Out today: Canadian Brass - "Hallelujah" by Leonard Cohen

New from Canadian Brass: Canadiana

Album featuring some of the most beloved Canadian songwriters released on Nov. 12

Single released on Sept 28: Leonard Cohen's "Hallelujah"

Listen to "Hallelujah"/pre-order album at this link

[Canadian Brass] .... still sounding fresh, still attracting young virtuosos and, above all, still having fun with the music. —Tom Huizenga, NPR

The new recording by Canadian Brass - the most celebrated and enduring brass quintet in history - is the iconic ensemble's first ever all-Canadian album. Canadiana is released on November 12, 2021 (Linus Entertainment, 270596), adding to their impressive catalogue of over 130 recordings.

On September 28, Leonard Cohen's "Hallelujah" will be released as a single. This track represents a reunion of sorts, with a host of former members of Canadian Brass joining the quintet for this treasured tune.

On Canadiana, Canadian Brass celebrates the popular Canadian artists that the group loves to listen to, and has impressed them through their career. Canadiana includes songs by Leonard Cohen, Joni Mitchell, Drake, H.E.R., Shawn Mendes, Rush, Bruce Cockburn, Deadmau5, k.d. lang, and Lara Fabian.

"While we were busy practicing our repertoire and honing our craft, we were also listening to these incredible songs as they were released. We now have the incredible opportunity to play these songs ourselves. This recording project gave us a chance to explore the music generated by the great artists that have been around us throughout our performing career."

The ensemble enlisted their trumpet player and in-house arranger Brandon Ridenour to breathe new life into the selected works. Additionally, the album features Grammy award winning Attacca Quartet member Nathan Schram (for Drake's "Laugh Now, Cry Later"), internationally-beloved guitarist and singer Bruce Cockburn on his own "Thoughts on a Rainy Afternoon", Juno-winning jazz trumpet player Ingrid Jensen (Joni Mitchell's "Both Sides, Now") as well as guitarist Sean Kelly and percussionist Tim Timleck ("2112 Overture" by Rush).

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

These are the men who put brass music on the map with their unbeatable blend of virtuosity, spontaneity and humor. —Washington Post

Canadiana

Canadian Brass
Achilles Liarmakopoulos, trombone
Jeff Nelsen, horn
Caleb Hudson, trumpet
Brandon Ridenour, trumpet
Chuck Daellenbach, tuba

with special guests Nathan Schram (beat production); Bruce Cockburn (guitar, vocals); Ingrid Jensen (trumpet); Sean Kelly (guitar) and Tim Timleck (percussion)

Linus Entertainment #270596

Release date: November 12, 2021

"Hallelujah" released as single September 28, 2021

Canadian Brass playing songs from Canada... Is there anything more Canadian?

Pre-order Canadiana
View Canadian Brass's Digital Press Kit
Request a copy of this CD

TRACKS
[01] Je Me Souviens (Originally recorded by Lara Fabian) 02:49
[02] Senorita (Originally recorded by Shawn Mendes) 03:11
[03] Constant Craving (Originally recorded by k.d. lang) 03:26
[04] Both Sides, Now (Originally recorded by Joni Mitchell)* 06:12
[05] I Remember (Originally recorded by Deadmau5) 04:39
[06] Laugh Now, Cry Later (Originally recorded by Drake)** 03:37
[07] Overture 2112 (Originally Recorded by Rush)*** 03:11
[08] Best Part (Originally recorded by Daniel Cesar & H.E.R.) 05:14
[09] 13th Mountain (Originally recorded by Bruce Cockburn) 03:29
[10] Thoughts on a Rainy Afternoon (Originally Recorded by Bruce Cockburn)**** 03:27
[11] Hallelujah (Originally recorded by Leonard Cohen) 03:36

*With Juno-winning jazz trumpet player Ingrid Jensen
**Beat production by Grammy award winning Attacca quartet member Nathan Schram
***With Sean Kelly (guitar) and Tim Timleck (percussion)
****With Bruce Cockburn (guitar, vocals)

Canadian Brass has been a formidable force in the world of Chamber Music since its 1970 inception. The group has been hailed as the “Kings of Brass” by the press as it singlehandedly established brass as a major influence on the classical music scene. The young players in the ensemble today are inheritors of this long tradition, inaugurated over fifty years ago, having grown up with the sound and style of Canadian Brass as a model. With a discography of over 130 albums and an extensive worldwide touring schedule, Canadian Brass is an important pioneer in bringing brass music to mass audiences everywhere. They have sold well over 2 million albums worldwide.

Insider Interview with Molly Fillmore

Soprano Molly Fillmore brings the words of Edna St. Vincent Millay, Emily Dickinson, Carl Sandburg and others to life on Bold Beauty, a new recording of vocal works by Juliana Hall (Blue Griffin Recording, BGR559, released September 24, 2021). In this insider interview, she talks about the album, her love of poetry, discovering brilliant women artists, and the creative process.

How did you meet and get to know Juliana Hall? 

In 2016, Elvia Puccinelli and I were invited to do a benefit concert for the Emily Dickinson Museum in Amherst, Massachusetts.  Our program included some songs from Juliana’s Syllables of Velvet, Sentences of Plush, which is music composed to letters written by Emily Dickinson.  When the time came to find a composer for the project, I sent Juliana a proposal which included my poems and samples of the visual artists’ work, and she accepted the project. 

What interests you about her work? 

I can tell that she spends considerable time considering texts – from her text choices, to the way she musically inflects words.  One can tell that each word is carefully considered in her compositions. 

Tell us about Cameos  - the six poems you wrote that highlight the works of 6 women painters. 
Were these artists you already knew about? How did you choose these artists as your inspiration?

These were all new artists to me.  I wanted to find artists who were not ‘household names’, like Georgia O’Keefe, but who were certainly worthy of being so.  

I went to a library and a used book store and searched through many artist’s catalogs, focusing on women.  I was not necessarily looking for American female artists, but it ended up that way.  

What’s your relationship with poetry? Do you write poetry often, or was this something new to you (to write the poems that became the lyrics in Cameos)? 

I love the freedom of structure that poetry offers, and yes, I have written other poems, but more personal rather than about people.  My initial thought was to hire a writer, but as I spent time with the work of these magnificent artists, the poems just came to me. 

How did you work with Juliana Hall to create these songs?

We worked independently;  I had written the poems when I approached her about the project, and she liked them in their form ‘as is’ and so she took them and composed from there. 

What do you hope people take away from the Cameos work, or the album as a whole? 

My goal for the Cameos cycle was to draw attention to these wonderful visual artists. If anyone looks up their artwork because they saw a name on the album, then I will be very happy about that. Also, there are so many other quality poems and musical gifts, courtesy of Juliana and the amazing writers she chose: Millay, Dickinson, Sandburg, Lowell… I think the album offers much, and I am grateful to have had a part in its creation.

Soprano Molly Fillmore releases album of works by Juliana Hall

Soprano Molly Fillmore releases new collection of songs by

Juliana Hall on Blue Griffin Recording

Settings of texts by Edna St. Vincent Millay, Emily Dickinson, Carl Sandburg

Includes world premiere recording of "Cameos" – six songs on poetry by Fillmore herself, each inspired by a woman artist

“​a remarkably clear and dynamic soprano” – The Baltimore Sun

Soprano Molly Fillmore brings the words of Edna St. Vincent Millay, Emily Dickinson, Carl Sandburg and others to life on Bold Beauty, a new recording of vocal works by Juliana Hall (Blue Griffin Recording, BGR559, released September 24, 2021). Joined by pianist Elvia Puccinelli, Ms. Fillmore gives luscious performances of "Letters from Edna," "Symbols of Velvet, Sentences of Plush" (on letters from Emily Dickinson), and "Theme in Yellow" (with texts by Amy Lowell, Edna St. Vincent Millay, and Carl Sandburg).

Fillmore commissioned composer Juliana Hall to write the music to Fillmore’s own poems, Cameo, and the world premiere recording is included on this album. Inspired by Francis Poulenc's Le travail du peintre and an episode of PBS' Antiques Roadshow, Ms. Fillmore’s mission is to draw attention to the works of six female American painters (Sarah Albritton, Kay WalkingStick, Nellie Mae Rowe, Alice Dalton Brown, Agnes Pelton, and Corita Kent) from the last century. She says, “They challenged prescribed roles and expectations - they needed to be bold.”

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

"Juliana Hall has set herself apart as a composer devoted to the art song.. [and she gives] fresh life to the concept of the American art song" – Fanfare

"Bold Beauty"
Songs by Juliana Hall

Molly Fillmore, soprano
Elvia Puccinelli, piano

Blue Griffin Recording (BGR559)
Release date: September 24, 2021

Read/download liner notes
View Molly Fillmore's Digital Press Kit
Request a copy of this CD

TRACKS

LETTERS FROM EDNA (1993)
8 songs for Mezzo Soprano and Piano, on letters of Edna St. Vincent Millay
[01] To Mr. Ficke and Mr. Bynner 4:46
[02] To Arthur Davison Ficke (1913) 2:54
[03] To Anne Gardner Lync 3:10
[04] To Harriet Monroe 1:29
[05] To Norma Millay 0:51
[06] To Arthur Davison Ficke (1943) 2:10
[07] To Arthur Davison Ficke (1930) 0:41
[08] To Mother 3:40

SYLLABLES OF VELVET, SENTENCES OF PLUSH (1989)
7 songs for Soprano and Piano, on letters of Emily Dickinson
[09] To Eudocia C. Flynt 1:23
[10] To T.W. Higginson 3:22
[11] To Emily Fowler (Ford) 2:04
[12] To Samuel Bowles the younger 1:52
[13] To Eugenia Hall 0:46
[14] To Susan Gilbert (Dickinson) I 2:25
[15] To Susan Gilbert (Dickinson) II 1:38

THEME IN YELLOW (1990)
6 Songs for Mezzo Soprano and Piano, on poems by Amy Lowell, Edna St. Vincent Millay, and Carl Sandburg
[16] Song 1:55
[17] Ripe Corn 1:26
[18] November 1:56
[19] Theme in Yellow 1:34
[20] Splinter 1:10
[21] Haze Gold 2:02

CAMEOS (2018)
6 Songs for Mezzo Soprano and Piano, on poems by Molly Fillmore
[22] Sarah Albritton 2:35
[23] Kay WalkingStick 3:10
[24] Nellie Mae Rowe 2:06
[25] Alice Dalton Brown 2:06
[26] Agnes Pelton 3:58
[27] Corita Kent 3:09

About the Artists

Molly Fillmore, Professor of Voice at the University of North Texas and Chair of the Division of Vocal Studies, made her Metropolitan Opera debut in their newest Ring Cycle, and also appeared at the Met in a principal role in Satyagraha. Other engagements include San Francisco Opera, Seattle Opera, Washington National Opera, the Spoleto Festival, and twenty-five roles with Cologne Opera. She was a soloist with the Boston Symphony, Seattle Symphony, Detroit Symphony, at Carnegie Hall, Avery Fisher Hall, and the Kennedy Center.

Dr. Elvia Puccinelli is active as a pianist and coach throughout the country. She is a is an accomplished organist, harpsichordist, and choral conductor. She currently teaches at the University of Southern California and is on the coaching staffs of the University of California, Irvine and the Opera Works Summer Intensive Program.

American art song specialist Juliana Hall has composed some 60 song cycles, monodramas, and works of vocal chamber music described as “brilliant” (Washington Post), “beguiling” (Times of London), and “the most genuinely moving music of the afternoon” (Boston Globe) for renowned singers Brian Asawa, Stephanie Blythe, Molly Fillmore, Anthony Dean Griffey, Zachary James, David Malis, Randall Scarlata, Dawn Upshaw, and Kitty Whately. Hall’s music has been presented at Carnegie Hall, the Library of Congress, St. Paul’s Cathedral, and Wigmore Hall.

Portland Press Herald: Victoria Bond on "Blue and Green Music"

Composer draws inspiration from Georgia O’Keeffe

One hundred years ago, O'Keeffe turned music into painting. Now composer Victoria Bond is doing the reverse. Bond's work is meant to evoke the painting's themes.

By Bob Keyes, Portland Press Herald

Victoria Bond carved time out of her musical obligations in 2019 to visit the Art Institute of Chicago. She was there to conduct a concert, and wanted to see the painting “Blue and Green Music” by Georgia O’Keeffe. She had a commission from the Cassatt String Quartet, and knowing the quartet was inspired by the painter Mary Cassatt, Bond thought it would be appropriate to write music inspired by a visual artist.

She intended to select multiple paintings to write multiple movements for a single piece, but settled on a single painting by O’Keeffe.

“I was so taken by the painting — its many details, its many implications, it ambiguity — it spoke to me so directly, I decided, ‘I am going to write the whole piece based on this painting,'” she said in a phone interview. “I think the security guard got a little annoyed with me. I was standing there and sitting there, taking pictures and moving around, for about an hour, just absorbing it. There is a huge difference between the original and the reproductions. I wanted to be able to absorb the actual colors and textures and the vibrancy of the original artwork. As I looked at it, ideas started to come to me.”

Maine audiences will have multiple opportunities to hear the manifestation of Bond’s musical ideas when the Cassatt String Quartet performs the piece three times in the weeks ahead as part of the Seal Bay Music Festival. The Cassatt is the resident quartet of the festival, and will perform it on Vinalhaven on Aug. 16, in Belfast on Aug. 18 and in Portland on Aug. 19. In addition, the quartet will perform movements from the piece privately at retirement homes and other residences across the state, as it has done several times already this summer.

“This piece brings so much joy to people,” said Muneko Otani, first violinist of the Cassatt. “My job doesn’t pay much, but it’s the best job because it brings such happiness.”

O’Keeffe made the painting around 1920, during a time when she experimented with oils to explore “the idea that music could be translated into something for the eye.” Her blue and green colors suggest the natural world, and her hard painted edges and soft, wavy lines of color evoke both a sense of sense of order and growing euphoria, simultaneous emotions consistent with music. With her piece, Bond is trying to do the opposite of O’Keeffe, by translating something for the eye into music.

The original inspiration was visual, but the musical composition is not a one-to-one relationship with the painting but an evocation of its themes, Bond said. “Georgia O’Keeffe said, ‘Because I cannot sing, I paint.’ With this painting, she set up two colors in dynamic with each other. I won’t say in opposition, but in dynamic. I wanted to set up that dynamic with two musical themes, so the whole piece is based on those themes,” she said.

Her musical themes stand in harmony and apart in four movements, titled “Blue and Green,” “Green,” “Blue” and “Dancing Colors.”

Bond has written operas (“Mrs. President” is among the notables), ballets and orchestral works. The New York City Opera, New York Philharmonic and American Ballet Theater are among the cultural institutions that have performed her music. She has been the principal guest conductor of Chamber Opera Chicago since 2005, and she founded the Cutting Edge Concerts New Music Festival in New York in 1988 and still serves as its artistic director.

The Cassatt String Quartet commissioned Bond to write the piece after receiving a Chamber Music America commissioning grant. This is her second piece for the quartet, which is based in New York. Otani described the music as “imaginative. We have commissioned a thousand new works in the last 30 years, and her work always stands out because of its rhythm, harmony and the colors of her sounds.”

Bond will attend the performances in Maine and talk about the music before the quartet performs it. “I believe, and they believe, it is very important to have the presence of the composer. If the composer is at all articulate, it offers a way into the work. People are hearing it for the first time. It’s a new language. It’s unfamiliar. Talking about it is a way of bridging the gap,” she said. “People are so used to hearing music written by composers who are no longer alive, and mostly men.”

IF YOU GO

WHAT: Seal Bay Festival, featuring “Blue and Green Music” by Victoria Bond

WHEN, WHERE: 7 p.m. Aug. 16, Vinalhaven School, Smith Hokanson Memorial Hall,22 Arcola Lane, Vinalhaven, free with $10 suggested donation; 7 p.m. Aug. 18, Waterfall Arts, 256 High St., Belfast, $10; 7:30 p.m. Aug. 19, Mechanics’ Hall, 519 Congress St., Portland, $15

TICKETS & INFO: sealbayfestival.org/concerts and mechanicshallmaine.org/programming

Insider Interview with pianist Inna Faliks

Pianist Inna Faliks’ new album Reimagine: Beethoven and Ravel features her performance of Beethoven's Bagatelles, op. 126, alongside works she commissioned by Paola Prestini, Timo Andres, Billy Childs, Richard Danielpour, and half a dozen others to respond musically to Ravel's Gaspard de la Nuit and the Bagatelles. In our insider interview, we spoke with her about the album, the commissioning process, and connecting the past with the future.

How did you get the idea to commission composers using these particular works as a jumping off point?

I wanted to create bridges between the past and the present, but without making it feel as though the composers were being asked to recreate something or to make something that exhibits particular reverence. The works I chose were meant to be used as a jumping-off point, an inspiration. The Beethoven year was around the corner, when I started planning this, four years ago – and nothing seemed more appropriate than the Bagatelles opus 126. They are his last masterpiece for the piano, and have so much richness, whimsy, transcendence, humor, experimentation – in tiny four minute works!

As the project expanded, I wanted to also include larger works, and turned towards Gaspard de la Nuit by Maurice Ravel. The triptych itself was based on three poems, so, with my Music/Words series background, it seemed like a natural fit for this project. Gaspard was on my first recording, Sound of Verse, on MSR Classics, and is one of the staples of my repertoire. I thought it would be a fantastic challenge and inspiration for the great composers whom I asked to take part of the project. There is so much in these poems and in this music, and I knew these composers would jump in and treat the material as seed of an idea. Indeed, I feel they created profound new works for the piano repertoire.

What fascinates you about this idea of connecting the past with the future via compositions that are inspired by other works?

I love the variation form. I also love to draw connections between different artforms and have done this for a big portion of my performance career – poetry with music, theatre with monologue, etc. To me, this type of connection feels inevitable. It helps the audience make aural, sensory, literary connections between then and now, and also hopefully erases this feeling of “old” music vs. “new” music. It’s all living, breathing music – and composers who write or wrote it were and are living, breathing human beings. Sometimes we tend to forget that.

How has your understanding of the original works been informed or changed by these new works? ie, did you gain a deeper insight after this process?

I tried not to impose my interpretation or view of Beethoven or Ravel onto the new pieces, but rather approach them with total freshness. This made for an interesting dialogue. It was fun finding clues, in character, form, color, to the originals but I wouldn’t say that I tried to play the new Bagatelles like the Beethoven Bagatelles. I tried to capture the individual voices of all the composers.

Both Timo Andres and Billy Childs found underlying themes surrounding race in the original works that informed their compositions. As the person who commissioned these works, how involved were you were throughout the process? What kinds of conversations were you having as the pieces were being written?

I let the composers do what they wanted and stayed out of the process, just waiting for the completed works. I didn’t want to influence or pressure them in any way. Only when the pieces were near finished did we meet and go through them, and sometimes changed small details.

The subject matter from Timo and Billy was coincidental and therefore much more moving than if we had actually planned it that way with both of them. Both just “went there{“, because they could not NOT go there. And I found that to be overwhelmingly powerful.

You commissioned six UCLA composers – in other words, six of your colleagues. Tell us about the similarities and/or differences of the composers in this group.

These are six phenomenal voices – and all are so different. Peter Golub writes for film, primarily, but also has lots of great stand along piano music. His Bagatelle had so much playfulness – a perfect opener for the album. The piece begins, then goes off course, then back on track, then changes its mind. It’s vivid and full of whimsy, just like the entire cycle of Bagatelles.

Tamir Hendelman’s Bagatelle is jagged and jazzy – he is a jazz pianist and composer! It’s also lyrical, and takes the Beethoven idea to far out places while keeping the buzzy energy alive.

Richard Danielpour and I have collaborated a lot. He has a special love for the piano, and is a wonderful pianist himself. I premiered his Bagatelle cycle two seasons ago, with this Bagatelle as part of the cycle, and had my UCLA students play all his Preludes. In the coming seasons, I will be recording his Bagatelle cycles, along with a premiere of a Variations set written for me. His writing is sensuous, rich, gorgeous, very pianistic – it feels so good to play. This particular piece delves into much more dark realms than the Beethoven but, like the Beethoven, has elements of transcendence.

Ian Krouse wrote probably the most difficult piece of the set – it is a Fugue and an Etude, masterfully crafted, and just really wild, jagged and cool. Like the Beethoven, there are two sections that alternate – energetic and driven; and cosmic, quiet, and dreamlike. Ian’s harmonies reminded me of his Armenian Requiem, an absolutely incredible choral work he wrote a few years ago.

Mark Carlson’s piece is dreamy, beautiful, shining – it’s such a pleasure to play. It seamlessly weaves into the Beethoven which is sweetly innocent.

Finally, David Lefkowitz kept the form of Beethoven’s original, but his harmonic language is so surprising and interesting that it feels entirely new. It works wonderfully as a pairing with the last Bagatelle, and the ending to the group.

What do you hope listeners will take away from this album?

I hope they will fall in love with the new works like I did. I also hope they can hear Beethoven, recorded many times already, in a new way. Finally, I hope they seek out my Gaspard de la Nuit recording and hear it as well!

UrbanArias commissions dramatic song cycle for the 100th anniversary of the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier

Creative team includes acclaimed composer Shawn Okpebholo, poet laureate Marcus Amaker and baritone Michael Mayes

Oct. 5: World premiere at The Barns at Wolf Trap

Nov. 11: Online premiere available worldwide

UNKNOWN is a song cycle honoring the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at Arlington National Cemetery, on the centennial of its founding.

On November 11, 2021 - the 100th anniversary of the Tomb - a film incorporating footage of the world premiere performance of UNKNOWN with dramatic and historical scenes will be released online for a limited one-week run.

UrbanArias, an opera company based in Arlington, Virginia, commissioned the composer Shawn Okpebholo and the poet Marcus Amaker to write a song cycle for this occasion. The two had previously collaborated on an acclaimed work, Two Black Churches.

Two Black Churches by Shawn Okpebholo and Marcus Amaker

UNKNOWN explores the ideas of war, honor, and memory through the eyes of soldiers, family members, and Tomb Guards who are connected to each other and the Tomb through their mutual service and sacrifice. The Tomb Guards' motto, “Soldiers never die until they are forgotten. Tomb Guards never forget,” captures the solemn and profound significance of their duty.

The world premiere performance of UNKNOWN is on Tuesday, October 5, 2021, 7:30 pm, at the Barns at Wolf Trap in Vienna, Virginia. Featured performers are baritones Michael Mayes and Schyler Vargas and mezzo-soprano Taylor Raven, accompanied by members of the Inscape Chamber Orchestra, conducted by Robert Wood, the Founder and Artistic Director of UrbanArias. Details and ticket information are at WolfTrap.org.

The online premiere of the film of UNKNOWN is on Monday, November 11, 2021, the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. The film is available for on-demand streaming on UrbanArias website through November 18, 2021. Access is free.

Co-commissioning companies include Wolf Trap Foundation for the Performing Arts, Opera Colorado, Minnesota Opera, The Dallas Opera, and Opera Birmingham. Major support for the commission is also provided by Stephen E. and Dorothy P. Bird of Denver, CO.

Biographies

A widely sought-after and award-winning composer, Shawn E. Okpebholo (oh-PEB-low) Okpebholo creates music that is diverse, dynamic, and genuine. He has been described by Augusta Read Thomas as "...a beautiful artist ...who has enormous grace in his music, and fantasy and color." His artistry has resulted in numerous prizes and honors, including The American Academy of Arts and Letters Walter Hinrichsen Award in Music, First Place Winner of the 2020 American Prize in Composition (professional/wind band division), the Inaugural Awardee of the Leslie Adams-Robert Owens Composition Award, and many others. He is Professor of Music Composition and Theory at Wheaton College Conservatory of Music in Illinois.

Marcus Amaker was named Charleston, SC’s first Poet Laureate in 2016. In 2021, he became an Academy of American Poets fellow. He’s also the award-winning graphic designer of a national music journal (No Depression), an electronic musician, the creator of a poetry festival, and a mentor. In 2019, he won a Governor’s Arts award in South Carolina, and was named the artist-in-residence of the Gaillard Center, a world-renowned performance and education venue. His poetry has been studied in classrooms around the country, and has been interpreted for ballet, jazz, modern dance, opera and theater. Marcus has recorded three albums with Grammy Award winning drummer and producer Quentin E. Baxter. His ninth book is Black Music Is, from Free Verse Press.

UrbanArias is dedicated to comissioning and producing short, contemporary operas – works that are up to 90 minutes long, and written within the last 25 years. UrbanArias brings engaging, accessible, and entertaining operas to audiences in the Washington, DC area and around the globe.

Insider Interview with pianist Andrea Botticelli

For her debut album, “A Voice From the Distance,” the pianist Andrea Botticelli drew her inspiration from a predecessor of the modern keyboard, the fortepiano. Featuring works by Franz Schubert, Carl Czerny, and Robert and Clara Schumann, the album highlights many works from the Romantic period – both classics and lesser known gems – that are rarely performed on a historic instrument. In our insider interview with Ms. Botticelli, we spoke with her about this historic recording, all things early keyboards, the recording process, and more.

What first drew you to perform on period instruments?  

Most of my training in music school was as a modern pianist, but one summer as a doctoral student, I attended a Baroque music summer program and it was there that I tried a fortepiano for the first time. I was struck by how each historical instrument speaks in its own individual voice! I also thought it was refreshing and revelatory to hear music that I thought I knew well, played with a striking, fascinating, and ultimately convincing sound. I felt I understood more about the music and the composers’ intentions by playing on these instruments.  

How different is the technique between modern piano and earlier keyboards? 

Historical keyboards require an adjustment in the player’s touch to the shallower, lighter keys. The instruments respond to a very caressing touch that would be often too superficial on a modern piano. Along with the altered technique, you hear different sounds that present different possibilities and directions for interpretation. For instance, the excessively slow, ponderous tempi that are seductive on instruments with a thicker, deeper bass and more sustain don’t work on historical pianos; one must create an equally expressive interpretation using different means and differently paced musical gestures.  

Do you have any advice for pianists who are interested in a career in historically informed performance?  

My main advice would be to research and play as many different keyboard instruments as possible; learn to speak their diverse languages. Historical performance is a field of musical “pioneers” willing to go out on an artistic limb for what they believe. I would say that one needs an insatiable curiosity and the desire to find your own answers to musical questions. 

Tell me about the instrument that you recorded A Voice in the Distance on, at the Banff Centre in Canada.  

The fortepiano used in this recording, built by Rodney Regier in 2014, is a replica of a typical Viennese fortepiano from the 1830’s built by Conrad Graf. He was arguably the most accomplished and well-known builder in Vienna at the time and his instruments typify the 19th century Viennese piano ideal, an instrument whose sound and dimensions composers of the time would have known well.  

There are variations in sound quality between the different registers of a fortepiano, such as a speaking or singing middle register; a thin, reedy upper register; and a lighter, clearer bass. The Viennese fortepiano also features a lighter and shallower action, rendering it very responsive and capable of nuances of sound and shaping. Nineteenth century fortepianos often featured a wider selection of pedals, tone-modifying devices that added extra colours and effects to the fundamental piano sound. This fortepiano features a damper pedal, an una corda pedal, and a third pedal known as the moderator. When this pedal is depressed, a piece of felt is inserted between the hammers and strings to sweetly mute the sound and create an intimate whisper in soft passages. Finally, playing this repertoire on the 6.5-octave range of the instrument (newly expanded from the 5.5- and 6-octave instruments that were common in the early decades of the 19th century) restores the excitement of the rhetorical gesture that utilizes the very lowest to the very highest notes of the keyboard. As a performer, you can once again feel the enthusiasm and excitement of musicians using the instruments to their limit. In this debut fortepiano recording of Schumann's Novellette in F-sharp minor, Op. 21 No. 8, one feels the drama of challenging these new instrumental possibilities with music that exploits its full capabilities. 

What significance does the album title, A Voice in the Distance, have? Why do you use the German title, Stimme aus der Ferne? 

The title of the album, “Stimme aus der Ferne - A Voice From the Distance” refers to an indication written in the score of the Novellette, by Robert Schumann. Amid a tumultuous and highly varied movement, the music suddenly becomes tender and intimate. The lyrical melody from the Notturno by Clara Schumann becomes the “voice from the distance” that Robert quotes, as though the beloved theme drifts into his mind as he is composing: a poetic illustration of the presence of Clara, in thought and in music. 

How did you choose the album’s repertoire?  

The repertoire on the album was carefully chosen to highlight the Banff fortepiano’s unique expressive capabilities. First of all, I chose lyrical music that I really love! I also wanted to showcase the music of a range of composers; each piece reveals how they used the sonority of the instrument in their own way. The pairing of the last two pieces by Clara and Robert Schumann was my way of highlighting their deep human and artistic connection.   

What textures does the fortepiano add to the album’s repertoire that you wouldn’t hear when playing the same pieces on a modern piano?  What differences or nuances do you hope the listener picks up on? 

The registration and sound of the fortepiano add a clarity to the repertoire and a distinct character to musical themes written in different parts of the keyboard. For instance, in Variations on a Theme by Rode, Czerny highlights the transparent, sparkling upper register of the instrument by writing extended passages of virtuosity and brilliance. There is also an increased range of softer dynamic levels when using the full range of pedals on the fortepiano. In the second movement of the Schubert sonata, I interchange passages using the soft una corda pedal and the even softer moderator to create an added layer of intimacy. I have also used this pedal to create an extra quiet and ethereal effect in moments of Schumann’s Papillons and Novellette.  

Tell me about the special connection between the final two pieces on the album – Robert Schumann’s Novellette and Clara Schumann’s Notturno. 

Although Clara Schumann herself downplayed or doubted her compositional gifts during her life, her musical themes are often present in Robert Schumann’s music, quoted and used as a springboard for his imagination. In the structure of Robert Schumann’s Novellette, Clara’s theme is the only melodic link between the two main sections of the piece. Her theme surfaces as a private reverie and then returns transformed at the triumphant climax. I believe these two pieces by Clara and Robert Schumann are linked for the first time on this recording and I wanted to highlight this artistic connection between the two musicians. This concept of creative synergy is very much reflected in the repertoire of this disc. 

Complete piano works by Debussy, 1903-1907

Pianist Mathilde Handelsman's debut recording highlights a critical turning point in Claude Debussy's career

Debussy's complete works for piano from 1903 -1907 includes Images Books I and II, Estampes, L'Isle Joyeuse and more

“[Pianist Mathilde Handelsman's] calm technical mastery, immediate understanding of balance, nuance, colors, her sense of natural respiration honored the composer.” – Dernières Nouvelles d'Alsace

French-American pianist Mathilde Handelsman released her debut recording, Debussy: Images on the label Sheva Collection (2019). The album contains Claude Debussy's complete works for piano from 1903-07, including Images Books I and II, Estampes, Masques, D'un cahier d'esquiesses, and L'isle joyeuse.

Collectively, the works represent Debussy's turn towards writing more impressionistic and abstract works. His visit to the Exposition Universelles in Paris in 1899 had a tremendous impact on him. There he heard music from around the world, including Javanese gamelan music and flamenco, and incorporated these new influences into his own compositions. These are represented most apparently in the Estampes, with movement titles such as "Pagodas" and "The Evening in Granada," but is prevalent musically throughout all of the works on this album.

This musical connection between the pieces was very intuitive to Ms. Handelsman. "As a pianist, I sensed a common thread among these pieces, a unity pervading this period in Debussy's oeuvre for piano. Before I could intellectualize it, it was a feeling under my fingers."

For the recording, Ms. Handelsman was looking for a sound that was different from a modern piano. In a small town in France, she found a Steinway from Debussy's time (1875). "I wanted something with character and that piano definitely had a lot of character. There’s something a little bit different about the sound that comes out in the recording, and I wanted that for Debussy’s music."

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

"Handelsman was particularly fine at her piano, lacing her notes with soft pedal touches that allowed each note to flow graciously" – Boston Concert Reviews

Debussy: Images
Mathilde Handelsman, piano

Sheva Collection (SH234)
Released: September 25, 2019

Read/download liner notes
View Mathilde Handelsman's Digital Press Kit
Request a copy of this CD

TRACKS
All works by Claude Debussy

Images, Book 1, L. 110
[01] No. 1. Reflets dans l'eau (Reflections in the water) 05:47
[02] No. 2. Hommage à Rameau (Tribute to Rameau) 07:01
[03] No. 3. Mouvement (Movement) 03:52

Estampes, L. 100
[04] No. 1. Pagodes (Pagodas) 05:46
[05] No. 2. La soirée dans Grenade (Evening in Granada) 05:22
[06] No. 3. Jardins sous la pluie (Gardens in the Rain) 03:47

Images, Book 2, L. 111
[07] No. 1. Cloches à travers les feuilles (Bells through the leaves) 04:28
[08] No. 2. Et la lune descend sur le temple qui fut (And the moon descends on the temple that was) 05:21
[09] No. 3. Poissons d'or (Golden fishes) 04:06

[10] Masques, L. 105 04:53

[11] D'un cahier d'esquisses (From a sketchbook), L. 99 05:06

[12] L'isle joyeuse (The joyful island) , L. 106 06:27

The concert pianist Mathilde Handelsman is recognized for her “calm technical control, extraordinary vigor, and flawless musicality,” (Dernières Nouvelles d’Alsace). Born and raised in Paris, she came to the United States in 2015 to study with the legendary pianist Menahem Pressler.

Her début album, Images (Sheva Collection, released 2019) contains the complete works of Claude Debussy from 1903 to 1907. Passionate about French music and modern repertoire in general, Mathilde has given lectures on Debussy at international conferences and champions the piano works of Roger Boutry (Grand Prix de Rome, 1954).

Her career has taken her across Europe and the United States as a soloist, chamber musician, and orchestral pianist, and she has performed with conductors Seiji Ozawa, Thomas Adès, and Stefan Asbury, among others. Festival appearances include Tanglewood Music Center, Sarasota Music Festival and Pianofest in the Hamptons. Mathilde Handelsman is Resident Artist and Piano Faculty at the University of New Hampshire, and has published two volumes of poetry.

Pianist Andrea Botticelli's "A Voice from the Distance"

Out now: pianist Andrea Botticelli's "Stimme aus der Ferne - A Voice from the Distance"

Works by Robert and Clara Schumann, Schubert, and Czerny recorded on fortepiano

For her debut album, “Stimme aus der Ferne - A Voice From the Distance” (released May 14, 2021 on Céleste Music), the pianist Andrea Botticelli drew her inspiration from a predecessor of the modern keyboard, the fortepiano. Ms. Botticelli carefully chose the repertoire – works by Franz Schubert, Carl Czerny, and Robert and Clara Schumann - to highlight the unique expressive capabilities of the fortepiano. "The additional pedal creates an incredibly quiet sound, which enhances the intimacy in lyrical moments," writes Andrea Botticelli in the liner notes. "And, the transparent, sparkling upper register of the instrument perfectly suits the lightness and brilliance of the fast passages."

Ms. Botticelli’s album marks a number of “firsts”: the first commercial recording on the Graf fortepiano owned by the Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity in Canada, the debut recording of Robert Schumann's Novellette in F-sharp minor, Op. 21 No. 8, on fortepiano, the first album on her home-grown label, Céleste Music, and, quite possibly the first solo fortepiano album recorded by a Canadian artist. In addition to the Novellette, the album highlights many works - both classics and lesser known gems - from the Romantic period that are rarely performed on a historic instrument.

The Graf was built by Rodney Regier in 2014, and is a replica of a typical Viennese fortepiano from the 1830's.

The title of the album, “Stimme aus der Ferne - A Voice From the Distance” refers to an indication written in the score of the Novellette, by Robert Schumann, and also alludes to the sound of the fortepiano evoking a faraway musical past.

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

"Stimme aus der Ferne –
A Voice from the Distance"
Andrea Botticelli, fortepiano

Céleste Music (ABOTT-01)
Released: May 14, 2021

Read/download liner notes
View Andrea Botticelli's Digital Press Kit
Request a copy of this CD

TRACKS

FRANZ SCHUBERT
[01-03] Sonata in A major, D. 665

CARL CZERNY
[04-10] Variations on a Theme by Rode, Op. 33 "La Ricordanza"

ROBERT SCHUMANN
[11-23] Papillons, Op. 2

CLARA SCHUMANN
[24] Soirées musicales, Op. 6 II. Notturno

ROBERT SCHUMANN
[25] Novelletten, Op. 21 VIII. Sehr Lebhaft

Celebrated for launching a “Fortepiano Renaissance” (The WholeNote), Canadian pianist Andrea Botticelli combines captivating artistic sensibility with insightful historical research. She has received numerous awards and grants as an emerging artist from the Banff Centre for the Arts and Creativity, Canada Council for the Arts, Early Music America, National Music Centre, Ontario Arts Council, Stingray Music, and the Wirth Institute for Austrian and Central European Studies. Andrea has recently presented concerts across Canada performing on fortepiano models from the early 18th to late 19th centuries, introducing performance on historical instruments and historically informed methods to new audiences. She performs a wide range of repertoire and keyboard instruments from the fortepiano, clavichord, and harpsichord to the modern piano. Andrea’s ability to revive and breathe new life into historical practices and to coax the expressive voice from each different instrument results in performances with a unique sound and an individual expressive style. She is a noted researcher on Beethoven and 19th century performance practices and instruments.

Insider Interview with Antioch Chamber Ensemble

On July 9, 2021, the Antioch Chamber Ensemble releases “Robert Kyr: In Praise of Music.” The choral ensemble's album touches on themes of conflict, celebration, peace-making, and music itself throughout the album's ten works, with texts by Kyr and a variety of other sources. We spoke to Antioch’s executive director Stephen Sands about the recording process, collaborating with composer Robert Kyr, and what makes his music so special. Pre-order the album on Amazon here.

What qualities make a choral ensemble great (generally speaking) and what makes the Antioch Chamber Ensemble stand out among other choirs?

Cohesiveness as an ensemble and ability to feel the music as a chamber ensemble. Antioch has the ability to very quickly learn a piece of music, internalize it and bring a blended, cohesive sound to a performance.

How did you get to know the composer Robert Kyr? What made you decide to devote an entire album to his music?

We met Robert when we had our residency at Harvard University in 2016. Robert coached all of the undergraduate composers whose music we workshopped that week. We also were introduced to his music and our joint venture was born from there! We decided to record Robert's music during another residency at Washington and Lee University in the fall of 2018. His music is so diverse and he is such a prolific composer, that it was quite easy to make a disk of one composer that doesn't all sound "the same".

 How involved was Kyr in the recording process?  

Robert has been involved from the start. He helped curate the music, sometimes rearranging it for our voicing. We really split the work 50/50 and have very much enjoyed working with him.

What challenges are you presented with in the recording studio vs. performing in front of a live audience?  

We recorded in the main hall at the Lenfest Center for the Arts at Washington and Lee University. The challenge with recording versus live performance is that singers will often prioritize being 100% correct over communicating with an audience. When you have an audience in front of you, it is easy to feel the reciprocal emotion that a piece creates. When recording, you need to do that as an ensemble and individual musician. No live performance is ever perfect, but when recording, you really do try to get as close as you can to perfection to make the editing process easier.

What do you hope listeners will take away after hearing “In Praise of Music”?

I hope listeners will enjoy Robert's music. He is such a gifted composer whose music deserves to be heard far and wide. 

Antioch Chamber Ensemble: "In Praise of Music" out July 9

Out July 9 on Bridge Records: Antioch Chamber Ensemble sings music by Robert Kyr

Choral ensemble's album In Praise of Music celebrates the transformational power of music

On July 9, 2021 Antioch Chamber Ensemble with conductor Joshua Copeland releases Robert Kyr: In Praise of Music on Bridge Records (BRIDGE 9558). (Amazon pre-order link available here.)

The choral ensemble's album, In Praise of Music, touches on themes of conflict, celebration, peace-making, and music itself throughout the album's ten works, with texts by Kyr and a variety of other sources.

This collection celebrates the many ways in which music can be transformative. Kyr elaborates, declaring music "as a healing and awakening force; as a motivator for constructive action; as a spiritual catalyst; as a voice for freedom and peace; as wordless inspiration; and as a guide towards the light at the end of the tunnel."

Descriptions of each of the compositions bear this out. Freedom Song is a contemporary spiritual focused on the struggle for freedom in the face of racial and societal injustice. Santa Fe Vespers commemorates the 400th anniversary of two cultural landmarks—the Palace of the Governors in Santa Fe, New Mexico, and Claudio Monteverdi’s celebrated masterpiece, the Vespers of 1610. Most effectively described without text, the most serene aspects of daybreak are expressed in the wordless vocalise, Dawnsong.

A Vision of Peace is a setting of Kyr's adaptation of the “prayer of peace” from St. Francis of Assisi; and Alleluia for Peace gives voice to the word “Alleluia” in a variety of harmonic styles, and ultimately is interwoven with the text “Dona nobis pacem” (“Give us peace”).

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

Robert Kyr: In Praise of Music

Antioch Chamber Ensemble
Joshua Copeland, conductor

Bridge Records (BRIDGE 9558)
Release date: July 9, 2021

Read/download liner notes

View Antioch Chamber Ensemble's Digital Press Kit

Request a copy of this CD

TRACKS

[01] In Praise of Music 5:39
[02] O Great Spirit 3:17
[03] In the Name of Music 4:00
[04] Veni Creator Spiritus 6:26
Santa Fe Vespers 10:36
[05] I. Heaven Hear My Words 3:15
[06] II. Hail, Star of the Sea 2:55
[07] III. Seraphim 4:25
[08] Dawnsong 6:07
[09] Ode to Music 6:25
[10] Voices for Peace 3:12
[11] Freedom Song 3:53
[12] Alleluia for Peace 8:49

Widely regarded as one of the finest professional choral ensembles in the United States, the Antioch Chamber Ensemble has been giving exceptional performances since 1997. Under the leadership of founding Artistic Director Joshua Copeland, and executive director Stephen Sands, the ensemble strives to present a diverse program of the world’s greatest choral literature, both sacred and secular, and has performed works ranging from Renaissance polyphony to contemporary masterpieces with a core group of ten to twelve of the New York metropolitan area’s finest singers. The ensemble is a Ditson Foundation grantee for this recording project, and received a grant from the Aaron Copland Fund for Music for the first recording of choral works by Matthew Brown, "(though love be a day)".

The American Academy of Arts and Letters has recognized the breadth of Robert Kyr’s work with an award for distinguished artistic achievement. Hailed by The Wall Street Journal as “a powerful new achievement in American music that vividly traces a journey from despair to transcendence," Kyr's music often explores themes related to conflict, the environment, and spiritual issues. He is a renowned mentor and composition teacher at the University of Oregon School of Music and Dance, where he directs the Oregon Bach Festival Composers Symposium, the Music Today Festival, the Vanguard Concert and Workshop Series, the Oregon Composers Forum, and the Pacific Rim Gamelan.

‌ ‌

Video release of "Beautiful Brown Boy" from "dwb (driving while black)"

New release of video excerpt from dwb (driving while black)

"My Beautiful Brown Boy" is a lullaby for our time

The critically acclaimed monodrama dwb (driving while black), with music by Susan Kander and libretto by Roberta Gumbel was released on Albany Records (Troy1858) in March, 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..

Coinciding with Juneteenth (the June 19 holiday that commemorates the end of slavery in the U.S.) Kander and Gumbel release an excerpt from the video performance of the opera. A lullaby for our time, "My Beautiful Brown Boy" is sung by Ms. Gumbel and accompanied by New Morse Code (Hannah Collins, cello; Michael Compitello, percussion). View the video here or stream the audio on Spotify.

"Six syllables to express a mother’s love to her child, her dreams and worries for him: 'You are not who they see'," write Kander and Gumbel. "With these six short words, she acknowledges that his future hinges on a hard truth of American history going all the way back to 1619. We offer this lullaby, My Beautiful Brown Boy, in the hope that while it’s still true today, it will be less true tomorrow."

You, my beautiful brown boy
Beautiful brown boy
You are not who they see
My father told me, every morning,
You are not who they see.
I’m gonna tell you, every morning,
You are not who they see.

dwb documents the story of an African American parent raising 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. We are taken through 16 years of a Black mother’s interactions with her young son, during which the Mother relates to her child as a passenger in her car as her child grows up. Threaded between these scenes are vignettes based on real incidents. The singer takes on a variety of characters in specific but familiar events, relating the dangerous world beyond the Mother’s control

The City of Tomorrow releases “Blow” on June 25

Wind quintet The City of Tomorrow releases Blow (New Focus Recordings) on June 25, 2021

Album features the world premiere recording of Hannah Lash's "Leander and Hero" inspired by climate change, and works by Franco Donatoni & Esa-Pekka Salonen

Album release party: Join The City of Tomorrow and special guests online to celebrate the release of Blow on June 25, 8:30 pm EDT

On June 25, 2021, The City of Tomorrow releases Blow on New Focus Recordings (FCR294). The album features music by Esa-Pekka Salonen and Franco Donatoni, and the world premiere recording of a work Hannah Lash wrote for the quintet, supported by a Chamber Music America Classical Commissioning Grant.

For Leander and Hero, Lash took inspiration from the ancient myth of a man who swims across a body of water every day to see his lover, only to be swept up by a storm and die. In this composition, she uses this story as a metaphor for climate change, turning the lovers into two birds as the protagonists who play alone or as a duo, with the rest of the ensemble acting as a type of Greek chorus. A movement from this work, "Interlude: away from the rocks" is available to stream online as a preview track.

"The title work, Blow, by Franco Donatoni was a huge part of the genesis of the ensemble", wrote the members of The City of Tomorrow in an interview. "We formed in 2010, in part to have a group cohesive enough (and crazy enough!) to play it." The piece is typical of the late Italian composer's style; music that develops and transitions in unpredictable, irregular ways. Instruments clash with each other as soloists take on various roles, confronting the group as well as their instruments.

Memoria by Esa-Pekka Salonen was written for the Avanti! Chamber Orchestra, which he helped found, and similarly experiments with the idea of soloists vs. ensemble. Alto flute and horn are soloists as the ensemble builds into a single unit, culminating in a chorale that finishes the piece.

Join The City of Tomorrow and special guests online for a Virtual Album Release Party on June 25, 8:30 pm EDT.

The Album Release Party includes tracks from the album and conversations with the composer Hannah Lash, and album producers Stuart Breczinski and Jeff Means. The composer George Lewis joins in for a discussion about The City of Tomorrow's upcoming collaboration on a new work for wind quintet and electronics.

The event is free, registration (at this link) is required.

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

Cape Cod Chamber Music Festival: New Executive Director

Cape Cod Chamber Music Festival announces Paul Schwendener as new executive director

CCCMF's 42nd season runs August 3-13, 2021

Cape Cod Chamber Music Festival, founded by the pianist Samuel Sanders in 1979, announces the appointment of Paul Schwendener as Executive Director. Schwendener begins work on June 1, 2021. Elaine Lipton, who held the position since 2006, announced her retirement earlier this year. She will continue as Executive Director Emeritus through August, seeing the festival through its 2021 season.

“It is an honor to carry on the great tradition of this Festival, and I am delighted to work together with Elaine, the Board, and with Artistic Directors Jon Nakamatsu and Jon Manasse to ensure a smooth transition back to concert life in these challenging times,” said Schwendener.

CCCMF Board President David Farer said: “We are fortunate to have Paul on board as our new Executive Director. The Festival is already benefitting from Paul’s experience and insights. The synergies we see among Paul, Jon and Jon, Elaine and with the Board are exciting and inspiring.”

This summer, Cape Cod Chamber Music Festival brings live chamber music back to the community after presenting a virtual season in 2020. August 3 – 13, 2021, CCCMF presents concerts in iconic venues across the Cape, at the historic First Congregational Church in Wellfleet, the Cotuit Center for the Arts and the picturesque Cape Cod National Seashore Visitor’s Center. Details are at capecodchambermusic.org.

From 2011 to 2021, Schwendener served as Executive Director of the All-Star Orchestra, an ensemble comprised of top players from major American orchestras that has produced five seasons of public television programs, winning seven Emmy® awards. The All-Star Orchestra has also created extensive music educational content and lessons for the Khan Academy, providing free instruction to over six million students.

Over a 30-year career in the classical music recording industry, Schwendener has been instrumental in producing and marketing hundreds of recordings with leading artists and ensembles, including the Complete Mozart Edition (180 CDs) for Philips Classics and the Milken Archive of Jewish Music (600+ recordings.)

Schwendener is a Governor of the National Arts Club in New York City, and as co-chair of the Music Committee has programmed multiple seasons of chamber music concerts. Born in Michigan, Schwendener studied at the Eastman School of Music and at the Hochschule für Musik in Vienna where he also performed with the Choral Union of the Vienna Philharmonic for several years.

About the Cape Cod Chamber Music Festival

Hailed by The New York Times as “A Triumph of Quality,” the Cape Cod Chamber Music Festival (CCCMF) has been a presenter of chamber music and a major contributor to the cultural life of Cape Cod since its inception in 1979. The Festival was founded by the late Samuel Sanders with a goal was to establish a continuous presence of first-rate chamber music concerts on Cape Cod. As the Festival enters its 42nd season, it excels under the leadership of its Artistic Directors, the team of Jon Manasse (clarinetist) and Jon Nakamatsu (pianist), both acclaimed musicians who represent the top ranks of American chamber music. Together with CCCMF staff, an active Board of Directors and more than 60 local volunteers they bring a stellar mosaic of talent to the Cape. In addition to its annual summer season of concerts, community and school outreach programs and an annual benefit in New York, it partners with local cultural organizations for educational programs and fundraising.

For more information about Cape Cod Chamber Music Festival’s 2021 season, performers, mission and venues, visit capecodchambermusic.org, or follow Cape Cod Chamber Music Festival on Facebook.

Cape Cod Chamber Music Festival’s 42nd season

Cape Cod Chamber Music Festival announces triumphant return to live performances

CCCMF’s 42nd season, August 3-13, features Escher Quartet, Imani Winds, and artistic directors Jon Nakamatsu, piano, and Jon Manasse, clarinet

Cape Cod Chamber Music Festival is back on stage, August 3-13, 2021. The venerable chamber music festival’s 42nd season features performances by Artistic Directors Jon Manasse and Jon Nakamatsu, the Escher Quartet with Brian Zeger, and Imani Winds. Audiences will have their choice of three atmospheric venues. The historic, 300-year-old First Congregational Church in Wellfleet, the picturesque Cape Cod National Seashore Visitor’s Center in Eastham, and one of Cape Cod's major performing arts hubs; the Cotuit Center for the Arts. Year-round residents and summer visitors alike will have the opportunity to enjoy world class performances in nine concerts over two weeks.

The festival kicks off with a concert "In Celebration of Our Audience" performed by Jon Manasse (clarinet) and Jon Nakamatsu (piano). "Our wonderful Festival audience has shown incredible dedication and optimism, despite the difficulties of the past year. We conceived of this first concert as a personal message of gratitude for their support and a celebration of live chamber music returning to the Cape. We are thrilled to offer a season of programs including established masterpieces and exciting discoveries," says the two artistic directors about the program.

This is Executive Director Paul Schwendener's first season at CCCMF. Elaine Lipton - currently Executive Director Emeritus - will be retiring at the end of August from the position she's held since 2006. Schwendener says, “It is an honor to carry on the great tradition of this festival, and I am delighted to work together with Elaine, the Board, and with Artistic Directors Jon Nakamatsu and Jon Manasse to ensure a smooth transition back to concert life in these challenging times."

In the interest of public health and safety during the Covid-19 pandemic, concerts will be one hour in length with no intermission, and will abide by local guidelines to ensure a safe concert environment. Tickets are available by phone at 508-247-9400 and online at www.capecodchambermusic.org.

About the Cape Cod Chamber Music Festival

Hailed by The New York Times as “A Triumph of Quality,” the Cape Cod Chamber Music Festival (CCCMF) has been a presenter of chamber music and a major contributor to the cultural life of Cape Cod since its inception in 1979. The Festival was founded by the late Samuel Sanders with a goal was to establish a continuous presence of first-rate chamber music concerts on Cape Cod. As the Festival enters its 42nd season, it excels under the leadership of its Artistic Directors, the team of Jon Manasse (clarinetist) and Jon Nakamatsu (pianist), both acclaimed musicians who represent the top ranks of American chamber music. Together with CCCMF staff, an active Board of Directors and more than 60 local volunteers they bring a stellar mosaic of talent to the Cape. In addition to its annual summer season of concerts, community and school outreach programs and an annual benefit in New York, it partners with local cultural organizations for educational programs and fundraising.

For more information about Cape Cod Chamber Music Festival’s 2021 season, performers, mission and venues, visit capecodchambermusic.org, or follow Cape Cod Chamber Music Festival on Facebook.

**View concert details/calendar listings in full press release here.

City of Tomorrow Insider Interview

On June 25, 2021 City of Tomorrow releases their album “Blow” on New Focus Recordings and features works by Franco Donatoni, Esa Pekka-Salonen, and a commission by Hannah Lash. In our insider interview with the wind quintet, we talked to them about the apocalypse, their love for Italian composer Franco Donatoni, and how the album highlights the individual vs. ensemble in a variety of fascinating ways.

What made you choose these three pieces for the album?  

These works are all very integral to the identity of the quintet; they’re pieces that we’ve wanted to record for a very long time. Blow by Franco Donatoni was a huge part of the genesis of the ensemble. We formed in 2010, in part to have a group cohesive enough (and crazy enough!) to play it. Though some of us were still in graduate school at the time, we gave the North American premiere of the piece Donatoni considered his masterwork. 

Esa-Pekka Salonen’s Memoria is a piece the City of Tomorrow has performed many times over the years. We started learning it after meeting Maestro Salonen and talking with him about his teacher, Donatoni! He also gave us his blessing to play Memoria without contrabassoon on tour, which made it a much more portable piece of music. Memoria is luminescent, intricately detailed, and has an incredibly vital energy. As soon as we heard it, we were obsessed with it.  

Lastly, Hannah Lash’s Leander and Hero is one of the more major commissions that the City of Tomorrow has made. The ensemble encountered Lash and her work in 2013 at the Great Lakes Chamber Music Festival and shortly after, Hannah and our horn player Leander came up with the idea of Leander and Hero. We were lucky enough to receive funding for the commission from a Chamber Music America Classical Commissioning Grant in 2014 and this epic, emotional piece was born.      

Tell me more about this idea of the individual vs. ensemble - a theme that seems to unite all of the album’s works. What ties the works specifically to this idea? (Playing devil’s advocate… doesn’t all chamber music feature this element of the group vs. soloist?)  

You’re right! There tends to be a lot of soloistic playing in chamber music, especially in a mixed-consort-type group like a wind quintet; composers see the potential in featuring the distinct sounds of each instrument. We’ve always considered the City of Tomorrow as more of a flexible ensemble of soloists and chamber musicians; our concerts often feature members as true soloists or in smaller fractions of the quintet (a reed trio, for example.) We all have talent crushes on each other and love to hear our colleagues shred and captivate.  

The three pieces on Blow take distinctly different modes, when it comes to solo voice versus ensemble. Salonen is the most democratic; he rarely has a voice playing on it’s own. Almost every note in the piece is doubled. Sometimes, this is heard in a very straightforward way, like the horn and flute doubling at the beginning. Other times, it’s a roiling, shifting texture, where as soon as you join up with someone, you leave to join with another, like a lively square dance! 

Lash’s piece is soloistic in a very traditional way; the two main characters, Leander and Hero, are voiced by the E-flat (very high-pitched) clarinet and the piccolo, respectively. These two parts are incredibly lovely and virtuosic. The other three instruments represent the Greek chorus, commenting on the action, setting the scenes. This is in part because one of the ideas thrown around at the beginning of the composition process was that Leander and Hero could be performed in a more staged way, as a musical drama. 

Much of Donatoni’s Blow uses extended solos for each instrument as a way to distinguish each section of music as having a particular texture and style. In each of the solo sections, he pushes the soloist to the edge of possibility, with techniques that are particularly difficult for the instrument in question. (Low, short, accented flute notes, double tonguing on the oboe, rapid hand stopping in the horn, etc.) In doing so, the energy created is pretty intense! The soloist is often instructed to be quieter than the accompaniment so that there is a feeling of the accompaniment being the “in-group” with the audience, listening to the soloist who is at a distance. 

How did you settle on this theme of the apocalypse when choosing a “prompt” to give Hannah Lash for the commissioned Leander and Hero?  

At the time, the City of Tomorrow was deep in an exploration of the Sublime; first, as a nod to the Romantic Era (the sublime in nature), then in regard to industry and cities, and lastly the sublime fear of natural disaster caused by humanity, the combination of these two ideas. There is a cultural sadness and sense of overwhelming helplessness concerning climate change that we wanted to explore as the modern sublime.  

When we first floated the idea to Hannah Lash, we were imagining zombie waltzes and seed vault sequences but what Hannah came up with is so much better: an intimate story of personal tragedy. Because what is an apocalypse if not many, many personal tragedies?  

What connection is there between [City of Tomorrow horn player] Leander Star and Leander the Ancient Greek?  

It was Hannah Lash’s idea to use a myth to explore apocalyptic ideas. When she and Leander were coming up with myths that might work, Leander mentioned his namesake, who was swallowed by the sea. The idea stuck: it’s a beautiful story of faithfulness, and the corollary with rising sea levels is hopefully not too heavy-handed here. An interesting detail is that Leander’s wife is flutist Elise Blatchford, who portrays Hero in the piece. She often felt emotional toward the piccolo solos and entwined moments with the clarinet. 

You called your album Blow. Why? What does this piece mean to you, and what interests you about Donatoni?  

I think we are all pretty proud of the work that the City of Tomorrow has done (both in the recording and over the years) on this quintet by Franco Donatoni. Because it’s been with us from the beginning, and has been played by so few quintets, Blow has become highly emblematic of our ensemble. The original members included Andrew Nogal on oboe, Lauren Cook on clarinet, and Amanda Swain on bassoon, and other members Camila Barrientos Ossio (clarinet) and Laura Miller (bassoon) have also looked at the piece. It unites current and former members like no other work we have done. 

More topically, we have been keenly aware of the unfortunate transgressive nature of our wind instruments during a pandemic in which aerosols are making the news headlines. We have been sidelined to Zoom, contained with bell covers and flute masks, separated by great distances. Blow feels like a huge release, an explosion outward of this musical energy that has been contained for the last 18 months.   

How did you all meet each other and what inspired you to form a wind quintet? 

The original members met in Chicago, where some of us were in graduate school. The initial impetus was that there was so much good wind quintet music from the mid and late 20th century that wasn’t getting played, maybe because it was too much work for a casual gigging group or for a university or symphony runout quintet. I very much remember my teacher encouraging us to play Danzi and Taffanel (older, more conservative works that are lovely!) but instead we wanted to play a quintet by George Perle that had won a Pulitzer Prize in 1986 and this insane-looking Donatoni piece (“Blow”) that had rental fees close to what I was paying to rent an apartment! We felt that we’d discovered a treasure trove, one that other musicians seemed to look right through or disregard out of hand. We believed in the quality and appeal of the repertoire and of the wind quintet in general and that belief was rewarded when a year later, we won first prize at the Fischoff National Chamber Music Competition in 2011, launching our professional journey. As original members obtained jobs with symphonies and overseas, our new members were also musicians drawn to the challenges of these works and to the sonic potential of the wind quintet.  

How did you choose the ensemble’s name?

The City of Tomorrow is from the Billy Collins poem of the same name. The retro-futurist vibe of that work has always resonated with us, since we are trying to do something quite modern with a traditionally classical ensemble. We also love the idea that the music of tomorrow will be surprisingly more human and earthbound than most people expect.

Insider Interview with Elisabeth Remy Johnson

On the week of her album release, Elisabeth Remy Johnson talks about her new solo record on Albany Records “Quest” (Albany Records, TROY1863, released which features works by over a dozen women composers, including many of the harpist's own transcriptions. We asked her about the project, her transcription process, how far we’ve come in recognizing women in classical music, and her busy 2021-22 season.

What inspired you to choose the repertoire for the album? Were you already familiar with all these works, or in the process of making the album did you discover new composers and works you wanted to include?  

I like to explain the need for gender equity in programming from a standpoint of logic. Unless we’re willing to posit that men are inherently better at composing music – and I’m not – then we’re missing half of the best music out there, most of the time. There are many works on this album that I didn’t know 12 months ago. Some works I got to know by playing through music I’d ordered, some I found through, of all things, Twitter, which has an amazingly vibrant and supportive new music community.  

For example, I’d known for a long time “Felix Mendelssohn had a talented sister.” However, when I played through her “Mélodie” for the first time, I literally had tears in my eyes. It’s one thing to know an historical fact, and another to hear her voice, which has been largely silenced for so long. The recording repertoire had been set, but I was playing through “Mélodie” on Fanny’s birthday, a month before the recording date, and felt compelled to include her.  

This process of discovery has by no means hit an endpoint. Current obsessions include Amanda Aldridge, an amazing London-born composer. Her father was Ira Aldridge, a Black Shakespearian actor who moved from America to England in 1824, in the hope of finding a less racist working environment, and indeed, he became internationally acclaimed. Amanda Aldridge’s music is very hard to find, but I have a request in to the Library of Congress to receive a few piano works of hers that are out-of-print. I know one movement of one piano work of hers that is a thrill to play on harp, and can’t wait to find out more about her and her work.  

What’s your process for transcribing works, particularly the ones that were originally written for piano, for your instrument? I know in many ways harp and piano music is similar, but what sacrifices do you have to make when transcribing?  

It is of primary importance to me to really try to get to know the music, and to be faithful to its intent as I present it on harp. With the historical composers, all of them were also pianists, and some of them were truly exceptional performers. Clara Schumann and Amy Beach were of course highly lauded concert pianists. Mel Bonis was another truly lovely pianist. She often played the piano part in her chamber works, but she really didn’t enjoy the spotlight of a solo pianist. When you think about these women’s ability at the piano, and think about the societal conventions and restrictions they were confronted with, this was their voice. This was how they could truly speak without constraint, or deference, or propriety. Nothing about a transcription should dim or alter their voice. So, when I find a piece of music I love, I am willing to work as hard, and as creatively, as I possibly can to see if I can play it, authentically, on the harp.  

Transcribing pieces from piano to harp can be challenging – pianists use all 5 fingers of the hand, harpists only use 4. Also, harps have 7 pedals at the bottom, each with 3 positions. These are used to change the key of the instrument. Imagine the 47 strings of the harp being just the piano’s white keys, and pedals being used to tighten or loosen those strings to become the black keys of the piano. A transcription must clearly show accurate fingerings and when pedals must be moved, among other accommodations. Sometimes the original piano music becomes quite convoluted, so the next necessary step is “engraving”, re-writing the music with a computer program and re-printing as a transcribed part. 

Recently, the music industry has started (albeit slowly) to reckon with its historical lack of women composers being represented in programming decisions. What do you think has contributed to this shift in mentality, and why are some of the composers featured in Quest still relatively unknown?  

To be honest, this is a cyclical process, and we can never take our foot off the pedal. Entrenched attitudes can take generations to change. Mel Bonis was praised as one of the most brilliant pupils at the Paris Conservatory, but later in life, you can read her letters desperately scribbling for publishers to give her a fair deal. In a biography of Amy Beach, a reviewer of one of her performances was quoted, “As Robert Schumann prettily put, the names of true woman composers can be written on the leaf of a rose.” That shows a lot of things – pushing 75 years after he said that, that kind of statement was still thought “pretty”, and authoritative.  

Also, I’m a big running fan. When Shalane Flanagan won the NYC Marathon in 2017, there was a lot of talk about the “Shalane Effect” – she had been training with men a lot, was joined by more female teammates over the years, and instead of being threatened, she lifted them up, supported them, and they ALL did better. Well, you know what? Amy Beach was doing the same thing 100 years ago. She advocated for women composers (she wrote a strongly worded, published defense after women composers were publicly denigrated by a prominent male composer), and formed a league for their support and promotion. Her projects were derailed by the Depression, and the cycle began again. Equity is important, or we’re missing half of the best music out there.  

Tell me about The Even-ing Standard? How does Quest fit into the project, and where do you see it going?  

The Even-ing Standard is a really fun project where each month I post on social media a performance of a generally less-known work by a female composer. It’s a project to even out and open up the concept of standard repertoire. “Quest” is a recording compilation of some of my earlier discoveries, but there is no end in sight.  

In the works is a publication of a seven composer anthology of 19th century and early 20th century works that I have transcribed, with a special attention to providing a range of works from a more introductory level to professional expertise. The anthology will be my transcriptions, but the project encompasses much more, including some obscure harp works that are truly lovely. I also believe strongly in being a vocal advocate for the women composing today, both by incorporating their works into my performances and using their works in my teaching studios. 

This publication will be 24 pages of sheet music, and will include an introduction with biographies of the composers: Amanda Aldridge, Amy Beach, Mel Bonis, Lili Boulanger, Cécile Chaminade, Fanny Mendelssohn Hensel, and Clara Schumann. The pieces are beginner (2), intermediate (4) and advanced (1), so harpists of all levels can add historical women composers to their repertoire.  

As we all gradually head toward a post-pandemic world, what plans/projects do you have in mind?   

My 2021-22 season is busy! It’s amazing how we’ve gone from nothing-nothing-nothing to recording for broadcast to recording plus performing live, and next year looks like it will be a full orchestra performance schedule, while maintaining the A/V component. I recently had my first inside performance for an audience. During the first four, quiet measures, I heard some papers rustling in the audience and almost cried. It was such a gift to perform for an audience again in the same space, at the same time.  

I’m headed to Wyoming for a good portion of the summer, to play with the Grand Teton Music Festival, which I love. I’ll be performing orchestral works, the Mozart Flute and Harp Concerto, and also some great chamber music, including a trio by Mel Bonis, and The Merian Ensemble’s most recent commission, by Kimberly Osberg.  

My other projects include a solo harp commission I’ve been talking about with Clarice Assad, which would form a Triptych with the pieces by Amy Beach and Freya Waley-Cohen that are on this recording, and would involve a strong visual component. The Merian Ensemble has a long-term project to record an album of our commissions and transcriptions, with a strong emphasis on works composed by first-generation and newly immigrated American women.  

Gramophone reviews "dwb"

If Susan Kander and Roberta Gumbel’s dwb (driving while black) had premiered as scheduled two months before the death of George Floyd on May 25, 2020, it might have been lost in the growing but still muted din of classical music responding to the country’s racial crisis. A year later, set against the graphic details of the trial in Minneapolis, the opera’s portrayal of a black mother’s journey into fear as her son grows up and approaches driving age provides a road map to living ‘handcuffed on the ground’. Its consoling lullaby is an iconically memorable ‘My beautiful brown boy … you are not who they see’. Its closing mantra is: ‘It’s not a question of if, my son, but when’.

dwb tells its story in 13 scenes and seven news ‘bulletins’ during which Gumbel and New Morse Code, the remarkably inventive and resourceful duo of cellist Hannah Collins and percussionist Michael Compitello, chronicle reality with unblinking intensity. One moment the son is playing innocently with his toys, the next moment the mother sings a painful anguished vocalise accompanied by Collins, rising ever higher without ever being able to scream, and Compitello gonging out.

dwb only begins to make its full impact in an audio recording because what Kander as the composer and Gumbel, both as librettist and performer, have expressed with such economical means in their recording of the virtual world premiere – presented in October by Baruch Performing Arts Center in New York City and Opera Omaha – really needs to be seen.

Music by a dozen women on harpist Elisabeth Remy Johnson's new album

Harpist Elisabeth Remy Johnson's new solo album "Quest" features music by a dozen women

Transcribed works by Amy Beach, Fanny Mendelssohn, Clara Schumann, Niloufar Nourbakhsh and more; Harp solos by Kati Agócs, Freya Waley-Cohen, and others

Release date: June 1, 2021 on Albany Records

The harpist Elisabeth Remy Johnson has gathered a substantial collection of works by women in her new album, “Quest” (Albany Records, TROY1863, release date June 1, 2021). The recording features new works by living composers Kati Agócs, Sally Beamish, Johanna Selleck and Niloufar Nourbakhsh; gems from the 19th and 20th centuries by Clara Schumann, Lili Boulanger, and Amy Beach, all transcribed by Remy Johnson; and Remy Johnson's own arrangement of an Appalachian folk song. “I’ve made a concerted effort to include more works by women in my performances,” said the harpist. “It has always seemed to me that these works must be out there.”

Elisabeth Remy Johnson said she was struck by the sheer beauty of compositions by Clara Schumann, Fanny Mendelssohn, Mel Bonis and others. “I started reading about their lives and was amazed all over again," she said. "These women were pillars of strength, pursuing their passion no matter the barriers.”

“Quest” features world premiere recordings of Remy Johnson's transcriptions of works originally composed for piano. Her transcription process is straightforward. “First I get to know the repertoire of the composer I’m exploring, and get a sense of which pieces truly speak to me. Then, I start playing through them to see which are ultimately going to fit well on the harp.”

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

QUEST
Elisabeth Remy Johnson, harp

Albany Records (TROY1863)
Release date: June 1, 2021

Read/download liner notes

View Elisabeth Remy Johnson's Digital Press Kit

Request a copy of this CD

Elisabeth Remy Johnson is acclaimed by critics and audiences for her “complete mastery of the harp and its secrets” (The Boston Globe). She has been the principal harpist of the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra since 1995, with whom she has performed concertos by Debussy, Handel, Mozart and Ginastera. She is principal harpist with the Grand Teton Music Festival, and has been the invited guest principal with the Boston, Houston, and Milwaukee symphonies.

In addition to her orchestral work, Ms. Remy Johnson performs solo and chamber music recitals across North America and throughout the world. She has performed with the Atlanta Chamber Players, and at the Carolina Chamber Music Festival, the Amelia Island Chamber Music Festival, the Emory Chamber Music Society, and is a frequent guest at the Meeting House Chamber Music Festival on Cape Cod, MA.

Other solo titles in addition to Quest include A Christmas Collection (2015), Whirlwind (ACA Digital Recording, 2000), and a duo album Encantamiento (ACA Digital Recording, 2008, with ASO principal flutist Christina Smith), and she has performed on dozens of recordings with the ASO.