Various Artists – “Dimensions”
Moved by the legacy and narrative possibilities of the Gold Lyre of Ur, composer
Michael Mauldin composed “The Last Musician of Ur” for orchestra and harp, crafting a flowing narrative following the last musician to play the historic instrument as she is torn between inescapable destruction and the hope of timeless, international peace. This single offers Mauldin's piece along with the historical background of the project.
Observing the landscape of contemporary classical, one might assume that the art
music community has shifted its focus away from the melodic, harmonious, and accessible. “Convergence”, an album of works by David Nisbet Stewart and George Gershwin, presents just the opposite: imaginative, expressive works that appeal to performers and audiences alike. Alongside Gershwin's Porgy and Bess arranged for brass quintet, Stewart's Concerto for Piano and Orchestra and Suite for Piano-Brass Quartet prove that contemporary composers can maintain stylistic integrity with a broad appeal.
“Gallery” is a collection of works by Michael G Cunningham, containing three of his narrative ballets and The Gastein Masterwork. The ballets: Nyadina, based on a Balanchine film ballet; She, based on the 1887 Haggard novel; and Chrysalis at Mardi Gras, based on the Saint Joseph story resembling Cinderella-contain a narrative, choreographic flow with emotional and fable-like undertones. Cunningham's knack for narration continues with The Gastein Masterwork, a "prediction" of Schubert's lost work and Cunningham's take on what the final version may have been.
“Dimensions” is a collection of string orchestra works from composers Gregory Hutter, Louis Babin, Reynard Burns, Andrew March, Claude Debussy, Rudy Kronfuss, and Daniel Burwasser, captures the fluidity of time and emotion, and illustrates the impact of past experiences on the present and future. Influenced by grief, the fate of the innocent, and finding oneself thrown into a perpetual state of change, the subject matter of these pieces proves to be as powerful as the music itself.
“Casino Umbro” is the debut release from Israeli composer Amos Elkana, bringing
listeners into a sonic world comprised of thoughtful, expressive, and emotional
works for chamber ensemble, voice, and orchestra. Ranging from the dreamy, jazz-like
Casino Umbro to the linguistic and tumultuous Arabic Lessons to the imaginative
and fanfaric Tru'a (feat. clarinetist Richard Stoltzman), CASINO UMBRO conveys the
essence of humanity and international relations through communicative and sophisticated musical expression.
”Concerto for Piano with Percussion Orchestra” is the fifth release from the
McCormick Percussion Group. Living up to their reputation as vanguards of percussion repertoire, the Group uses this album to explore the possibilities of collaboration between piano and percussion wherein neither steals the spotlight. Along with Ji Hyun Kim, the McCormick Percussion Group performs the works of Igor Santos, Mel Mobley, David Gillingham, and David Noon with precision, emotion, and purpose.
