Illumination: Piano Works of Victoria Bond performed by Paul Barnes released on Albany Records October 1
Includes world premiere recording of Illuminations on Byzantine Chant
Album celebrates Bond's and Barnes' 25+ years of collaboration
[Victoria Bond's works are] "powerful, stylistically varied and technically demanding." — The New York Times
Pianist Paul Barnes and composer Victoria Bond have enjoyed a creative partnership spanning over 25 years. Their collaborations include Illuminations on Byzantine Chant for solo piano (2021), and two piano concertos: Ancient Keys (2002), and Black Light (1997). These works are collected on the new album, "Illumination: Piano works by Victoria Bond", performed by Paul Barnes, released on October 1, 2021 on Albany Records (TROY 1880).
Barnes first introduced Bond to the communion hymn "Potirion Sotiriu" when they were recording her piano concerto Black Light in 1997. A professional chanter in the Greek Orthodox Church, Barnes hummed the chant's melody to Bond, who was struck by its profundity and purity. Thus began a long and fascinating journey of discovery for the composer. "I wanted to explore how this melody related, not only to the mystical chants of the Christian Church, but also to my own Jewish background," says Bond. Her music for solo piano based on distinctive Byzantine chants, as well as the Jewish Passover chant Tal, is the three-movement Illuminations on Byzantine Chant. This album contains the world premiere recording.
As a fitting bonus, Barnes displays his skill and talent as a professional chanter, performing each of the hymns referenced in Bond's compositions.
Rounding out the album are two piano concertos by Bond. "Black Light" (1997) takes inspiration from African American music, Ella Fitzgerald, and a Jewish hymn. The recording features Barnes with the Philharmony “Bohuslav Martinu", conducted by Kirk Trevor. "Ancient Keys" (2002) was commissioned by Barnes and Trevor and is heard here with the Slovak Radio Orchestra. The work is also based on the Potirion Sotiriu hymn. Bond composed it while in residence at Brahmshaus in Baden-Baden, Germany, where, she said, "I could feel Brahms’ presence and his mighty legacy as a beacon leading me on."
Contact ClassicalCommunications@gmail.com to request a physical CD or digital copy of this recording.
“[Paul Barnes is] ferociously virtuosic” — San Francisco Chronicle
Illumination: Piano Works of Victoria Bond
Paul Barnes, piano
Kirk Trevor, conductor
with the Philharmony “Bohuslav Martinu"
and Slovak Radio Orchestra
Albany Records (TROY 1880)
Release date: October 1, 2021
Read the liner notes
View Victoria Bond's Digital Press Kit
Request a copy of this CD
TRACKS
Victoria Bond Illuminations on Byzantine Chant* (2021)
1. Potirion Sotiriu (1999) [8:50]
2. Simeron Kremate (2019) [8:51]
3. Enite ton Kyrion (2021) [6:11]
Paul Barnes, piano
4. Ancient Keys (2002) [17:01] Paul Barnes, piano | Slovak Radio Orchestra - Kirk Trevor, conductor
Black Light (1997)
5. I. Aggressively driving [8:58]
6. II. Forcefully [6:41]
7. III. Presto [3:49]
Paul Barnes, piano | Philharmony “Bohuslav Martinu” Kirk Trevor, conductor
Byzantine Chant (Traditional)
8. Potirion Sotiriu [1:01]
9. Simeron Kremate [1:39]
10. Tal [0:35]
11. Enite ton Kyrion [1:01]
Paul Barnes, chanter
*world premiere recording
Total time=64:01
A major force in 21st century music, composer Victoria Bond is known for her melodic gift and dramatic flair. Her works for orchestra, chamber ensemble and opera have been lauded by The New York Times as "powerful, stylistically varied and technically demanding."
In addition to Illumination (2021), Victoria Bond's discography includes Soul of a Nation (Albany, 2018), Instruments of Revelation (Naxos, 2019), and a recording of chamber and vocal music (Albany, 2022). Victoria Bond’s compositions have been performed by the New York City Opera, Shanghai, Dallas and Houston Symphonies, members of the Chicago Symphony and New York Philharmonic, American Ballet Theater and the Cassatt and Audubon Quartets.
The New York Times praised Victoria Bond's conducting as "full of energy and fervor." She is principal guest conductor of Chamber Opera Chicago, and has held conducting positions with Pittsburgh Symphony, New York City Opera, Roanoke Symphony, and Bel Canto and Harrisburg Operas. Ms. Bond is Artistic Director of Cutting Edge Concerts New Music Festival in New York, which she founded in 1998, and is a frequent lecturer at the Metropolitan Opera Guild.
Praised by the New York Times for his “Lisztian thunder and deft fluidity,” and the San Francisco Chronicle as “ferociously virtuosic,” pianist Paul Barnes has electrified audiences with his intensely expressive playing and cutting-edge programming. Celebrating his 25-year collaboration with Philip Glass, Barnes commissioned and gave the world premiere of Glass’s Piano Quintet “Annunciation.” Barnes also commissioned Ancient Keys by Victoria Bond as well as Simeron Kremate, co-commissioned by the Hixson-Lied College of Fine and Performing Arts and the SDG Music Foundation in Chicago. Barnes is Marguerite Scribante Professor of Music at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln Glenn Korff School of Music. He teaches during the summer at the Vienna International Piano Academy and the Amalfi Coast Music Festival.
In great demand as a pedagogue and clinician, Barnes has served as convention artist at several state MTNA conventions, and was recently named ‘Teacher of the Year” by the Nebraska Music Teachers Association. Barnes latest recital A Bright Sadness: Piano music inspired by Greek, Latin, Hebrew, and Native American chant features a contemplative and cathartic program of piano works inspired by the mystical world of chant.