
    Scott Speck
  2. 2 II. Andante 03:25
    Track
    2
    Title
    II. Andante
    Duration
    03:25
    Composer
    Walter Leigh
    Performer
    Jory Vinikour
    Ensemble
    Chicago Philharmonic
    Conductor
    Scott Speck
  3. 3 III. Allegro vivace 01:58
    Track
    3
    Title
    III. Allegro vivace
    Duration
    01:58
    Composer
    Walter Leigh
    Performer
    Jory Vinikour
    Ensemble
    Chicago Philharmonic
    Conductor
    Scott Speck
  4. 4 I. Allegro non troppo 06:57
    Track
    4
    Title
    I. Allegro non troppo
    Duration
    06:57
    Composer
    Ned Rorem
    Performer
    Jory Vinikour
    Ensemble
    Chicago Philharmonic
    Conductor
    Scott Speck
  5. 5 II. Molto moderato 05:32
    Track
    5
    Title
    II. Molto moderato
    Duration
    05:32
    Composer
    Ned Rorem
    Performer
    Jory Vinikour
    Ensemble
    Chicago Philharmonic
    Conductor
    Scott Speck
  6. 6 III. Presto 04:39
    Track
    6
    Title
    III. Presto
    Duration
    04:39
    Composer
    Ned Rorem
    Performer
    Jory Vinikour
    Ensemble
    Chicago Philharmonic
    Conductor
    Scott Speck
  7. 7 I. Allegro leggiero 08:38
    Track
    7
    Title
    I. Allegro leggiero
    Duration
    08:38
    Composer
    Viktor Kalabis
    Performer
    Jory Vinikour
    Ensemble
    Chicago Philharmonic
    Conductor
    Scott Speck
  8. 8 II. Andante 08:23
    Track
    8
    Title
    II. Andante
    Duration
    08:23
    Composer
    Viktor Kalabis
    Performer
    Jory Vinikour
    Ensemble
    Chicago Philharmonic
    Conductor
    Scott Speck
  9. 9 III. Allegro vivo 11:00
    Track
    9
    Title
    III. Allegro vivo
    Duration
    11:00
    Composer
    Viktor Kalabis
    Performer
    Jory Vinikour
    Ensemble
    Chicago Philharmonic
    Conductor
    Scott Speck
  10. 10 I. quarter note = 120-144 04:15
    Track
    10
    Title
    I. quarter note = 120-144
    Duration
    04:15
    Composer
    Michael Nyman
    Performer
    Jory Vinikour
    Ensemble
    Chicago Philharmonic
    Conductor
    Scott Speck
  11. 11 II. più mosso 02:43
    Track
    11
    Title
    II. più mosso
    Duration
    02:43
    Composer
    Michael Nyman
    Performer
    Jory Vinikour
    Ensemble
    Chicago Philharmonic
    Conductor
    Scott Speck
  12. 12 III. meno mosso 04:44
    Track
    12
    Title
    III. meno mosso
    Duration
    04:44
    Composer
    Michael Nyman
    Performer
    Jory Vinikour
    Ensemble
    Chicago Philharmonic
    Conductor
    Scott Speck
  13. 13 IV. quarter note = 100 03:24
    Track
    13
    Title
    IV. quarter note = 100
    Duration
    03:24
    Composer
    Michael Nyman
    Performer
    Jory Vinikour
    Ensemble
    Chicago Philharmonic
    Conductor
    Scott Speck
  14. 14 V. Cadenza 03:03
    Track
    14
    Title
    V. Cadenza
    Duration
    03:03
    Composer
    Michael Nyman
    Performer
    Jory Vinikour
    Ensemble
    Chicago Philharmonic
    Conductor
    Scott Speck
  15. 15 VI. (post cadenza) 02:50
    Track
    15
    Title
    VI. (post cadenza)
    Duration
    02:50
    Composer
    Michael Nyman
    Performer
    Jory Vinikour
    Ensemble
    Chicago Philharmonic
    Conductor
    Scott Speck