Interchanging Idioms

Eric Whitacre's Water Night out April 3 on Decca

2012-03-09T10:22:00.002-07:00

Eric Whitacre Singers, London Symphony Orchestra, Hila Plitmann & Julian Lloyd Webber join Whitacre on the Composer/Conductor’s Second Decca Album
Water Night follows the Grammy-Winning, Chart-Topping Light & Gold
Virtual Choir 3 to be Unveiled Monday, April 2 at 6:30pm at Lincoln Centers’s David Rubenstein Atrium

On April 3rd, Decca will release Eric Whitacre’s Water Night, the composer and conductor’s second album on the label. With no fewer than seven world premiere recordings, Water Night features the Eric Whitacre Singers, the London Symphony Orchestra, soprano Hila Plitmann and cellist Julian Lloyd Webber.

The pieces on Water Night include well-known Whitacre works alongside brand new orchestral and choral repertoire, with different influences and styles. The title track, “Water Night," is one of Eric Whitacre’s most performed works, heard on this album performed by the strings of the London Symphony Orchestra. The Eric Whitacre Singers radiate in performances of “Alleluia” and “Oculi Omnium," two brand new compositions, as well as on “Her Sacred Spirit Soars." Bits of minimalism come through on “Equus," a piece performed by the full forces of the London Symphony Orchestra. “The River Cam” is a pastoral piece reflecting the influences of Elgar and Vaughan Williams. It was written at the invitation of cellist Julian Lloyd Webber on the celebration of his 60th birthday. The song “Sleep My Child” is a choral arrangement of a piece from Whitacre’s award-winning musical stage work “Paradise Lost."

The classic American children's book Goodnight Moon receives its first ever musical setting on Water Night. “I must have read Goodnight Moon to my son a thousand times,” says Whitacre. “I began hearing little musical fragments as I read, and over time, those fragments began to blossom into a simple, sweet lullaby.” Whitacre contacted the publisher to gain the rights to set the words to music. “To my surprise and delight, they agreed – the first time they had allowed Goodnight Moon to be used in such a way.” The lovely song is scored for harp, orchestra and soprano, here sung by Hila Plitmann.

Bravo! Vail Valley Music Festival Names James W. Palermo as Next Executive Director as of September 1, 2012

2012-03-09T10:20:00.002-07:00

Argie Tang, chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Bravo! Vail Valley Music Festival, announced today that James W. Palermo has been appointed as the next executive director of the Vail Music Festival. He succeeds John Giovando, who has held the Festival’s chief executive post since its inception in 1987.

James Palermo assumes the position of executive director designate of the Vail Music Festival and will work closely with Giovando in a transitional period through the Festival’s 25th anniversary season this summer in Vail. Palermo begins his tenure as executive director on September 1, 2012.

“I thank the search committee and the board of trustees for the opportunity to serve the Vail Music Festival as executive director,” said Palermo. “I look forward to building on the vision and achievements of John Giovando, artistic director Anne-Marie McDermott, and the board, and to move the Festival to the next phase in its service to the community. I have worked my entire career in classical music and have a deep love for the art form. It has been a passion of mine since a very young age.”

“Jim is an excellent fit for the Festival and the Vail community,” said Tang. “We are confident that artistic director Anne-Marie McDermott and Jim together will continue to raise the level of excellence the Festival has already established.”

Palermo continued, “This is truly a great Festival and its evolution under the artistic leadership of Anne-Marie McDermott is visionary. In my nearly 25-year arts management career, I consider this the ultimate opportunity. The Festival has three world-class resident orchestras, fantastic chamber music, Vail’s intrinsic beauty, and great potential for increased participation. Anne-Marie and I have had in-depth conversations about the future and I am eager to collaborate closely with her, others in the organization, and the community.”

McDermott commented, “I want to commend the board and the search committee for their wisdom and insight throughout this search. Finding a worthy successor to John Giovando after 25 years was no easy matter. I am thrilled at the appointment of Jim Palermo as the next executive director for the Vail Music Festival. His tremendous enthusiasm, passion, and commitment, in combination with his extensive experience in both the festival and orchestral worlds, will be great assets to the Festival and to the community. It is such an honor and privilege for me to be serving as the artistic director of this unique organization and I greatly look forward to collaborating with Jim on shaping its future.”

James W. Palermo was appointed to the position of president and CEO of the Colorado Symphony Association in 2009. During his tenure he posted the largest increases in subscription, single ticket, and contributed revenues in the organization’s history. Prior to the Colorado Symphony appointment, Palermo spent 14 years leading the Grant Park Music Festival in Chicago, Illinois. As the chief executive, Palermo had a key role in the development of the Jay Pritzker Pavilion in Millennium Park, the festival’s permanent home since 2004. He formed the Grant Park Orchestral Association, a not-for-profit organization to support the festival’s activities, and assembled the Association’s first board of directors. He developed partnerships with arts and cultural organizations throughout the city and secured sponsorships from leading foundations and corporations. Since Grant Park concerts are free to the public, Palermo developed a membership program to generate significant earned revenue in support of festival activities. He currently resides in Denver and will move to Vail, Colorado, in September.

Colorado Symphony Announces 2012/13 Season

2012-03-09T10:09:00.000-07:00

A Grand Masterworks Series with Classical Stars, One-Night-Only Special with Lang Lang, a full slate of Traditional Pops concerts, and more

The Colorado Symphony today unveiled their 2012/13 season featuring a full nine months of traditional pops, Inside the Score series, family and holiday concerts as well as 16 weeks of Masterworks programs. The season kicks off on September 28 with pianist André Watts in a performance of Brahms Piano Concerto No. 2, which he performed in the Colorado Symphony’s inaugural season in 1990.

“The support that the Symphony has received in recent months from the public has been overwhelming. Because of this, our steadfast commitment to remain the region’s only full-time professional orchestra has provided new opportunities to restructure the orchestra’s performance schedule to better serve and attract an even greater number of concertgoers. Our programming schedule will enable us to participate in a broad new array of projects and activities, including more recordings, chamber ensemble performances and new school and community outreach programs. We are looking forward to expanding our presence across the entire state,” says Colorado Symphony president and CEO, Gene Sobczak.

The 2012/13 Masterworks series presents works across four musical categories: today’s most popular classical stars, master soloists, the renowned Colorado Symphony Chorus, and soloists from the Colorado Symphony. Classical music greats like Pinchas Zukerman, Nadja Salerno-Sonnenberg and a special one-night-only appearance by Lang Lang will join the orchestra at Boettcher Concert Hall. The Traditional Pops Series presents a variety of themes from iconic film music to Broadway to Americana. Preservation Hall Jazz Band, Debbie Reynolds and The U.S. Army Chorus make featured guest appearances. The successful Inside the Score and Family Series bring together music, dance, art and entertainment designed to please every discerning taste and all ages. The popular holiday concert series includes standards such as Colorado Christmas, Messiah by Candlelight, Too Hot to Handel and A Night in Vienna on New Year’s Eve.

The Symphony’s CSO 3.0 programming, as outlined in their business plan, will take the orchestra to new and additional venues throughout the state performing chamber music concerts, ensemble performances, new in-school education programs, and community events. These programs and locations will be announced throughout the coming months, along with additional Boettcher Concert Hall programming. The season also welcomes new and unique collaborations with organizations such as the Denver Art Museum, Clyfford Still Museum, the U.S. Army Chorus, and more.

“The success of our contemporary Pops Series over the last few seasons, including sold-out performances with DeVotchKa and Trey Anastasio, has proven the demand for non-traditional collaborations. The 2012/13 season will include other such performances, which we’ll unveil as they are finalized,” stated Vice President of Artistic Administration, Tony Pierce.

"As a musician currently in my fifteenth year with the Colorado Symphony, I feel that this is the most exciting time I have ever experienced. The new season is filled with significant masterworks repertoire that demonstrates the orchestra's excellence. We are committed to our role as a flagship arts institution in our region, and look forward to serving our entire community as performers, educators, and presenters of great music," stated principal horn, Michael Thornton.

"This announcement is an extraordinary marker of how far we've come in the last five months. We now have a union contract which provides the Symphony with an additional 20% of our musicians' time to utilize in fulfilling our vision. We've hired a new and highly regarded CEO, and we've recruited energetic trustees who will bring diverse skills and talents to the organization. We look to the future with heightened enthusiasm and welcome the continued support of our community." said Board Chairs Mary Rossick Kern and Jerome H. Kern.

Minha Deseja - my longing for Flute & Piano

2012-03-06T09:58:00.000-07:00

Minha Deseja (my longing> was originally a guitar and alto flute piece, re-written here for concert flute & piano

Is this a dance? Of course, as love should be a dance. The longing for someone, to be near them and yet balancing the day to day life is a dance we play and not always successfully.

Infused with passionate Latin rhythms, Minha Deseja is a dance for flute and piano. I hope you enjoy it.

Score Flute

TwtrSymphony: A New Concept Orchestra

2012-03-05T22:27:00.000-07:00

Check out TwtrSymphony on Twitter - A new way to look at performing classical music

I love Twitter. I have met some amazing people on Twitter, people who are thinking outside the box and willing to try new things.

On Saturday I posted a piece of music on this blog, New Piano Concerto in search of a Pianist & Orchestra, not because I expected to actually find an orchestra to play it, but because I want to get the word out why kind of music I am capable of writing. It has garnered a fair amount of attention and even some inquiries, which is great.

Some of my friends on Twitter chatting about the article on Saturday night. Eventually the came to the idea "We should just make our own. YouTube has a symphony. Why not Twitter?"

When I woke Sunday morning I found I'd been copied into the conversation with all sorts of ideas as to how it would work. So, I took their suggestions and creating the Twitter profile, TwtrSymphony. After a few tweets to those who'd talked about it before, posting a set of guidelines on my website for people to read (because trying to get all the concepts out in an organized fashion within 140 characters just didn't seem possible) the requests to "join" started flooding in. By the end of the day --less than 12 hours from when I created the profile --we had nearly 100 inquiries and a solid list of musicians interested in participating.

As in all things Twitter, the interest was scattered unevenly through the orchestra. We ended up with a lot of flutes and not so many violas. The next day people started asking their friends to join, spreading the word and the list of interested musicians continues to grow.

We're at the point now I'm needed to create an audition process. I'll post pdf's of the music they are to play and a "click track" with a midi example of the music they are to play with. Each musician will record their part and submit it for review. I'm even thinking I'll post the recordings with numbers so the "judging" can be done blind, no idea who is responsible for what recording.

When we have established some form of skilled level for the various musicians, I'll set about composing music for the ensemble. I'm already thinking about a nice flute choir piece to show off the large number of flutists we have and give me a way to include more people in the project. While I want to continue to push for the highest possible performers in the orchestra, there is also something to be said involving the other musicians on Twitter, getting them excited about TwtrSymphony.

There is still a long way to go! I'm sure there will be snags we run into along the way. I'm sure we're going to need a website at some point, and what happens if the music goes viral in the same way? Do we sell it on iTunes or Amazon? Who knows. I am writing this less than 36 hours from starting the organization. Before Sunday, I was certain it would be another three to four more years before an orchestra was eager to play my music. With Twitter, the distant isn't so far off and the impossible now so very real.

Joshua Trinidad Kick Starting New Recording Venture with New York photographer Chris Buck

2012-03-04T14:13:00.004-07:00

Denver Trumpeter and Composer Joshua Trinidad teamed up with New York photographer Chris Buck in efforts to release what is to be a groundbreaking album early this upcoming summer. Ten photographs captured by Chris Buck have been selected to inspire the music for the CD. Each piece is like a Soundtrack for the image.

“BUCK”, is an album that takes the listener not only on a sonic journey, but is rooted in the beauty and artistry of each photo. Some of the photos for this collaborative project include Chris’s work with Bjork, Robert Kennedy Jr. and many others. For a trumpeter and photographer to work together in creating a project such as this, is beyond unique. Here is the promo video:

Take a moment to visit both my website and Chris Buck's as well.
www.joshuatrinidad.com and www.chrisbuck.com
Here is the kickstarter page: http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/joshuatrinidad/joshua-trinidad-soundtracking-the-photography-of-c?ref=live

Chris Buck (photographer) is a Canadian-born photographer known for his distinctive portrait style. In 1990 he moved from his hometown of Toronto, Ontario to New York City where he quickly established himself as a sought-after editorial and commercial photographer. Since that time, he has built an extensive list of clients that includes Microsoft7, Xerox, Mazda, Moviefone, GQ, Esquire and Guardian Weekend Magazine. In 2007, he was the first recipient of the Arnold Newman Portrait Prize. His photography work includes sessions with individuals ranging from Elliot Smith to Steve Martin. Chris Buck is a photographer that captures moments that truly tell a story and evoke an emotion.

Joshua Trinidad (trumpeter) was born and raised in Colorado, he began playing trumpet over 20 years ago. Joshua has made his musical mark on Denver as one of the most important instrumentalists in the area. Joshua received his formal music education from The University of Colorado, where he studied jazz and classical music. Joshua is recognized for his performances with such artists as Ron Miles, The Mars Volta, Curtis Fuller, Ok Go, Lee Konitz, The New York Voices, Edgar Myer, The Bad Plus, and The Fray.

New Piano Concerto in search of a Pianist & Orchestra

2012-03-03T09:46:00.000-07:00

INTENSE RELATIONSHIPS is the first movement of My Piano Concerto No. 1.

Exploiting the percussive nature of the piano, the various elements within the orchestra explore their relationship with the piano. The music is explosive, passionate, driving, yet also has moments of excitement and reflection.

If there is a dark nature to it, relationships have that same element. Even the most honest relationships carry with them a darker side. It's getting through to the other side that makes them worthwhile, even if the journey is painful.

Score Piano

Pianist Lara Downes Featured on Performance Today - March 2nd

2012-03-02T09:56:00.001-07:00

Critically acclaimed Steinway Concert Artist Lara Downes is redefining the solo recital format with visionary, cutting-edge performances at prestigious concert venues worldwide. Lauded by NPR as "a delightful artist with a unique blend of musicianship and showmanship" and praised by the Washington Post for her stunning performances "rendered with drama and nuance," Lara presents the piano repertoire - from iconic favorites to newly commissioned works - in new ways that bridge musical tastes, genres and audiences.

Today, Friday March 2, Lara will be featured on Performance Today, in a special segment on 13 WAYS of Looking at the Goldberg: Bach Reimagined.

American Public Media's Performance Today is broadcast on 250 public radio stations across the country. To find out where and when the show is broadcast in your area, please check performancetoday.org.

Performance Today is also carried on Sirius XM's Symphony Hall Channel (channel 80), Monday through Friday from 1 pm to 2 pm ET.

The show is available for streaming online for seven days following the broadcast.

Renée Fleming POÈMES out on Decca March 6th

2012-03-01T11:38:00.000-07:00

On March 6, 2012, Decca releases an album of 20th-century French vocal masterpieces sung by the iconic American soprano Renée Fleming. On Poèmes, Fleming’s first solo album of classical repertoire since 2009’s GRAMMY award-winning Verismo, the “consummate musician” (New York Times) performs Ravel’s ravishing 1903 song cycle for soprano and orchestra, Shéhérazade, together with Olivier Messiaen’s collection of love songs to his young wife, Poèmes pour Mi. Fleming is joined in these two works by conductor Alan Gilbert with whom she performed the Messiaen for the New York Philharmonic’s Opening Night in 2009. Gilbert leads the Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France here. Seiji Ozawa and the Orchestre National de France then join Fleming for the dramatic Le Temps l’horloge, composed for her by the doyen of French composers, Henri Dutilleux. Dutilleux’s Deux Sonnets de Jean Cassou, again with Gilbert and the Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France closes the album.

All singing is a kind of storytelling, and Renée Fleming, whose vast repertoire includes many works demonstrating the breadth and richness of the French tradition, is no stranger to the particular skills required of the art. “For the sheer sensual joy of singing, no language gives me more pleasure than French,” she remarks. “Not only am I drawn in by the beauty of the poetry and the evocative texture of the music, but the unaccented and legato fluidity of these phrases places my voice in its optimal resonance.

“My connection to Ravel’s Shéhérazade dates back to my early student days,” Fleming says, “specifically, a live cassette recording of Elly Ameling and the Rochester Philharmonic. This was one of the pieces that inspired me to follow the path towards classical music.” Scheherazade was the teller of the Tales of the Arabian Nights, whose prowess at inventing stories enabled her to survive a Sultan’s cruel decree for 1001 nights. Ravel’s Shéhérazade dates from his early maturity and its lush yet subtle harmony and refined orchestration are typical of the sonic magic he could create. The songs are settings of poetry by Léon Leclère (1874–1966), whose pen name, which combined the hero of one of Wagner’s operas with the villain of another, was Tristan Klingsor.

Cellist Alisa Weilerstein to Perform with New York and Los Angeles Philharmonics in March

2012-03-01T11:30:00.004-07:00

Ms. Weilerstein to perform Barber’s Cello Concerto with the New York Philharmonic & David Zinman in New York City & New Jersey March 8, 9, 10 &13

Ms. Weilerstein to perform Tchaikovsky’s Rococo Variations & Respighi’s Adagio con Variazioni with the Los Angeles Philharmonic & Neeme Järvi, and in recital as part of the inaugural Piatigorsky International Cello Festival March 18

Performance schedule also includes a recital with composer and pianist Lera Auerbach in San Francisco on March 14

Cellist Alisa Weilerstein will perform Samuel Barber’s challenging Cello Concerto in four concerts with the New York Philharmonic and conductor David Zinman in March, including three concerts at Avery Fisher Hall (March 8, 10 & 13) and one at the New Jersey Performing Arts Center (March 9). Later in the month she will take part in the first Piatigorsky International Cello Festival performing Tchaikovsky’s Rococo Variations and Respighi’s Adagio con Variazioni with the Los Angeles Philharmonic and conductor Neeme Järvi on Sunday, March 18. The concerts will be Ms. Weilerstein’s first New York City and Los Angeles concerts since being named a MacArthur Foundation Fellow in September 2011 and precede April appearances in Germany where she will perform and record Elgar’s Cello Concerto with Daniel Barenboim and the Berlin Staatskapelle for Decca Classics.

The New York Philharmonic concerts are part of The Modern Beethoven – A Philharmonic Festival and place the Barber Cello Concerto alongside Beethoven’s Symphonies Nos. 8 and 4. Concert times are: Thursday, March 8 at 7:30 p.m., Saturday, March 10 at 8:00 p.m. and Tuesday, March 13 at 7:30 p.m. at Avery Fisher Hall. Tickets are available from www.nyphil.org, by phone (212) 875-5656 or in person from the Avery Fisher Hall Box Office. The concert at the New Jersey Performing Arts Center is on Friday, March 9 at 8:00 p.m. Tickets are available from www.njpac.org, by phone 1-888-466-5722 or in person from the Box Office at One Center Street , Newark .

On Wednesday, March 7 Ms. Weilerstein will take part in an “Off Stage at the Atrium” event in the David Rubenstein Atrium at the Lincoln Center at 7:00 p.m. Ms. Weilerstein will be joined by her brother, New York Philharmonic assistant conductor Joshua Weilerstein, for a conversation with WQXR’s Jeff Spurgeon. This event is free and will include a short solo performance by Ms. Weilerstein.

Twenty-nine-year-old Ms. Weilerstein said she considers the Barber Cello Concerto to be one of the most important 20th century concertos: “It is very different from his violin concerto. This piece is much rougher and has an almost jazzy rhythm in parts. It is much angrier than his violin concerto, but also has an innocent quality and a mysterious side to it.”

Although a relatively compact piece of three short movements (total duration approx 28 minutes), Ms. Weilerstein said the piece is a virtuosic showpiece and a demanding technical challenge that is not programmed very often. (The concerto was written for Russian-born cellist, Raya Garbousova, who gave the first performance in 1946 with the Boston Symphony Orchestra. Ms. Garbousova was the grandmother of pianist Jonathan Biss.)

Immediately following her New York Philharmonic concerts, Ms. Weilerstein will travel to San Francisco for a recital with pianist and composer Lera Auerbach and soprano Lina Tetrani on Wednesday, March 14 at 8:00 p.m. at the Herbst Theatre. The program features three works by Lera Auerbach: Last Letter for voice, cello and piano, her Sonata for Piano & Cello and 24 Preludes for Piano. Tickets are available from www.sfperformances.org, by phone (415) 392-2545 or in person from the City Box Office, 180 Redwood St., Suite 100 (off Van Ness, north of McAllister).

Ms. Weilerstein will remain on the West Coast to take part in the inaugural Piatigorsky International Cello Festival presented by the University of Southern California Thornton School of Music and the LA Phil in partnership with The Colburn School and the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra ( LACO ). Ms. Weilerstein will perform Tchaikovsky’s Rococo Variations and Respighi’s Adagio con Variazioni with Neeme Järvi and the Los Angeles Philharmonic on Sunday, March 18 at 2:00 p.m. at the Walt Disney Concert Hall. Dvořák’s Carnival Overture and Shostakovich’s Symphony No. 5 are also on the program. That evening at 7:30 p.m. , Ms. Weilerstein will be one of eight cellists to perform in recital at Walt Disney Concert Hall. Ms. Weilerstein will perform Bach’s Air on the G String and Christopher Rouse’s Rapturedux. Tickets for both events are available from www.laphil.org, by phone (323) 850-2000.

In April, Ms. Weilerstein will embark on an exciting new chapter in her career when she begins recording for her debut CD for Decca Classics. Ms. Weilerstein’s first recording will be the Elgar Cello Concerto which she will perform with conductor Daniel Barenboim and the Staatskapelle Berlin on Thursday, April 5 in a performance that is being recorded live. This will be Ms. Weilerstein’s first recording with an orchestra and she says that performing this concerto with Daniel Barenboim and recording it as the first cellist that Decca Classics has signed in over 30 years carries some pressure: “I feel very fortunate that I have had the experience of the concerts in Berlin and Oxford,” she said, referring to her performance with Mr. Barenboim and the Berlin Philharmoniker at its 2010 European Concert held in Jacqueline du Pré’s home town of Oxford that was televised worldwide and released on DVD .

Ms. Weilerstein’s debut recording for Decca Classics will include Elliot Carter’s Cello Concerto to be recorded later this year with Daniel Barenboim and the Staatskapelle Berlin and will be released at the end of 2012.

Ebène Quartet Returns to North America: Nine-City Tour Begins March 2 in San Diego

2012-03-01T11:24:00.000-07:00

“France’s Ebène Quartet has fast become one of the hottest chamber groups in the world, with excellent reason: The youthful group’s warmth, vitality, deep curiosity and musical intelligence has carried it far already.” – NPR Music

The thrilling, young, and award-winning Ebène Quartet – described by the New York Times as “a string quartet that can easily morph into a jazz band” – returns to North America in March for concerts and master classes that will showcase repertoire from two recent releases on Virgin Classics: Dissonances, an all-Mozart album, and Fiction – Live at Folies Bergère, a concert DVD filmed at one of Paris’s most famous music halls. Performances begin in San Diego (March 2), with stops in San Francisco (March 8), New Orleans (March 14), and New York City, where they will make their Carnegie/Zankel Hall debut (March 18). Ebène also furthers its commitment to music education with a series of master classes at the Colburn School in Los Angeles (March 5-7).

Ebène’s fast-growing presence in the U.S. was heightened this fall when NPR named Fiction, the quartet’s 2011 Virgin Classics release, one of their 10 Favorite Classical Albums of 2011 as well as one of their overall 50 Best Albums of the year. Autumn also saw the release of two new recordings from the Paris-based quartet on Virgin Classics, for whom they record exclusively. The first, Dissonances – described by the Los Angeles Times as “exquisite” – takes its name from the strikingly modern harmonies that open the first movement of the C-major “Haydn” quartet (K. 465); the album also features the composer’s K. 421 “Haydn” quartet and the Divertimento (K. 138). The second recording, Fiction – Live at Folies Bergère, is a concert DVD filmed at one of Paris’s most famous music halls and spotlights music the quartet describes as being performed by “the other Ebène”: works by the Beatles (“Come Together”), Wayne Shorter (“Footprints”), and the quartet’s already talked-about spin on “Misirlou,” a tune made famous by its inclusion in the film Pulp Fiction. After an October performance in California, the Los Angeles Times’s Mark Swed raved, “Ebène is a quartet to catch sooner rather than later.” In addition to Mozart’s “Dissonance” Quartet and music from Fiction, Ebène’s March concerts will encompass music by Beethoven, Brahms, Debussy, Mendelssohn, Ravel, Schubert, and Tchaikovsky.

The Ebène Quartet rose to international prominence when their debut recording for Virgin Classics, featuring quartets by Debussy, Ravel, and Fauré, won Gramophone’s coveted Recording of the Year (2009). Since then, the young quartet has gone on to further acclaim, not only for its extraordinary interpretation of classical repertoire but also for its genre-bending forays into jazz and popular music.

The Colorado Symphony Names Erna Butler Recipient of the 2012 Margaret Phipps Award

2012-03-01T11:16:00.003-07:00

Award to be received posthumously by family at Symphony Ball 2012

The Colorado Symphony has announced that the 2012 Margaret Phipps Award will be given to Erna Butler posthumously at the Symphony Ball 2012 held on April 28. This prestigious award goes to an individual or institution in recognition of longstanding philanthropic support of The Colorado Symphony.

“The Board of Trustees is honored to recognize the long-time generosity and support of Erna Butler to The Colorado Symphony. Her philanthropic spirit and enthusiasm provided inspiration to everyone she touched at every level of the organization. Erna was at the forefront of those providing financial and volunteer support crucial to the health of the symphony,” says Colorado Symphony board co-chair, Jerome H. Kern.

The Colorado Symphony established the award in 1993 to honor the philanthropic contributions and the memory of Margaret Rodgers Phipps. A Denver native, Mrs. Phipps was celebrated throughout Colorado for her remarkable devotion to the arts community. She served two terms as president of the Denver Symphony Association, and was a passionate advocate of music and the arts, distinguishing herself as a renowned and generous philanthropist.

Some of the past recipients of the Margaret Phipps Award include E. Atwill Gilman, The Denver Debutante Ball, Bill and Carol Gossard, Katie Stapleton, Robert and Judi Newman, The Boettcher Foundation, Marin Alsop, Cy and Lyndia Harvey and Mayor Wellington E. Webb and First Lady Wilma J. Webb.

The ball benefits the Colorado Symphony’s community engagement, education and outreach programs. Symphony Ball 2012, sponsored by Arrow Electronics and CBS4, will be held on Saturday, April 28 beginning at 6:00 p.m. at the Sheraton Denver Downtown Hotel. It is chaired by Colorado Symphony Association trustee and CBS4 general manager, Walt DeHaven, and his wife and president of Aiello Public Relations & Marketing, Wendy Aiello. Ed Greene, CBS4 weather and news anchor, will be the evening’s emcee. The Colorado Symphony will be the featured performer.

Whim's Sickle Waltz - a macabre orchestral dance

2012-02-29T18:41:00.000-07:00

I've decided to start posting some of my musical scores up here on the blog. For those that think I'm giving away the farm, posting costs me nothing and I doubt anyone is going to try and perform these works as they'd have to create their own parts. AND, if someone sees something they like and what's to talk to me about getting parts, I'm ahead of the game.

Whim’s Sickle Waltz is a delightful, if slightly macabre, romp through the world of someone who really loves his job –the grim reaper. The main theme is a waltz, but each episode takes it somewhere new and slightly off rhythm, as if death has a set rhythm to it.

Yet, even with the slight off nature of the music, there is a beauty. Does Whim find love in his dark waltz of death? Or is it just glimpses of beauty along his journey. Regardless of what he finds, there is always a return to the main theme and his waltzing through life (or death as the case may be).

I'd love to have a artist create some images to go along with the music, or perhaps create an animation to the music. Unfortunately, that is not my talent. So, here's the music with a score to follow along. IF, you belong to an orchestra and would like to perform this piece... find me on Twitter - ChipMichael.

Yuja Wang's Fantasia out on Deutsche Grammophon April 10th

2012-02-29T07:00:00.000-07:00

Grammy-nominated pianist’s fourth album for DG full of musical miniatures that are short, sweet and huge on impact

On April 10th, Deutsche Grammophon releases pianist Yuja Wang’s fourth album, a release featuring small, solo works and encores. Fantasia follows her Grammy-nominated Rachmaninov album with Claudio Abbado and the Mahler Chamber Orchestra. The album is a stunning variety of works by Scriabin, Schubert/Liszt, Debussy, Ravel, Albéniz, Saint-Saëns/Horowitz, Strauss/Cziffra, Dukas/Staub/Wang, Prokofiev, Scarlatti, Rachmaninov, Chopin and Art Tatum.

After the heavier Transformation album (with works by Stravinsky, Scarlatti, Brahms and Ravel) and acclaimed Rachmaninov recordings, Yuja and Deutsche Grammophon agreed on this program of miniatures, a project of a radically different nature. “I love all the pieces here,” Yuja explains. “With these miniatures, I hope I can capture a mood or a scent – a hint of atmosphere. That’s all you can do with small pieces, create a vignette of a memory, or a hope. It’s like a haiku…People assume that an encore is something showy, but, for me, it’s a little moment of tenderness from the heart.”

Yuja Wang has performed the repertoire on this album on stages around the world, but her current concert season sees her taking to the stage with larger concerto performances. This April, Yuja will appear with the New York Philharmonic performing Prokofiev and will make her debut with the Atlanta Symphony with Rachmaninov's Concerto No. 3. In June, she appears with the San Francisco Symphony, again presenting Rachmaninov.

Pacific Symphony Welcomes Argentina's World-Renowned Concert Organist, Hector Olivera, to Showcase the William J. Gillespie Concert Organ

2012-02-28T18:11:00.002-07:00

Power, passion and melodious music fill the concert hall when dynamic virtuoso Hector Olivera performs the final organ recital of Pacific Symphony’s 2011-12 “Pedals and Pipes” series showcasing the majestic 4,322-piped William J. Gillespie Concert Organ. The Times Reporter describes an evening with Olivera as: “An event, a happening, a joyful celebration of the sheer power and pressure that a true virtuoso like Hector Olivera can unleash in a concert hall.” Born in Buenos Aires, Olivera began playing the pipe organ at age 3, and at age 5 played for the legendary Eva Perón. Since attending The Juilliard School of Music, his passionate and personal interpretations of both classical and popular music have earned him standing ovations around the world. Taking full advantage of the organ’s versatility, Olivera performs works by Bach, Clarke/Purcell, Franck, Liszt, a little improvisation and more for a one-night-only concert, Sunday, March 11, at 7 p.m. in the Renée and Henry Segerstrom Concert Hall. Tickets are $15-59; for more information or to purchase tickets, call (714) 755-5799 or visit www.PacificSymphony.org.

“Olivera swept the audience with absolute Olympic virtuosity, and that still doesn’t say it… Hector Olivera is in a class by himself,” wrote the Atlanta Journal Constitution after a solo performance he gave in celebration of the 1996 Atlanta Olympic Games.

“Here is a man with phenomenal technique and musicianship who moves from one genre to another with ease… He continues to grow, evolve, and entertain; he envisions himself as a total orchestra.”—The American Organist.

To begin the recital, Olivera unleashes the lush composition and dramatic intensity of Meyerbeer’s Coronation March from “The Prophet,” a moment of high
operatic spectacle. Then, the mood shifts to the poetic and gentle interlacing of melodies by Bach in his Choral Prelude from Cantata, BWV 147, “Jesu, Joy of Man’s Desiring,” originally written for four-part chorus and small instrumental ensemble. The joyous and festive celebration of Clarke/Purcell’s Trumpet Tune, Air and Voluntary in D precedes Franck’s Prelude, Fugue and Variation, and French prodigy Daquin’s Noël No. 8 delights in its Galant style. Finishing up the first half is Bach’s Prelude and Fugue in E-flat major, BWV 552, called “one of the most noble and eloquent utterances among [Bach’s] many organ compositions,” by music historian Michael Jameson.

After intermission, Liszt takes Bach’s name and turns it into a Fantasy and Fugue, and Bossi’s version of the familiar hymn Ave Maria comes alive through the organ’s many voices. Olivera concludes the concert by improvising on a submitted theme.

One of today’s most sought-after concert organists, Olivera has performed at Carnegie Hall in New York, Royal Albert Hall in London, Cathedral of Notre Dame in Paris, Walt Disney Concert Hall, and around the world in Australia, Germany, Holland, Italy, Japan, Belgium and more. A child prodigy, he entered the Buenos Aires Conservatory at age 6 and at age 12 was the youngest student to attend the University of Buenos Aires. In 2000, he performed a solo memorial concert in New York City’s St. Paul the Apostle as a tribute to his hero and role model, organist Virgil Fox and a subsequent memorial concert at Grace Cathedral in San Francisco in 2004.

The co-star of the evening is the 30-ton, four-stories tall, $3.1 million William J. Gillespie Concert Organ built from steel, tin, oak, poplar, maple, lead and carbon fiber. The organ premiered at the first concert of Pacific Symphony’s 2008-09 season, after three years and 42,000 hours of direct labor by a team at organ builder, C.B. Fisk. This concert is generously sponsored by Valerie and Barry Hon.

This Week's Top Ticket in Denver: Mariachi Cobre

2012-02-28T17:03:00.002-07:00

Celebrate Cinco de Mayo this year in classical fashion with the Colorado Symphony & Mariachi Cobre!

The dashing 12-piece Mariachi band is Walt Disney World’s great export, sporting three guitarists, two trumpet players and seven violinists who combine to deliver the warm, rich rhythms of Mexican folkloric music that will sweep your entire family into a spirit of celebration. Originally formed in 1971, they’ve shared the stage with such luminaries as Linda Ronstadt, Julio Iglesias and Carlos Santana. Tickets start at $19!

The Knights A SECOND OF SILENCE - out TODAY

2012-02-28T13:58:00.003-07:00

New Album dedicated to Schubert and Minimalism, featuring two Schubert symphonies paired with music by Erik Satie, Morton Feldman and Philip Glass to be released as an iTunes Exclusive on February 28, 2012, with SACD/CD Hybrid to Follow on April 3, 2012

"Talent For Punctuating Classics With Surprises...this ensemble has a formula, it is based on balancing new and unusual works with the most basic canonic classics." The New York Times

“Few ensembles are as adept at mixing old music with new as this dynamic young Brooklyn orchestra.”
New Yorker

This spring, celebrated ensemble The Knights under the direction of Eric Jacobsen present “A Second of Silence,” a new album juxtaposing the works of Schubert with examples of minimalism from Satie, Feldman and Glass. The album will be released as an iTunes digital exclusive on February 28, 2012, with a wide release to all retailers on April 3, 2012. This release marks the ensemble’s second appearance on the Ancalagon label. Their first, a release of Mozart concerti with Lara and Scott St. John, won the 2011 Juno Award for Best Classical Album (Soloist with Large Ensemble).

In April, The Knights will embark on their first American tour. This eight-concert event will feature Copland's Appalachian Spring together with music of Ives, Dvorak, Golijov and Gaby Frank. The appearances take the ensemble to Troy, NY; Akron, OH; Granville, OH; Sewanee, TN; Columbus, GA; Athens, GA; Amherst, MA; and Rockville Centre, NY

Pianists Inna Faliks, Tanya Gabrielian, and Emma Tahmiziàn Celebrate rare and magnificent piano music of Franz Liszt

2012-02-28T13:52:00.003-07:00

Celebrating Franz Liszt: Solo and Seldom Heard Four Hand Music will take place on Wednesday, February 29, 2012 at 7:30 PM at Yamaha Piano Salon, 689 Fifth Avenue, 3rd Floor, in New York City. This concert, featuring pianists Inna Faliks, Tanya Gabrielian, and Emma Tahmiziàn, is co-hosted by Pro Musicis and Yamaha Artist Services and will include Liszt’s Transcendental Etudes, transcriptions of symphonic poems, and the Dante Sonata. Tickets are $25 at the door for the concert and a post show reception. Reservations can be made by contacting Pro Musicis at 212-787-0993 or yasi@yamaha.com. This concert will be webcast live at www.yamaha.com.

Called “adventurous” and “passionate” by The New Yorker and “poetic” by Time Out New York, Ukrainian-born pianist, Inna Faliks (www.innafaliks.com), has established herself as one of the most committed, exciting and poetic artists of her generation. “Sound of Verse,” her MSR Classics release of Boris Pasternak, Rachmaninoff and Ravel, garnered rave reviews. Winner of the 2005 Pro Musicis International Award, Ms. Faliks is also a Yamaha artist.

Hailed by the London Times as “a pianist of powerful physical and imaginative muscle,” Tanya Gabrielian combines emotional vulnerability with thoughtful artistry, captivating audiences with her gripping performances. Winner of the 2008 Pro Musicis International Award, Ms. Gabrielian was awarded the 2011 McGraw-Hill Robert Sherman Award for Music Education and Community Outreach. www.tanyagabrielian.com

Iestyn Davies Debuts at Lyric Feb 29; Sings Solo in Three Chicago Venues in March

2012-02-28T13:51:00.002-07:00

“A winning actor ... a beautiful musician”- Classical Review

On the heels of his critically acclaimed debuts last fall at the Met (in Rodelinda) and at Carnegie Hall, British countertenor Iestyn Davies – named 2010’s Royal Philharmonic Young Artist of the Year – makes his Lyric Opera debut in Chicago on February 29 in a new production of Handel’s Rinaldo. The Baroque master’s depiction of the First Crusade will be conducted by Harry Bicket and directed by Francisco Negrin. Davies, a rising star on the international music scene, and “One of the most glorious countertenor voices in the world today” (Independent, UK), sings the role of Eustazio.

While in Chicago, Davies headlines three concerts, singing Handel with the Baroque Band under the direction of Harry Bicket. The concerts, on March 9, 10, and 14, are each at different venues. The Handel arias include “O Lord Whose Mercies,” “Their Land Brought Forth Frogs,” “Up the Dreadful Steep Ascending,” and “Sento amor” from Partenope.

Davies’ resplendent fall 2011 season saw the release of his most recent recording, Porpora Cantatas – a solo album on the Hyperion label that was already a sensation in Europe when it was released in the States, and which led the UK’s Observer to praise his “awesome technique and flawless tone.” In Davies’ Met debut in Rodelinda, he brought a “potent and beautifully balanced voice to Unulfo” (New Yorker), and Classical Review applauded him for “negotiating the never-ending runs in Sono I colpi della sorte and the tricky intervals in Fra tempeste funeste with both precision and a delectable lilt.” At Carnegie Hall on December 15, he performed a program of works by Britten, Purcell, and Bach, as well as the world premiere of folksong arrangements by composer Nico Muhly, securing Davies’ soaring reputation as “Today’s most exciting British countertenor” (Observer, UK).

Luca Pisaroni Makes Lyric Opera of Chicago Debut in Handel's Rinaldo (Feb 29)

2012-02-28T13:43:00.000-07:00

"Smashing singing.” — The Independent on Pisaroni’s Argante at Glyndebourne

Luca Pisaroni will make his Lyric Opera of Chicago debut as Argante in a new production of Handel’s Rinaldo (Feb 29-March 24), reprising a role that he played to acclaim at the UK’s Glyndebourne Festival last summer. In just his first performance as the treacherous Saracen king, the Telegraph declared that Pisaroni was “at the top of his game.” On March 10, the Italian bass-baritone will join his father-in-law, star-baritone Thomas Hampson, in a private performance benefiting Classical Action; it will be their first US appearance together. Pisaroni will also sing Schubert and Brahms in a recital as part of Lincoln Center’s “Art of the Song” series on March 25, appearing alongside tenor Michael Schade (and substituting for Thomas Quastoff, who recently announced his retirement from the concert stage). Pisaroni will join Schade for a similar program at Toronto’s Roy Thomson Hall on March 30.

Pisaroni is coming off a string of hit performances at the Metropolitan Opera. His Leporello in this fall’s new Don Giovanni was judged “charismatic and compulsively watchable” by the New York Observer, while his turn alongside Plácido Domingo and Joyce DiDonato in The Enchanted Island – the Met’s Shakespearean tableau with music by Handel, Vivaldi, and Rameau – was praised for its “dark-edged pathos” by Martin Bernheimer in the Financial Times and for its “sheer vocal charisma” by David Patrick Stearns in the Philadelphia Inquirer. The Huffington Post said Pisaroni’s blend of dramatic characterization and vocal bravura was “nothing less than astounding.” And the Associated Press singled out a key episode Pisaroni shared with DiDonato: “Part of what makes that scene so moving is the amazing performance by Pisaroni as Caliban. Although he sings up a storm elsewhere in the opera, here, without uttering a word but using facial expression and body movement, he indelibly conveys his character's grief, anger and, finally, acceptance."

As for Pisaroni’s Windy City performances in Handel’s Rinaldo, the singer says: "I am thrilled to make my Chicago Lyric debut as Argante – it is one of the most vocally challenging bass-baritone roles in the entire Baroque repertoire. The famous entrance aria `Sibilar gli angui' contains an incredible – almost disturbing – number of high notes. And the second aria, `Vieni, o cara' – which happens almost immediately after the first – forces the singer to show both sides of Argante’s personality: a warrior and king in one moment, a passionate and almost insecure lover in the next."

Around the time of his Glyndebourne performances as Argante, Pisaroni revealed to the UK press that he prepared for the "come-from-nowhere, 100 miles an hour in two seconds" virtuosity demanded in the "Sibilar" aria by playing soccer with the stagehands right before making his entrance. "It's an aria of fury!” he exclaimed, “You must have the whole body warmed up, not just the voice." The results proved the method right, as The Independent declared that Pisaroni's performances in Rinaldo made for "smashing singing." And Opera Today said: "Argante can be a relatively small part, but Luca Pisaroni made it central, by the sheer force of personality in his singing... This Argante is more than a match for Armida."

Thomas Hampson Makes Metropolitan Opera Role Debut as Verdi’s Macbeth Mar 15

2012-02-27T15:38:00.001-07:00

When Thomas Hampson made his American role debut as Verdi’s Macbeth in 2007, the San Francisco Chronicle pronounced his portrayal an “unqualified triumph,” marveling: “Just when there seemed to be no way for Thomas Hampson’s performance in the title role of Verdi’s Macbeth to get any more majestic or wrenching, it did.” Now for the first time the baritone brings this signature role to the Metropolitan Opera, giving the first of six performances on March 15, when the company revives Adrian Noble’s “stylistically eclectic, grimly effective and, at times, intriguingly playful production” (New York Times).

Noble’s innovative staging, which sets Macbeth’s action in the years after the Second World War, is complemented by Mark Thompson’s set and costume design, with acclaimed Italian maestro Gianandrea Noseda on the podium. Joining Hampson on stage is German soprano Nadja Michael as Lady Macbeth, who sang the same role opposite him at Chicago’s Lyric Opera; the New York Review of Books confessed to never having seen a “better performed version than this, with the thunder-voiced Hampson and the sexy Michael at the top of their game.” Austrian bass Günther Groissböck sings Banquo, and tenor Dimitri Pittas reprises Macduff, the role in which he impressed the New York Times with his “melting sound and dramatic urgency” at the production’s opening run.

Live on the Web, medici.tv Presents Dutilleux’s Tree of Dreams (Today, Feb 24) and Strauss’s Ariadne auf Naxos with Renée Fleming (Feb 25)

2012-02-24T14:47:00.000-07:00

“The hits keep coming at medici.tv.” — Alex Ross (The Rest Is Noise)

This weekend, medici.tv offers two more must-see musical events live on the web. This afternoon, Friday February 24 at 2 pm, violinist Renaud Capuçon performs Henri Dutilleux’s gorgeous L’Arbre des songes (The Tree of Dreams), with conductor Tugan Sokhiev and the Orchestre National du Capitole de Toulouse. The Toulouse program also presents Tchaikovsky’s great “Pathétique” Symphony. On February 25 at 2:15 pm, medici.tv is especially proud to present the opera Ariadne auf Naxos by Richard Strauss, starring soprano Renée Fleming and conducted by Christian Thielemann, in a production from Baden-Baden, Germany.

Premiered in the 1980s by the eminent violinist Isaac Stern (who commissioned the work), Dutilleux’s L'Arbre des songes is a rare classic among contemporary concertos. Scored for a large orchestra that includes a piano, cimbalom, and five percussionists, the work is a wonder of the imagination: from the color-rich instrumentation to the exotic melodies and harmony, brought from dream to life by the French composer. Soloist Renaud Capuçon won a Diapason d’Or for his 2002 recording of Dutilleux’s piece on Virgin Classics. The program’s second half features Tchaikovsky’s Symphony No. 6, “Pathétique.” Since Tugan Sokhiev has been music director of the Orchestre National du Capitole de Toulouse, the ensemble has been acclaimed for its performances of Russian music – from Tchaikovsky and Mussorgsky to Rachmaninoff, Prokofiev, and Shostakovich. The orchestra’s recordings of Tchaikovsky’s Symphonies Nos. 4 and 5 on the Naïve label have earned just praise for their idiomatic flair.

Those who had the pleasure of witnessing the production of Strauss’s Der Rosenkavalier at the Baden-Baden Festspielhaus still talk about the joys of that rare theatrical experience. The driving forces behind that lauded Rosenkavalier – soprano Renée Fleming and conductor Christian Thielemann – have teamed again for Ariadne auf Naxos, the 1916 follow-up to Der Rosenkavalier by Strauss and librettist Hugo von Hofmannsthal. Ariadne auf Naxos showed once again that Strauss was a lover of the female voice in all its lyrical refinement and emotional beauty. The young Cavalier to Fleming’s Marschallin in the Baden-Baden Rosenkavalier was Sophie Koch, who also returns to co-star as the Composer to Fleming’s Ariadne. The stage director and set designer of the Festspielhaus production is Philippe Arlaud. In 2011 medici.tv also broadcast a Strauss program featuring Renée Fleming and Christian Thielemann live from the prestigious Salzburg Festival.

Live in February at medici.tv

Feb 24, 2 pm EST
Renaud Capuçon and Tugan Sokhiev in Dutilleux and Tchaikovsky
Renaud Capuçon, violin; Tugan Sokhiev, conductor; Orchestre National du Capitole

Feb 25, 2:15 pm EST
Renée Fleming and Christian Thielemann in Strauss’s Ariadne auf Naxos
Renée Fleming (Ariadne/Prima Donna); Sophie Koch (The Composer); Christian Thielemann, conductor; Staatskapelle Dresden

Genus Cumulonimbus: 1st Movement of Atmospheres a new string quartet

2012-02-23T11:16:00.000-07:00

A friend of mine, J.M. Gerraughty recently posted his completed string quartet on his blog: j.m. gerraughty, composer. I so liked the idea, I followed suit, with my recent foray into the genre.

This is the 1st movement of the string quartet "Atmospheres." While the cloud forms have a seemingly regular form to them, they are anything but a regular shape. So, using the time signature 19/16, I allow the quartet to move through a variety of different ways of breaking up this irregular time into semi-regular beats creating a sense of movement, while propelling the
listener forward.

Genus Cumulonimbus Clouds of the genus cumulonimbus are generally dark grey near the bottom with a flat base. They also rise with extremely high tops. Developing frm Cumulus cloud formations, they occur when the airmass is unstable. Cumulonimbus clouds tend to produce thrunderstorms and are accompanied with strong winds at ground level. The piece is written entirely in 19/16 creating a sense of the instability of their namesake cloud formations. By shifting the way the 16th notes are beamed together, the "pulse" shifts throughout the piece giving the illusion of a regular pattern without ever staying in one place for very long.

I've included a pdf of the score so you can follow along!

Meeting Commission Deadlines - Why do Orchestras Accept This?

2012-02-23T10:11:00.001-07:00

There is a lot of furor over Golijov using music by Philip Glass in a commission for the Chicago Symphony. One of the comments suggests he struggles to meet commission deadlines. In a blog post defending Golijov, Glass Notes said, "other composers regularly don't meet deadlines on high profile commissions."

WHAT???

Dallas Symphony recently gave a concert of James Newton Howard. Mr Howard was commissioned to write a new piece for the concert but other deadlines got in the way.

While I appreciate a concert of Mr Howard's music has more audience appeal than my own. Mr Golijov also has name recognition that I do not. But I have NEVER missed a deadline --and I never intended on ever missing one.

If I'm contracted for a piece, I consider that contract to be an obligation on my part. Just as much as I hate when an ensemble decides to not play one of my pieces at the last minute, not providing the music for a commission is just as frustrating.

Last year, I was commissioned by the Boulder Symphony to provide a piece for their concert "Heroism Reborn" --which they just gave last Friday. Over the course of the year, the commission was changed from an orchestral piece with solo performer, to an orchestral piece, then to a brass and percussion piece and ultimately brass and timpani music. The last change was only a slight modification from the score I had already provided, but the switch from orchestral to brass and percussion meant I went back to the drawing board to write something completely new.

Composers out there might cringe at the thought of having to write a completely new work for the same commission. But I feel it is my role as composer to give the ensemble what they need for their performance.

I may not have the audience appeal YET - but I will. AND when an orchestra requests a piece of music, they know they will get it.

For those composers out there who can't seem to make their deadlines? How about sharing the wealth? There are a lot of composers like me who would gladly take over any commissions you don't seem to have time for.

David Lang's new CD: this was written by hand

2012-02-22T16:53:00.000-07:00

The composer's new album features a cycle of memorial pieces

Composer David Lang returns with a new recording of two separate works for solo piano: the title piece and a cycle of memorial works written for his friends titled memory pieces, both performed by Andrew Zolinsky.

this was written by hand was a piece Lang had written after realizing he had not physically written a piece with pencil since purchasing a home computer in 1993. Lang had said in his liner notes that he wondered if "the means of writing had any effect on the writing itself", and to these ears, it did indeed. The piece's stark but colorful passages sound as if they are created with a more ragged, handwritten craftsmanship than a piece that one would expect to be put through any level of a new technology. Very high-ended, mostly childlike phrases are continued until the 7-minute mark when they are intervened by low-end chords that bring the piece to a much darker place and leave it there.

The sequencing and contrasts of the movements of memory pieces invoke those of Carnival of the Animals (Very slow, followed by fast, followed by thudding, etc.), but in the presentation of something far more dramatic than that work, starting with "Cage" (written for John Cage).

The concept of the cycle, which was suggested by one of its dedicatees, pianist Yvar Mikhashoff, is a series of snapshots of each friend embodied in musical thoughts. The movements convey very brilliantly an aspect of each person's character through Lang's eyes.

From "Spartan Arcs" (Mikhashoff's tribute that invokes Philip Glass) to "Grind" (Jacob Druckman's tribute) to "Wed", written for installation artist Kate Ericson, the pieces are all a segment of these people that Lang has always had with him and has now forever made them public with this cycle of works.

The combination of the stark but sonorous recording and Zolinsky's brilliant technique and familiar identity with the pieces provides a very humble and beautiful set of music. Without compromising his contemporary style, Lang has definitely made a great gesture towards rekindling a classical sensibility with this recording, and has simultaneously made a fitting set of memorials for fellow artists that left some wonderful impressions on him.