Transcentury Media Reviews Sahan Arzruni's "Hovhaness: Selected Piano Compositions"

To composers of the Classical era, the piano (that is, fortepiano) was an instrument allowing greater expressiveness than the harpsichord, or at least expressiveness of a different type. To Beethoven and the early Romantics, the steadily improving piano made possible increasing emotional communication in music, as well as substantial virtuosity, often for its own sake. To Liszt, one of the most-substantial virtuoso players of his era, the piano – which came into essentially its modern form during his lifetime – was an orchestra in miniature. To later composers, the piano took on expanded roles or very different ones, including some (such as “prepared piano”) that changed the instrument’s inherent sound and placed it even more firmly in the percussion realm than it had been before. And to some composers of the 20th and 21st centuries, the piano became, or has become, a newly expressive instrument, even to the point of connecting to realms beyond the musical.

That is how Alan Hovhaness (1911-2000) appears to have seen the piano, on the basis of a generous selection of his solo-piano music that was originally released in 2019 but is only now being made available in the United States. Pianist Şahan Arzruni, a longtime friend and colleague of Hovhaness, seems as finely attuned to the underlying mysticism of Hovhaness’ piano works (and, indeed, his works in general) as any performer can be. Arzruni’s extensive familiarity with Hovhaness’ oeuvre, and his personal possession of numerous hand-written manuscripts of Hovhaness’ music, make it possible for him to place the 10 works on this Kalan Music CD firmly within proper context. And Arzruni’s sheer pianistic skill helps him do something that is by no means straightforward in Hovhaness’ music: to make it colorful and convincing in and of itself, without requiring complete understanding of the philosophical trappings in which so much material from this Armenian-American composer is clothed. Arzruni presents these works in a way that he believes will help them communicate Hovhaness’ beliefs and intentions most effectively – not chronologically, and not arranged by length or other obvious methods. Furthermore, Arzruni offers pieces of piano music in combination with ones that Hovhaness originally conceptualized differently. Thus, Invocations to Vahakn (1945) was written for piano and percussion (Adam Rosenblatt is the percussionist); Yenovk (“The Troubadour,” 1947/1951) was created as seven movements for piano solo; Lalezar (1950-52) derives from a set of songs for bass voice and orchestra; and so forth.

These are the first three works on the disc, lasting, respectively, 13, 11 and four-and-a-half minutes. So in less than half an hour, Arzruni already gives listeners a portrait of Hovhaness presented at varying lengths. In terms of time span, it is true that most of the pieces date from the mid-1940s through the mid-1950s, but even within that period, there is considerable variety. Like many other prolific composers – and Hovhaness was quite prolific, although very little of his music is heard frequently – Hovhaness is said to have had “periods” of differing focus. Thus, some works here imitate the sound of Near Eastern and Middle Eastern string instruments. Some draw directly on specific nations’ music, not only that of Armenia but, for example, that of Greece in the three-movement Suite on Greek Tunes (1949), one of a number of world première recordings heard here, and that of the Orient in general in Mystic Flute (1937). Other pieces here are Journey into Dawn (1954), Laona (1956), Lake of Van Sonata (1946/1959), Vijag (1946), and Hakhpat (1946/1951, another piano-and-percussion piece).

Although there is much of interest to be heard by simply listening to this disc, the barriers to full enjoyment and understanding of Hovhaness are shown through the works’ titles: the references are often obscure and generally necessary for a listener to apprehend the mood fully – and, in many cases, to connect to the specific form of mysticism that the composer is expressing. Arzruni is an excellent interpreter of this rather rarefied repertoire, and this disc is as good a choice as any for listeners who would like to hear more of Hovhaness than his few works that are occasionally programmed in concerts and recitals. The CD is very much an acquired taste, although it will be to the taste of listeners wishing to acquire greater familiarity with an unusual, visionary 20th-century composer.

Pianist Inna Faliks: “Reimagine” released June 11

Pianist Inna Faliks brings together some of the most accomplished composers of past and present in Reimagine Beethoven and Ravel, to be released on June 11, 2021

Faliks performs commissioned works by Billy Childs, Timo Andres, Paola Prestini, Richard Danielpour and others alongside Beethoven's Bagatelles Op. 126

Billy Childs’ “Pursuit”, inspired by current events,
released as a single on May 28

When pianist Inna Faliks asked Billy Childs to reimagine Ravel’s “Scarbo” (from Gaspard de la Nuit), he latched on to the image of Scarbo as an evil goblin. “It turned into - in my mind - a sadly familiar American storyline, in which a Black man is being pursued,” said Childs. His composition “Pursuit” brings out the urgency of the moment, simultaneously crafting a new work as fiendishly difficult to play as Ravel’s notorious finger-buster. “Pursuit” will be released as a single on May 28, 2021 on Navona Records.

The versatile Faliks also commissioned Timo Andres, Paola Prestini, Richard Danielpour and a half dozen others to compose responses to Ravel's Gaspard de la Nuit and Beethoven's Bagatelles, op. 126. The world premiere recordings, alongside her performance of the Bagatelles, are collected on her new album, Reimagine: Beethoven and Ravel (Navona NV6352; release date June 11, 2021).

In this homage to Beethoven and Ravel, the Ukrainian-born American pianist ties together three centuries of music and a range of social commentary and interpretations with her acclaimed artistry and impressive technique.

Faliks chose Bagatelles Op. 126, the last work that Beethoven wrote for piano, as a jumping off point. "This group of six pieces fascinates me with its childlike wonder, wit, moodiness, charm, rhythmic energy, transcendence, and experimentation," wrote Faliks in the album's liner notes.

She commissioned six of her colleagues at UCLA, where she is head of piano studies: Peter Golub, Tamir Hendelman, Richard Danielpour, Ian Krouse, Mark Carlson, and David Lefkowitz. Each composed a response to a single bagatelle. "Interspersing the new Bagatelles with the original felt like the most organic way to present them," said Faliks. "I hope that the emerging dialogue between then and now highlights the unique character of the original while forming a wholly new sonic adventure."

Expanding the scope of the project, Ms. Faliks turned to an iconic work - Gaspard de la Nuit - which she chose for Ravel's use of rich experimentation and sonic contrasts, as well as its vast pianistic challenges, all traits she sought in the responses. Each of the composers was inspired by a particular aspect of Ravel's music, which itself was inspired by poetry by Aloysius Bertrand.

These three composers - Paola Prestini, Billy Childs, and Timo Andres - are all recognized for their works that are relevant beyond the notes, connecting to current events and societal issues. In addition to Childs’ “Scarbo: Pursuit”, Timo Andres’ “Le Gibet: Old Ground" examines how Bertrand's poem romanticizes the image of a hanged corpse at sunset, which Timo chose to end with a fragment of Billie Holiday's "Strange Fruit". Paola Prestini's "Ondine: Variations on a Spell" similarly draws inspiration from Ravel's music and Betrand's poetry.

Contact ClassicalCommunications@gmail.com to request a physical CD or digital copy of this recording.

Reimagine: Beethoven and Ravel
Navona Records (NV6352)
Release date: June 11, 2021

Inna Faliks, piano

Program notes and track list

View Inna Faliks' Digital Press Kit

Request a copy of this CD

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“Adventurous and passionate” (The New Yorker) Ukrainian-born American pianist Inna Faliks has made a name for herself through her commanding performances of standard piano repertoire, as well genre-bending interdisciplinary projects, and inquisitive work with contemporary composers. After her acclaimed teenage debuts at the Gilmore Festival and with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, she has performed on many of the world’s great stages in recital and with many major orchestras, performing with conductors Leonard Slatkin, Keith Lockhart and many others.

Ms. Faliks collaborates with and premieres music by some of today’s most significant composers, including Billy Childs, Richard Danielpour, Timo Andres and Clarice Assad. She is known for her poetry-music series Music/Words, and has worked with a number of prominent poets. She regularly tours her monologue-recital Polonaise-Fantasie, the Story of a Pianist, which tells the story of her immigration to the United States from Odessa (recorded on Delos). Besides Reimagine, her discography includes all-Beethoven and Rachmaninoff/Ravel/Pasternak discs for MSR Classics, and the Master and Margarita project, featuring three world premieres on Sono Luminus.

In addition to her other impressive accomplishments, Faliks is a respected educator and is head of Piano Studies at UCLA. She is also a published writer, with articles and essays appearing in Los Angeles Times and The Washington Post, among other media outlets. Inna Faliks is a Yamaha Artist, and is represented by John Gingrich Management.

Lucid Culture reviews Zixiang Wang's "First Piano Sonatas"

High Romantic Angst and Insight From Pianist Zixiang Wang

Pianist Zixiang Wang has a passion for the Romantics. And who brews up more of an emotional storm than the Russians? Interestingly, Wang’s new album First Piano Sonatas: Scriabin and Rachmaninoff – streaming at Spotify – is hardly all fullblown angst, although there is some of that here. Rather, this is a very thoughtfully considered recording, bravely made in Michigan in the fall of 2020 despite grim lockdowner restrictions. This record is not the place to go to gear up for battle with demons, personal or otherwise. But if you want to hear Scriabin riffs that Rachmaninoff would later seemingly appropriate, or watch the stories in this music slowly unfold, Wang offers all that and plenty more in high definition.

He hits the first movement of Scriabin’s Piano Sonata No. 1 hard, and then backs away. A heroic, martial quality develops and recedes in waves, but Wang keeps a tight rein on the rubato until the end, where muting those staccato chords and then stretching out the rhythm really drives this troubled theme home.

He gives movement two a slightly hesitant, almost prayerful undercurrent anchored by a steely but supple lefthand. The aggressive, balletesque parts of the third movement are pure proto-Piazzolla; Wang’s choice of subsuming the righthand melody with lefthand murk suddenly makes perfect sense when he reaches the crushing false ending. Likewise, his restraint with the funereal lows in the dirge of a fourth movement – a requiem for the composer’s short-lived career as a virtuoso performer, derailed by a hand injury.Wang’s approach to Rachmaninoff’s first Piano Sonata is similar, opting for clarity and detail rather than the kind of opulence that, say, Karine Poghosyan would give this music. Amid the cascades in both the right and lefthand, those fleeting little Debussyesque curlicues, that aching reach for a tender moment and its subsequent, surprisingly irrepressible variations are strikingly vivid, even if the more animated interludes seem a little on the fast side.

The second movement gets a delightfully calm lilt. genteel glitter and a handful of devious references to Rachmaninoff’s very contemporaneous Symphony No. 2. The sheer liquidity of Wang’s lefthand early on in the third will take your breath away, particularly in contrast with the rather stern quality he follows with. And yet, the moments of black humor that pop up are plenty visible. If this is to be believed, the devil gleefully walks away, needle in hand, at the end.

Wang concludes the album with a rarely performed version of Rachmaninoff’s F Major Prelude, a dreamy student work which the composer turned into his duo for piano and cello, Op. 2 No. 1.

TransCentury Media reviews Zixiang Wang's "First Piano Sonatas"

(++++) BEGINNINGS AND CONTINUATIONS

Composers’ earlier works can sometimes be as interesting in showing the directions in which they did not go as in providing youthful examples of how their creators later developed. Thus, Scriabin’s Piano Sonata No. 1 (actually the third he composed, but the first one that survives as a full-scale multi-movement piece) is built around a deeply sad Adagio and concluding Funèbre, in both of which the composer laments the loss of his performance ability because of what doctors had told him was permanent damage to his right hand (caused by overuse in practicing). The faster first and third movements do little to relieve the sense of despair, the first being melancholy and turbulent, the third harsh, angry and unresolved at its conclusion. The intensity of the work comes through quite poignantly in a new performance by Zixiang Wang on the Blue Griffin Recording label. Wang not only has technique to spare but also possesses an unerring sense of how to bring out the music’s anger and anguish without making it sound so over-the-top as to be melodramatic. Yet the passion and bleakness of this sonata did not portend future works of the same type from Scriabin: he actually recovered the use of his right hand, although he did not return to the virtuoso-performance circuit, and his later sonatas explore territory that is quite different from that in his first.

Rachmaninoff’s Piano Sonata No. 1 is also tied at most loosely to his later work. Its sprawl and large scope – its three movements last significantly longer than the four used by Scriabin – do look ahead to Rachmaninoff’s later music, as does the frequent use of the Dies irae motif; and the conclusion of the sonata is replete with pounding chords that are recognizable as a kind of Rachmaninoff compositional signature. But the work is otherwise something of a dead end in the composer’s oeuvre. Its three movements were going to represent the three main characters from Goethe’s Faust: the title character, Gretchen, and Mephistopheles. The sonata retains some elements of that original program, which closely parallels that of Liszt’s Faust Symphony, but Rachmaninoff abandoned the structure in favor of something non-programmatic. The first and third movements, both in D minor, are drawn-out and very close to the same length, while the central Lento in F is filled with extended melodic lines that contrast strongly with a finale that, unlike later Rachmaninoff, is almost devoid of significant themes. The sonata as a whole is somewhat diffuse and even self-indulgent in its exploitation of the extremes of pianistic capability – in terms of the instrument itself, not just the performer. Here as in the Scriabin, Wang handles the virtuosic elements with aplomb, but he is less successful in trying to wrest some coherence and overall sensibility from the Rachmaninoff than from the Scriabin. The Rachmaninoff is a difficult piece both to play and to hear, and certainly Wang’s handling of it shows considerable skill and a thoughtful approach to the music. But as a whole, his reading is less convincing than is his handling of Scriabin’s sonata.

As an encore, Wang offers an even earlier Rachmaninoff work, and a much rarer one to hear: the solo-piano version of the Prelude in F, which is much better known in its cello-and-piano version (Op. 2, No. 1). Calm and borderline sweet, this 1891 version of the prelude, written when the composer was 18, sounds little like mature Rachmaninoff. But it makes an effective contrast with the huge Sonata No. 1, while also letting listeners hear the road not traveled in the composer’s later work.

Insider Interview with "dwb" composer Susan Kander

On March 15, 2021, Susan Kander released the album of her and librettist Roberta Gumbel’s chamber opera dwb (Driving While Black). In this insider interview we spoke with Mrs. Kander about writing a work that confronts the topic of systemic racism and the unique collaboration that makes the work so special.

How did the idea of dwb (driving while black) as an opera come about?

I will jump through fire to write for Roberta Gumbel. Our professional relationship and friendship goes back twenty-five years. When she joined the faculty at University of Kansas School of Music, she was joining two people I already knew from Cantata Profana Ensemble, Hannah Collins and Mike Compitello, aka New Morse Code. The sound world offered by voice, cello and percussion was mesmerizing to me right out of the gate – as was the prospect of writing for New Morse Code. I proposed that I write a piece for the three of them, and NMC said yes, thank goodness! Roberta and I talked, long distance, about several different possible subjects for a smallish song cycle, but none of them stuck. At the time, 2016-17, her son was getting his driver’s permit; the NAACP had recently issued a travelers’ warning for Black people driving in cars in the state of Missouri. As the mother of two boys, I was already sympathetic to her having a teenage driver, but the added anxiety of her son driving while Black – I couldn’t get it out of my mind. Over dinner while she was staying at my house for her annual NYC trip, we talked about it and it became clear that that should be the subject of the song cycle.  

Naturally, I could not write the text as I often do. I approached a Black playwright friend who was interested but overwhelmed with commissions of her own. Since Roberta had so much to say about the subject, and so many family stories to relate, I went back to her and said, “You have to write the text.” So she did. Short bits started coming, scenes, speeches, and after a while it became apparent that this was going to be much more than a song cycle. Once we realized it was an opera everything started falling into place.

The instrumentation is a unique combo: in addition to the soprano, there is a cellist and percussionist each of whom play a variety of instruments (including their own bodies!), and have some speaking parts. What role do the instrumentalists take in the story? How do they add to or enhance the stage action?

I think the dramatic participation of the instrumentalists came to me partly because I know these two musicians are magical to watch – they would absolutely be part of the visual experience of any piece, but also because it’s just cool to wrap ensemble players into a vocal performance. I’ve done it before, in A Cycle of Songs, for soprano, clarinetist and pianist – which Roberta recorded and performed in 2008. I’d seen Hannah sing before, in a NMC piece, so I knew she was game, and they didn’t bat an eye at the speaking bits. It’s great to break up the timbre and texture of the human voice here and there - it wakes up our ears a bit and widens the dramatic lens terrifically. Last but not least, we’re telling a story of community, so it made sense to use the whole community before us to tell the story.

With just the performers on stage, how do you demonstrate or distinguish the two different points of view – the personal narrative Scenes and external Bulletins?  

Basically, the narrative scenes have more fluid, often lyrical music, and the Bulletins tend to be more rhythm-defined, punchier.

You’ve composed a number of works with your own libretti, but this is the first time you’ve collaborated with someone else as librettist. What was the process like working with Roberta Gumbel to create dwb?

I have always written my own libretti because I started out in life as a playwright, theater is my formative background. The miracle of working with Roberta is that she’s a total theater animal, with deep, broad performing experience, and she brings that vital sensibility to creating text. She perceives the big picture – the arc of a piece – kind of instantly in big theatrical gestures. She understands character as something that must be defined and manifest by a human performer, principally (in opera) through the voice, and communicated with specificity to the audience. So each scene or vignette she sent me fired me with super specific ideas, feelings and sounds. And of course, being a singer, she organically knows what ‘sings’ as far as language goes, so that was a joy as well, no tussles over word choice.

dwb addresses the anxieties of being a black parent with a child who’s coming of driving age. How, as a white composer, do you approach telling this story unique to BIPOC families, and put yourself in their shoes as you’re composing?

There are several answers to that question. Answer one: I will never exactly, personally know the anxiety/terror I try to communicate in dwb. Answer two: I am a mother of two boys who grew up in New York; I do know very well what it’s like to worry about your children on a daily basis. Getting inside dwb meant adding more layers and more concrete danger to what is a fundamental, universal parental experience. Answer three: I experienced hard, sustained anti-Semitism growing up, a handy place to extrapolate from. Answer four: As a composer, my job is to use my imagination to get inside the words and characters Roberta created to the best of my ability. And to trust my collaborator to tell me when something doesn’t feel right.

What message do you hope listeners will take away from listening to the album?

Maybe “message” isn’t the right word. We wanted to make a piece that would give the audiences who generally frequent opera and chamber music an intimate experience of what it’s like to be that person: the Mother, the 12-year old boy, the young father, etc. The phrase that repeats and grows and bends throughout the opera is “You are not who they see.” Over and over, we are shown that the problem of driving while black – of (…) while black - isn’t a thing that only affects “them.” “Them” is always, always, an individual, and we hope that idea will be a takeaway from the opera.

Secondarily, we hope the opera will be produced in non-“classical” places and be made available to all kinds of audiences, all ages and styles. We hope companies and communities will use it to attract new audiences – Roberta and I have long experience in Opera Education; we’re always looking for ways to bring the unique magic of opera to new people. It’s cheap, short, portable, doesn’t need a big space, can be taken out of the concert hall or opera house and done mic’d if necessary (we’ve done it, it’s great); and people really want to talk about it when it’s over. We love that about dwb.

Released March 15 on Albany Records: dwb (driving while black)

Acclaimed chamber opera with music by Susan Kander and libretto by Roberta Gumbel confronts the topic of systemic racism

World premiere audio recording features chamber duo New Morse Code and soprano Roberta Gumbel

"One of the most singularly devastating theatrical moments of the last year.”–The Pitch

When composer Susan Kander and soprano Roberta Gumbel collaborated on a new chamber opera, the narrative was woven directly from Gumbel’s life. “Roberta’s libretto comes from her experience raising her son,” said Kander. “This story of a Black youngster growing up to be a teenager, about to get behind the wheel, brings up so many possibilities, each with the potential to end in tragedy.”

“Singers are storytellers,” said Gumbel, “but rarely do we get the opportunity to help create the stories we are telling.”

The critically acclaimed monodrama dwb (driving while black), with music by Susan Kander and libretto by Roberta Gumbel is released on Albany Records (Troy1858) on March 15, 2021. Called "un-missable" by The New York Observer and "searing" by The Washington Post, this chamber opera for soprano, cello and percussion connects with the essential conversation of our day: systemic racism.

Susan Kander wrote dwb for the performers on this world premiere recording: Roberta Gumbel (who also wrote the libretto) and New Morse Code (cellist Hannah Collins and percussionist Michael Compitello). It documents the story of an African American parent of a teenage boy as he approaches driving age. What should be a celebration of independence and maturity turns out to be fraught with the anxiety of driving while black.

dwb takes us through 16 years of a Black mother’s interactions with her young son. The libretto weaves two strands - one internal, one external. The Mother relates to her child as a passenger in her car as the child grows older. Threaded between these scenes are a series of vignettes based on real incidents, introduced in narration by the instrumentalists with contrasting color and texture in the music. The Singer takes on a variety of characters in specific but familiar events, relating the dangerous world beyond the Mother’s control.

The cellist and percussionist are active parts of the drama as both narrators and witnesses. Composer Susan Kander explores the vast timbral and textural possibilities for the two - the percussionist plays vibraphone among 21 other instruments; the cellist also plays toy piano and tambourine; one scene is scored for the human body, a twenty-first century reference to juba or ham-boning.

Contact ClassicalCommunications@gmail.com to request a physical CD or digital copy of this recording.

dwb (driving while black)

Albany Records (Troy1858)
Release date: March 15, 2021

Susan Kander, composer
Roberta Gumbel, librettist & Soprano

New Morse Code (Hannah Collins, cello and Michael Compitello, percussion)

Read the liner notes
View Susan Kander's Digital Press Kit
Request a copy of this CD

Susan Kander’s compositions have been praised by critics as “lovely and evanescent” (San Francisco Chronicle) and “wrenchingly powerful” (Gramophone Magazine). Her music has been performed around the world and she has received commissions from Opera Minnesota, Opera Theater of St. Louis, Lyric Opera of Kansas City and National Symphony Orchestra, among many others.

In addition to dwb (driving while black), written with librettist Roberta Gumbel, Susan Kander’s catalogue also includes several long-form song cycles for voice and chamber ensemble, as well as instrumental works, which have been performed in venues large and small from the Kennedy Center in Washington, DC to the White Nights Festival in Russia.

Ms. Kander holds a Master’s in composition at Purchase Conservatory, studying with Du Yun and Huang Ruo, and a Bachelor’s in music from Harvard University.

Roberta Gumbel, soprano and librettist, has appeared with opera companies in Kansas City, Houston, Indianapolis, Detroit, Philadelphia, and Memphis, and toured the United States and Europe in companies of Porgy and Bess, including the renowned Houston Grand Opera Production. She performed in the Broadway productions of Showboat, Ragtime, Baz Luhrmann’s La Boheme and In My Life, in which the New York Times described her as “silver voiced”.

A versatile performer, Roberta has been a frequent soloist with Wynton Marsalis and Jazz at Lincoln Center. Her long association with composer Susan Kander began in 1996 with the Lyric Opera of Kansas City’s commission of She Never Lost a Passenger, in which Roberta premiered the principal role of Harriet Tubman.

Alan Hovhaness: Selected piano compositions

Pianist Şahan Arzruni performs world premiere recordings of unpublished works

110th anniversary of Hovhaness's birth is March 8, 2021

The pianist Şahan Arzruni has stacks of handwritten manuscripts from his longtime friendship with the American-Armenian composer Alan Hovhaness (1911-2000). On the album Alan Hovhaness: Selected piano compositions (Kalan Music) Arzruni recorded a collection of these works, nearly all world premiere recordings of unpublished scores.

Although Hovhaness has a vast catalogue of 500+ works, including 67 symphonies and music for chorus, chamber music and solo piano, few of his works receive regular performances. Influenced by the music of his Armenian father’s homeland, his style is trademarked with the nationalistic music he incorporated into his compositions.  

The Armenian pianist Şahan Arzruni says the compositions date from the 1940s and early 1950s. Arzruni writes in the liner notes, "Alan Hovhaness was a musician-mystic who rejected the materialistic values of the Machine Age. He explored, instead, the transcendental realm—using music as a link between the physical and metaphysical worlds. Hovhaness took non-Western cultures as his point of departure, while employing the tools of Western music as his frame of reference."

The liner notes booklet contains extensive photos, historical information, and analysis in English, Armenian and Turkish, written by Arzruni. Although the album was released in 2019, it was not distributed in the United States. It is available for purchase on Amazon. Contact ClassicalCommunications@gmail.com to request a physical or digital copy.

Alan Hovhaness: Selected Piano Compositions

Şahan Arzruni, piano

(Kalan Music, 2019)

Read the liner notes

View Şahan Arzruni's
Digital Press Kit

Request a copy of this CD

Şahan Arzruni (shah-HAN ards-roo-nee) is an Armenian classical pianist, ethnomusicologist, lecturer, composer, writer and producer, residing in New York City. He has toured throughout the world and has given command performances at the White House and the British, Danish, Swedish and Icelandic courts. 

Motivated by ethnic awareness in the United States, Arzruni continuously researches the musical roots of his Armenian heritage. He recorded a three-record anthology of Armenian piano music and co-produced an eight-disc set of instrumental and vocal Armenian music. He also delivered papers and organized symposia for Harvard University, Columbia University and University of Michigan. Şahan Arzruni is the author of scholarly books and is a contributor of articles for academic journals, The New Grove Dictionary and the Dictionary of the Middle Ages.

In 2015, the president of the Republic of Armenia awarded him the Movses Khorenatsi Medal for exceptional achievement in cultural development. Mr. Arzruni holds degrees from The Juilliard School and has pursued doctoral studies at New York University. He has made dozens of recordings for Philips, New World Records, Musical Heritage Society and other labels.

CineMusical reviews Zixiang Wang's debut recording "First Piano Sonatas: Scriabin and Rachmaninoff"

Scriabin/Rachmaninoff: First Piano Sonatas
Recording:   ****/****
Performance: ****/****

By Steven A. Kennedy

Pianist Zixiang Wang’s debut release provides an opportunity to explore two different approaches to the piano sonata by two of Russian composers at different stages of their careers.  The music of Alexander Scriabin (1872-1915) is perhaps less known here in the US.  His sensual orchestral music is a bit of that Symbolist-Impresssionist style from a distinct Russian perspective building on Wagnerian ultrachromaticism.  His first sonata (1892) was written earlier in his career and delineates his own personal struggle with damage to his right hand from excessive practicing!  Rachmaninoff’s music has tended to maintain itself well in the public concert hall though his solo piano music tends to demand great facility and virtuosic demands on the performer.  Written in 1907, his first piano sonata was written during the composer’s more mature period—a time that also saw completion of the second symphony.  Both pieces are still fairly rare, or at the very least, bear fewer overall current available recordings than other works in their oeuvre.

Scriabin’s sonata kicks things off with its grand romantic pianistic gestures in the opening “Allegro con focoso”.  In this four-movement work, we can hear more Chopinesque writing in a piece that can feel like we are sitting in a grand salon.  The music fits more into that traditional style of the period without some of the more outlandish chromatic writing Scriabin would later explore.  In that sense, the sonata is a bit of a departure point to hear his early style as it would then evolve.  The first movement structure is intriguing structurally, a hint at the composer’s experimental nature.  The second movement is a bt more spiritual in focus with a choral-like quality.  After a virtuosic display in the third-movement scherzo, we head into the funereal final movement, marked “Funebro”.  The march, with its echoes to Chopin, is perhaps the composer’s acknowledgment of the death of his own concert career.

The music of Liszt finds its natural connection to Rachmaninoff’s first piano sonata both in its inception and inspiration—supposedly the underlying connection is a musical essay on Faust.  A three-movement work with towering outer allegros to frame a romantic rumination on Gretchen, the sonata is an equally demanding virtuoso accomplishment.  The outer movements feature references to the “Dies Irae” plainchant that haunted so much of Rachmaninoff’s work.  It becomes a subsidiary idea within expanded textures and often shocking dissonances in the surrounding material.  The dramatic qualities are also important here and Wang manages to bring these out well.

As a bit of an encore, Wang has chosen a rarer prelude, the Prelude in F, which was reimagined for cello and piano and published as Op. 2, no. 1.  The choice here fits with Wang’s interest in bringing to light less familiar repertoire in his concerts.

Wang’s performance are quite excellently handled here and his virtuosity is not to be questioned.  He is able to shift gears well to help add more to the communicative quality of the music.  The delicate passages in the Scriabin are quite moving.  The Rachmaninoff allows for an even more admiration for his rapid passage work coupled with the gentle reposes.

Blue Griffin has captured the piano well in this studio recording.  There is just enough ambience to allow the sustains to die off well.  The piano sound itself is a bit bright and crisp which allows Wang’s passage work to shine.  Just enough pedal to help add what is needed in the big moments can provide the proper blurring that aids the darker, or more dissonant moments.  These are committed performances that bring a proper emotional balance to the music.  Certainly this is a good place to start to explore these rarer works even with some fine complete surveys of the Scriabin currently available.  For those who find the later Scriabin not to their liking, this will make a gentle introduction to his more traditionally romantic qualities.  The Rachmaninoff is equally stunning and more programmatic than one might at first perceive.  Both pieces sit well together on this release which is worth tracking down for those interested in Russian piano literature.

Take Effect reviews Zixiang Wang's "First Sonatas: Scriabin & Rachmaninoff"

First Piano Sonatas
Blue Griffin, 2021
8/10

An esteemed pianist who is no stranger to winning awards, Zixiang Wang tackles compositions by Alexander Scriabin and Sergei Rachmaninoff on this first solo album.

Scriabin’s “Piano Sonata No. 1 In F Minor, Op. 6” starts the listen with Wang’s rumbling keys in the 4 installments that vary from soft and bare to louder moments of lively beauty as Wang interprets the late romanticism selection with both grace and vigor.

Rachmaninoff’s “Piano Sonata No. 1 In D Minor, Op. 28” follows, and leads with calm mystery, where Wang’s key acrobatics flow with an adventurous and meticulous quality that retains the maturity of the original while putting his own inimitable stamp on the classic.

The final track, “Prelude In F Major”, also by Rachmaninoff, leads gentle and sublime, before highly intricate playing from Wang becomes so proficient, it hardly seems like just one piano is present.

An outstanding solo debut, Wang proves just why he’s been seeing worldwide praise as he turns in a glorious and mesmerizing effort here.

Pianist Zixiang Wang releases debut recording: “First Piano Sonatas: Scriabin and Rachmaninoff”

Featuring rarely-heard works by Scriabin and Rachmaninoff

Release date: February 15, 2021 on Blue Griffin Recording

Award-winning pianist Zixiang Wang 王子翔 (Wong Tzuh-schi-ANG) shines a light on two lesser-performed works by Alexander Scriabin and Sergei Rachmaninoff. "First Piano Sonatas: Scriabin and Rachmaninoff", released February 15, 2021 on Blue Griffin Recording (BGR579), is Mr. Wang's debut solo album. Praised by audiences all over the world for his passionate and sincere performances, Zixiang Wang's affinity for Romantic and Post-Romantic musical works have led to his exploration of lesser-known music by well-known Romantic composers.

The two main works on this CD are both composers’ first piano sonatas, and were written under vastly different circumstances. Scriabin composed Piano Sonata No. 1 in F minor, Op. 6 at the age of twenty, while he was still a student at the conservatory. The previous summer, he injured his right hand due to excessive practicing. “Incurable” as the doctors told the young virtuoso, the ailment put a devastating end to his performing career, which directly catalyzed his desire to compose “the first sonata with a funeral march”—a funeral for his right hand.

Rachmaninoff’s first sonata, on the other hand, was composed during his mature period. Written following his move to Dresden, Piano Sonata No. 1, along with Symphony No. 2 and the opera Monna Vanna (unfinished) are referred to as the “Dresden pieces”, a group of opera-like compositions influenced by his time conducting opera at the Imperial Grand Theatre. Rachmaninoff did consider, at one point, rewriting the first sonata as a symphony, and later gave up on this idea only because of the work’s “purely pianistic style".

"Scriabin’s keyboard writing style evolved notably," says Zixiang Wang, "from late romanticism to mysticism. However, in this early work we can hear some musical qualities that never left Scriabin –­ sensibility, colorfulness and philosophical musings attached to the composition." Read more of Mr. Wang's thoughts about the repertoire on this CD and more in our Insider Interview.

TRACKS

Alexander Scriabin

[1-4] Piano Sonata No.1 in F minor, Op.6

[1] Allegro com focoso 8:40

[2] quarter note = 40 4:33

[3] Presto 3:37

[4] Funèbro 5:18

Sergei Rachmaninoff

[5-7] Piano Sonata No.1 in D minor, Op.28

[5] Allegro moderato 14:08

[6] Lento 9:27

[7] Allegro molto 14:32

Rachmaninoff

[8] Prelude in F major 3:58

Award-winning pianist Zixiang Wang has been praised by audiences all over the world for his passionate and sincere performances. His affinity for Romantic and Post-Romantic musical works have led to his exploration of unknown music by well-known Romantic composers.

His recent highlights include performances of Rachmaninoff’s Piano Concerto No. 3 with Old York Road Symphony, Liszt’s Piano Concerto No. 1 with Ann Arbor Symphony Orchestra, and a solo recital at the Shanghai Oriental Art Center.

Zixiang has been a prize-winner at numerous national and international competitions, including the 13th Teresa Llacuna International Piano Competition and the William Byrd Young Artist Competition. He has participated in many renowned festivals, including the Philadelphia Young Pianist Academy, Aspen Music Festival, Rebecca Penneys Piano Festival, Sewanee Music Festival, and Perugia Music Festival.

In addition to performing and teaching, Zixiang is also dedicated to building the bridge between Western classical music and audiences from his homeland of China. He has created a lecture series, “Trace of Music”, in which he shares his insight on major Western musical works via Chinese online platforms. Zixiang Wang holds degrees from Shanghai Conservatory of Music (B.M.), The Juilliard School (M.M.), and University of Michigan (D.M.A.).

Insider Interview with pianist Zixiang Wang

In February 2021, the pianist Zixiang Wang releases his debut recording, “First Piano Sonatas: Scriabin and Rachmaninoff” on Blue Griffin Recordings. In this Insider Interview we spoke to Mr. Wang about this project, as well as the inspiration behind the recording.

What are your earliest musical memories? Are your parents involved in music?

Neither of my parents has any musical background, but they love music. My mother has worked at a kindergarten for some years and she could play a little keyboard by ear. My earliest musical memory was that she played the keyboard and it made me happy.

If you weren’t a professional musician, what would your dream job be? Did you ever consider another career path apart from music? 

I dreamed of many different careers while growing up. When I was little, I loved painting (I still paint today) and I wanted to be a painter. I am also fond of writing. I tried several times to write a novel though I never made it to the end of the first chapter. When I was graduating from college, I was offered an internship at a music publishing company and I was seriously considering pursuing that as my career, but I chose to continue my piano training abroad in the end. Now, I can’t imagine a life without music.

You’ve said that part of your mission as a pianist is to find relatively obscure works from great Romantic composers. What discoveries have you found that you’d like readers to know about? Why are these worthy of our attention?

Of course, there are some specific things, for example how Scriabin was influenced by Chopin, how Rachmaninoff was influenced by Liszt and Goethe’s Faust. However, the biggest discovery I want to point out is how much one can benefit from learning these less-played musical works. There are reasons why they are played less – it could be technical difficulties, musical difficulties, or some formal issues. By resolving these problems, I step deeper into the composer’s musical world and develop a deeper understanding of the composer’s other works.

Your new album highlights early works of two great Russian Romantics, Rachmaninoff and Scriabin. How did you come up with this theme? How did you decide on the exact repertoire for the album?

Actually it was my teacher Professor Arthur Greene who came up with this excellent idea to put these two first sonatas in my album. He introduced me to Rachmaninoff’s sonata first, then I got the idea to make an album with this piece. When I asked his advice on the repertoire for this CD, he said: “you should learn Scriabin’s first sonata!” That was the moment when the theme was determined. However, the short prelude by Rachmaninoff was my idea and my teacher was very pleased with my discovery.

Since this is your first album, I’m curious what it felt like to step into that first recording session. How did it feel?

I was excited. Stepping into the first recording session is like stepping into one’s professional career – to be a recording artist.

How did you prepare for this record?

Practice, record myself and listen, and practice. My strategy is to focus exclusively on one composer at one time, so I recorded Scriabin first and Rachmaninoff a month later.

What do the two sonatas on your album tell us about the later works from these great composers?

In Rachmaninoff’s sonata, one can hear many characteristics that remain in his later piano works, such as the use of medieval chants, mingling threads of melodies, and of course, big chords, tons of notes, and so on. If you put an early work and a late work of his side by side, you can easily conclude they are written by the same composer. Opposite to Rachmaninoff, Scriabin’s keyboard writing style evolved notably, from late romanticism to mysticism. However, in this early work we can hear some musical qualities that never left Scriabin –­ sensibility, colorfulness and philosophical musings attached to the composition.

Tell us about your lecture series “Trace of Music.” What inspired you to start it?

During the lockdown, I was watching a Chinese TV series, in which a great Chinese artist – Danqing Chen – tells fascinating stories behind paintings in the Western and Eastern histories. It was eye-opening. I thought: why don't I do something similar in the field of music? My aim was to introduce some great piano works of Western music to Chinese audiences by the means of sharing with them the life of the composer, the inspiration and emotions of the composition, and some basic compositional concepts, etc.

You are currently editing your research on the major piano works written by leading Romantic composers. What works are you researching? How has recording your album, which features two of those major works, informed your research (and vice versa)? What are you looking for while doing this research? Why are you doing this research? And will this be published or made publicly available in some way when you’ve finalized the research?

My research has focused on the works that I have performed and found close to me. Whenever I learn a piece I research the historical background of the work. For example, I had given my lecture recital on Scriabin’s sonata shortly before I recorded it. Through a comprehensive study of the piece, my interpretation of the music grew day by day. When I stepped into the recording studio, every piece of information made sense in sound.

I am looking into publishing my research document when it is finalized. I am still working out some specifics but I hope to make these works more widely known and accessible.

OperaWire profiles Victoria Bond

Composer Profile: Victoria Bond, Legendary American Composer & Conductor

By Gillian Reinhard

American conductor and composer Victoria Bond is one of the most popular artists of opera and classical music today.

Over a long career that has included conducting stints around the world and dozens of original compositions, Bond is also notable for her distinction as the first woman to receive a doctorate in orchestral conducting from the Juilliard School.

Bond was born in Los Angeles, California to a musical family. After moving to New York, she studied piano at the Mannes School of Music. Bond returned to the West Coast for her undergraduate studies at the University of Southern California, moved to New York for a Master’s and a doctorate from Juilliard.

She has been commissioned by organizations around the world, including American Ballet Theater, Shanghai Symphony Orchestra, and the Michigan Philharmonic. She is the principal guest conductor of Chamber Opera, Chicago and previously served as assistant conductor of New York City Opera, music director of the Roanoke Symphony Orchestra, and artistic director of Bel Canto Opera Company of New York, among others. She has guest conducted across the United States and the world in locations ranging from Honolulu, HI, to Richmond, VA to Beijing, China.

Additionally, Bond founded the Cutting Edge Concerts New Music Festival in 1998 to encourage compositions from contemporary composers. Her awards include the Walter Hinrichsen Award, the Victor Herbert Award, the Perry F. Kendig Award, and the Miriam Gideon Prize, as well as three honorary doctorates.

Most Famous Works

According to her website, Bond has composed eight operas, six ballets, two piano concertos, and many other orchestral and choral compositions. Two of her most well-known operas depict the lives of groundbreaking women.

“Clara,” an opera about the nineteenth-century pianist and composer Clara Schumann, premiered at the 2019 Berlin Philharmonic Easter Festival.

“Mrs. President,” a chamber opera, premiered in Anchorage, Alaska in 2012. The opera depicts the life of Victoria Woodhull—today recognized by historians as the first American woman to run for president in 1872 alongside running mate Frederick Douglass. Bond also composed “The Miracle of Light,” a Hanukkah opera.

Limelight Magazine reviews Orli Shaham's "Mozart Piano Sonatas"

Three years ago, when her husband David Robertson was Sydney Symphony Orchestra’s chief conductor, US pianist Orli Shaham gave a beautifully nuanced recital linking Brahms backwards to Bach and forwards to Brett Dean and Israeli composer Avner Dorman. Not only was the programming inventive and well thought out, but also the execution was immaculate.

That program can be found on disc on Canary Classics, a label established by her violinist brother Gil, and now she is turning her keenly intelligent attention to Mozart’s 18 piano sonatas, starting the cycle in an interesting way with the three works in B Flat – Nos 3, 13 and 17. “They are all so different, yet the B Flats combine to create a perfect mirror of Mozart’s development from his late teens to full maturity,” Shaham says.

A noted broadcaster, educator and writer in America, Shaham challenges Artur Schnabel’s famous remark that the sonatas are “too easy for children and too difficult for adults”. The key to them is that they are vocal in nature: “Everything is singable; it’s rare to find intervals in Mozart’s music which are not,” she says.

In the K281, written when Mozart was 19, Shaham captures the freshness and Haydnesque airiness of the opening movement. By the time he wrote K333, in 1783, Mozart was in Vienna performing concerts for connoisseurs and the K570, from 1789, was published posthumously.

Like the man, Mozart’s 18 sonatas contain multitudes, and with Shaham we have an intelligent and sensitive guide.

The Violin Channel interviews the Alexander String Quartet

VC INTERVIEW | Alexander String Quartet - Beethoven's 250th Anniversary

The ensemble will present two concerts online on November 16, and will be available through November 29 on Baruch's College's website. Admission is pay-what-you-can

The Violin Channel recently caught up with the Alexander String quartet, quartet in residence at the Baruch College, in New York, since 1986.

The program features Beethoven's quartet Op. 18 No. 1, Op 59 No. 2, Op. 135, and Op. 132, and American composer George Walker’s Lyric for String Quartet.

Tell us about your long-standing residency at the Baruch University? How do you approach your interactions with the students?

"The quartet has been spending one week each semester at Baruch College Since 1986. The plan and long term funding for this innovative residency was put together between the Quartet members and Aaron and Freda Silberman. Aaron had graduated from Baruch on the GI Bill back in 1946 after serving in WW2. He and Freda became huge patrons of music in Pittsburgh where they settled but were large donors to Baruch and wanted to endow the gift of music to the liberal arts and business students there, many of whom were usually too busy to go out to concerts while they were studying and working.

The idea has been that we go to classes in any and all of the disciplines in the liberal arts - from psychology to Mathematics, World literature to music history. Everything. We play and speak with the students - usually making connections between the subject matter they are dealing with and the music and impetus behind the creation of the music we play.

It’s been a two way street in terms of satisfaction and meaning. The appreciation we and our art form have received from the students and Baruch College faculty and community over these 34 years has been enormously rewarding.

We also take a few hours every semester to read and record compositions from the students in the harmony and composition classes with Professor Philip Lambert. It’s a blast and seeing the expression on their faces when they hear their own works being played live in front of them is priceless!" said violinist Frederick Lifsitz.

Read the entire interview at this link.

SHARPS & FLATIRONS features Jeri Jorgensen's "Complete Beethoven Violin Sonatas"

HEARING BEETHOVEN, THE 19TH-CENTURY WAY

Jorgensen and Bryant discuss their CD of Beethoven’s violin sonatas, played on period instruments.

By Izzy Fincher Nov. 22 at 1 p.m.

Listening to Beethoven on early 19th-century instruments is the next best thing to time travel.

On their CD recording of Beethoven’s sonatas for piano and violin (Albany Records TROY 1825–28), released in July 2020, violinist Jerilyn Jorgensen and pianist Cullan Bryant play all 10 sonatas on restored historical instruments, transporting listeners back in time to 19th-century Vienna.

As historical performance practice instrumentalists, Jorgensen, a member of Colorado College’s performance faculty, and Bryant, a chamber musician based in New York, are breaking new ground. They are the first duo from the United States to release Beethoven’s complete violin sonatas on period instruments from an American collection.

Their expertise in classical-era performance practice has led to invitations from the Historical Keyboard Society of North America in 2018 and 2021, performances at the National Music Museum in South Dakota, and an early-piano concert series in North Carolina.

In 2020, the 250th anniversary year of Beethoven’s birth, a year flooded with Beethoven recordings, their interpretation stands out, offering listeners an opportunity to hear Beethoven’s music as it sounded during his lifetime.

On a first or superficial listening, listeners may find the sonic differences between period and modern instruments rather subtle. But after learning about the historical context and the technological developments in instrument making, listeners will be better able to identify and appreciate the musical nuances.

“Playing on period instruments doesn’t lend one to being more academic in one’s interpretation,” Bryant says. “In fact, it’s quite the opposite. It invites more emotional involvement, and in the case of Beethoven, a little more insanity, a more romantic interpretation.

“The instrument is telling you how to play. It is telling you what it needs to express the music. You don’t play the same (as on modern instruments), and you gain a new insight into what Beethoven was looking for interpretively. It is precious.”

Read the entire article at this link.

Amsterdam News: Alexander String Quartet to honor composer George Walker: First African American to win Pulitzer for music

In the documentary Quincy, about the life of legendary music producer Quincy Jones, we learn that Jones studied with Nadia Boulanger, considered one of the best classical music instructors in the world. Jones wanted to be a classical composer but went on to become a leading jazz composer and R&B producer instead.

Classical music critic Alex Ross in a recent The New Yorker article wrote, “Will Marion Cook, Fletcher Henderson, Billy Strayhorn, and Nina Simone, among many others, had initially devoted themselves to classical-music studies. That jazz came to be called ‘America’s classical music’ was an indirect commentary on the whiteness of the concert world.”

It’s clear that racism undoubtedly had a hand in steering some classical music aspirants away from the discipline.

The fact, then, that George Walker, who also studied with Boulanger, was a classical musician his entire career, is all the more impressive. Born in Washington, D.C. in 1922, Walker began studying piano at five, and went on to become the first Black instrumentalist to perform at Manhattan’s Town Hall. It’s one of a list of other “firsts” too long to enumerate here other than to add that Walker was the first African American to win a Pulitzer Prize for music. Still, he remains relatively unknown despite his vast accomplishments. To say George Walker is woefully underappreciated, is an understatement.

The Alexander String Quartet (AST) will begin remedying that unfortunate fact this month, where they’ll perform some of Walker’s work in a series of virtual concerts presented by Baruch Performing Arts Center through Nov. 29.

Read the entire article here.

TransCentury Media reviews Orli Shaham's "Mozart Piano Sonatas Vol.1"

“There are many ways to arrange and release such a cycle – simply going through the numbered sonatas from one through 18 is the most straightforward – so it is interesting that the sequencing of Shaham’s cycle, or at least its first volume, is not numerical but strictly musical. This Canary Classics CD includes the three Mozart sonatas written in, yes, B-flat: K. 281, 333 and 570. The first of these dates to 1774, the second most likely to 1784, and the third to 1789; they thus span a considerable portion of Mozart’s compositional life. Interestingly, it is K. 281 that is in many respects the most virtuosic: it packs a great deal of display into its outer movements and considerable operatic emotionalism into its central Andante amoroso. Shaham is not a historic-performance pianist, and she does not hesitate to delve into the warmth and sustained beauty of which modern pianos are more capable than were the instruments of Mozart’s time. Yet she knows when to keep her touch light, as in the outer movements of this sonata, and she certainly knows how to handle ornamentation, which proliferates under her hands in this sonata and throughout the CD. There is perhaps a bit too much sustaining pedal in the finale of K. 281, but the overall lightness is there – despite being harder to achieve on a modern piano than on an instrument of Mozart’s time. In K. 333, the longest of these three sonatas, the operatic elements are most prominent in the opening movement, which glides along like a sweet little cabaletta until Mozart makes it something more pianistic. The second movement also has a singing quality – it is actually marked Andante cantabile – and Shaham makes the most of this element, just as she pays close attention to the gracefulness of a finale marked Allegretto grazioso. In K. 570, Shaham elegantly and warmly accentuates the gentle rocking motion underlying the first movement; presents the central Adagio in slow, lullaby-like manner, slightly lengthening the pauses between phrases; and brightens matters up significantly in a sprightly final Allegretto. These are very fine modern-piano performances, generally on the slow side compared with other readings of these works: Shaham enjoys exploring the emotional impact of the music and does not hesitate to select tempos and pianistic effects that enable her to do so. There is something charmingly old-fashioned about the result – which, among other things, shows quite neatly the many ways in which Mozart used the key of B-flat to bring out different feelings and emotions in these three sonatas.”

Take Effect reviews Orli Shaham's "Mozart Piano Sonatas, Vol.1"

The piano extraordinaire Orli Shaham has taken on an impressive project here, where she interprets the works of Mozart. On this first disc in a series of five, she offers us “K.281”, “K.333” and “K.570” in B-flat major, where each sonata unfolds with its own distinct voice amid much attention to detail.

“Piano Sonata In B-Flat Major No. 3, K.281” starts the listen with sublime piano acrobatics that often move at a furious pace, but also retreat to calmer ebbs, too, and “Piano Sonata In B-Flat Major No. 13, K.333” follows and leads as if it’s one of Mozart’s operas, where a highly melodic presence weaves in and out of gorgeous song craft that’s as stirring as it is fascinating.

“Piano Sonata In B-Flat Major No. 17, K.570” finishes the listen strong, where Shaham’s skills are nothing short of awe inspiring, often playing so meticulously, you’d think there were multiple pianos playing simultaneously.

Shaham certainly retains the artistic spirit of these classics, and injects plenty of drama, humor and adventurousness that will certainly keep us anticipating the next 15 sonatas of the this series.

TransCentury Media reviews Edward Smaldone's CD "Once and Again"

The five pieces by Edward Smaldone (born 1956) on a new release from New Focus Recordings show a similar level of interest in varying sonorities and instrumentation. Cantare di Amore (2009) is for soprano (Tony Arnold), flute (Tara Helen O’Connor), and harp (June Han). The flute and harp interconnect with sensitivity in all three songs, although the “swooning” sounds of the flute can be distracting; the voice, singing in Italian, is set with welcome clarity and without overly strained or overstated sounds – indeed, its expressiveness is welcome in a contemporary work, although its tonal language is certainly modern. Double Duo (1987/2006) is for flute (O’Connor), clarinet (Charles Neidich), violin (Daniel Phillips), and cello (Marcy Rosen). As the title indicates, this single-movement work handles the instruments mostly in pairs rather than as a quartet. Its rhythmic angularity is effective enough, although it does not fully explore the auditory differences among the participants. Letters from Home (2000/2007/2014) is a set of six movements, the sixth a reprise of the first, written for soprano (Susan Narucki), flute and piccolo (Judith Mendenhall), clarinet and bass clarinet (Neidich), and piano (Donald Pirone). The letters’ topics are mundane ones of the modern world, although hearing matters such as taxes, graduation gifts and familial relationships given the art-song treatment gives the work a certain pleasant piquancy. Duke/Monk (2011), a duet for clarinet (Neidich) and piano (Morey Ritt), offers two movements in different styles (hence the expository title), the first slow and improvisational in feeling, the second more strongly ornamented in the clarinet and with a more-intense woodwind focus. This set of chamber pieces is capped by a work for string orchestra: Sinfonia (1986/2010), played by the Brno Philharmonic Strings conducted by Mikel Toms. This piece is something of a disappointment, without the level of creativity in the other offerings on the disc and with the usual stop-and-start feeling that contemporary composers often use (generally, as here, with limited success) to pull audiences in different emotional directions. As a whole, the CD offers a good portrait of Smaldone’s varying interests in instrumental and vocal contrast, and his particular skill at writing for, blending and contrasting woodwinds – both with and without the human voice.

     Additional Smaldone works are offered on one-half of a two-CD set from Ablaze Records, the other disc being devoted to music by Douglas Knehans (born 1957). The four Smaldone pieces here continue to show his skill with chamber ensembles and his interest in reimagining traditional combinations of instruments. Rituals: Sacred and Profane is for flute (Nave Graham), cello (Yijia Fang), and piano (Matthew Umphreys), and balances the roles of the three instruments carefully: none truly dominates, and all have opportunities to take the material in their own directions. Suite is a three-movement piece for violin (Scott Jackson) and piano (Umphreys). Its movements are suitably differentiated and, as usual for a work with this title, not strongly related to each other: the first, Impromptu, is in large part an extended solo violin cadenza; the second, Adagio, is indeed slow-paced but not especially emotive; the third, Stephane’s Dance, is angular and irregular, with the two instruments often sounding at cross-purposes as if the dancer is somewhat awkward, or perhaps trying too hard to impress. Three Scenes from the Heartland is for solo piano (Umphreys) and is well-constructed in an impressionistic sense, with a broadly flowing Introduction, a short and bouncily dissonant Scherzo, and a concluding Nocturne that is quiet and generally soft enough, if not particularly restful in light of its meandering tonal relationships. This is followed on the CD by Double Duo in a slightly quicker performance than the one from New Focus. Here the performers are Graham on flute, Mikey Arbulu on clarinet, Jackson on violin, and Fang on cello. It is interesting to compare the two readings: this one is brighter and more propulsive, with stronger emphasis on passages that take instruments to the extremes of their ranges; the New Focus one is broader and less concerned with highlighting the sonic differences among the instruments, with the result that it sounds more like an ensemble piece. As for the other Ablaze Records disc, it offers four Knehans pieces – two of which call for larger forces and some more-exotic instrumentation than anything here from Smaldone. These two Knehans works are Bang and Falling Air, the former for sextet and electronics, the latter for sextet and sheng. Both are conducted by William R. Langley; the ensemble includes flute (Graham), clarinet (Arbulu), percussion (David Abraham), piano (Umphreys), violin (Jackson), and cello (Fang), with Hu Jianbing on sheng in Falling Air. Each piece is an 11-minute-or-so exploration of tonal and instrumental contrasts, with Bang integrating the electronics into the ensemble as if the non-acoustic material turns the sextet into a septet, and with Falling Air doing something similar with the sheng – not so much drawing attention to the difference between its sound and that of the Western instruments as presenting it as a distinctive member of the group that is nevertheless part of the totality rather than primus inter pares. The motivic and rhythmic material in these works is less notable than their sound: they convey no particular message, but are intriguing explorations of varying sonorities. Knehans also shows on this release shows that he does not need a chamber ensemble to make his points: Temple, a work for solo flute (played by Graham), goes on almost as long as the sextets-plus (nearly nine minutes) but manages a thorough exploration of the flute’s moods and capabilities – without turning the instrument into a parody of itself. Temple does not quite sustain through its entire length, but it has many very interesting elements and will be particularly captivating for flute players. Also on this disc is Lumen, a three-movement work for cello (Fang) and piano (Umphreys) that is somewhat overly expansive (24 minutes) and somewhat overly lugubrious: movements labeled Yearning, Strained, Exhaustedly Expressive and Lentissimo-Grave frame a short central one called Spinning that provides some relief of tempo but none from the work’s rather strained emotionalism. On the basis of this recording, both Knehans and Smaldone are quite adept at writing for the various instruments they select, but neither uses those instruments to convey any particularly compelling or consistent message to a potential audience beyond the distinctly limited one that is interested in contemporary composition for its own sake.

CineMusical reviews Georgina Rossi's CD "Mobili: Music for Viola and Piano from Chile"

Mobili takes its title from a significant work by Juan Orrego-Salas (1919-2019) that anchors this collection of music for viola by Chilean composers.  Violist Georgina Isabel Rossi’s program is a blend of works from the 1960s and the 21st Century exploring work by six composers.  Rossi is a Chilean-born performer who has performed throughout the Americas and is currently a member of the Hartford Symphony Orchestra.  She is joined here by Silvie Cheng who is known for her championing of new music and has recorded with her brother on the audite label.

The program is organized with the opening five works being shorter pieces and the larger multi-movement work serving as the conclusion with a brief encore-like piece to wrap things off.  Two pieces by Rafael Diaz (b.1962) open the album.  The first of these, Habra alguien que en sus manos sostenga este caer? (2009), is for amplified viola and uses a prayer-like folk melody from the Andes’ indigenous Pewenche people.  The arc of the piece is related to the “sonorities” of prayer and opens with a ascending cry that will shift to a more lyrical, contemplative section.  The outlines of the viola line suggest landscapes and there are musical gestures to also indicate bird calls.  The Chilean landscape also informs Diaz’s In the Depths of My Distance Your House Emerges (2013).  The composer’s ethnomusicological exploration of indigenous music is also present in this work.

The earliest work on the album is Carlos Botto’s (1923-2004) Fantaisie, Op, 15 (1962).  His work is among those combining modernist tendencies and references to more traditional forms and genres, of which this work is a fine example.  The open piano harmonies provide a careful underpinning of the almost romantic-like emotion of the solo line that moves into more intense segments as the motives of the piece are unpacked and explored in the work which has an excellent dramatic engagement whose episodic nature allows for a variety of challenges to overcome.  Federico Heinlein (1912-1999) counts among his teachers Nadia Boulanger.  His output focuses on poetic settings with the instrumental works often referencing poetry.  That is the case for his Duo “Do Not Go Gentle” (1985) which takes inspiration from a Dylan Thomas poem.  There are some really beautiful, folk-like romantic lines that provide a warm, emotional core to this music.   Tololo (2011) wraps up this first part of the program.  Originally for viola and string orchestra, this David Cortes (b. 1985) work takes its inspiration from the home of an important observatory on Mount Tololo.  The music follows the imagination of seeing through a telescope with its ability to see far and zoom in for new detail.

Mobili, Op. 63 is a four-movement work by Orrego-Salas (1967).  The first movement has a sparse piano accompaniment and focuses on a long, lyrical line that grows slowly upward.  The piano tends to provide signposts and will then revisit the material from the solo line, expanding the harmonic tension.  “Discontinuo” is a contrasting movement of jagged and angular writing.  Interaction between the soloist becomes heightened here adding to a sense of unease that keeps things on edge.  In “Ricorrente”, seems to blend a seeking out and have a veiled reference to ricercare, with its somewhat staggered commentary between the soloist and piano.  The motivic idea introduced is expanded and explored between the two which sometimes come together.  The longest movement of the four, it seems to also hold a stronger emotional core which is mined well here by Rossi.  Things are wrapped up with a brilliant “Perpetuo” movement to provide more technical and virtuosic challenges.

As a bonus track, the program concludes with a transcription of the song El Sampredrino (1968) by the composer often called the Argentinean Schubert, Carlos Guastavino (1912-2000).  His music fits into the more folk-inspired styles (a la Ginastera) with nods to the post-romantics.  It makes for a touching conclusion.

While the music here tends toward more modernist contemporary qualities, the expressiveness of these pieces is captured beautifully by Rossi who navigates these moments of lyricism with beautiful playing.  Her articulation for the rapid passage moments also works to aid the dramatic contrasts of the pieces on this program.  The careful placement of these works also gradually expands the tonal palette so that the ear adjusts to the open, modern harmonies.  When the music introduces a more romantic-tinged line, they stand out in stunning contrast to the quartal/quintal harmonic piano accompaniment which is handled equally well by Cheng.  Perhaps it is the warm tone of the viola which also makes this album further inviting and certainly worth a look for those interested in expanding their musical world.  Sound quality is excellent with a perfect balance of soloist and piano, both imaged well in the sonic picture.  The piano has a nice warm quality with just enough ambience to warm things up and keep them from being to dry.  This is due as much to the excellent performances that are captured in this fine release.