Volume 17 Issue 10 - July/August 2012

MODERN & CONTEMPORARYPremieres: Music by Bruce Broughton,Ronald Royer and Kevin LauConrad Chow; Sinfonia Toronto;Ronald Royer; Bruce BoughtonCambria Master Recordings CD-1204www.cambriamus.com!!The concept of thisproject is new worksthat are inspired byearlier musical styles.Bruce Broughton’sTriptych: ThreeIncongruities forviolin and chamberorchestra (in thiscase 15 solo instruments) is essentially a typeof concerto, with each movement written ina different style. Thus, we hear influences ofJ.S. Bach’s violin music in the first movement,Prokofiev and more romantic expressionsin the second and rhythmic, dance-like elementsof Scottish fiddle music in the third.Another composition by Broughton, GoldRush Songs, is based on three American songsassociated with the California Gold Rush.Ronald Royer’s Rhapsody displays influencesof French impressionism and Spanishviolin music, among others, with mysteriouselements in the first movement and morerhythmic expressions in the second. Royer’sIn Memoriam J.S. Bach is based on differentmotifs from Bach’s works. Sarabandeis expressive, even romantic at times, whileCapriccio carries playfulness coupled withrecognizable Bach rhythms.Joy for solo violin and string orchestra byKevin Lau is a lyrical, meditative piece thatlets the soloist explore different colours andtextures. Conrad Chow’s tone has a wonderfulquality of sweetness, which is most prominentin Chopin’s Nocturne in C-Sharp Minor,No.20 Op. posth., the encore piece on thealbum. His playing is rhythmical and precise,and he easily traverses the variety and depthof expression in each piece.Some may argue that contemporary classicalmusic should be forward-looking andnot an evocation of the styles and musicaltastes of the past. This, however, should notlimit the scope of creativity and inspiration,which can spring from all objects and times.If your musical tastes enjoy revisiting compositionalstyles of the previous centurieswhile using contemporary expressions andtechniques, this recording is a wonderful opportunityto hear Toronto composers in collaborationwith Toronto musicians.— Ivana PopovićPasiónBeatriz BoizánGalano Records GLO–2813www.beatrizboizan.com!!Latin American piano music is not commonlyfound on record. Even the Brazilianmaster, HectorVilla-Lobos, onlysometimes gets acknowledgedfor hispiano output. Howrefreshing then, thatthe Cuban-bornCanadian pianistBeatriz Boizán hasdecided to change this on her debut disc. Oh,sure, there is an occasional Soler and Albenizhere, but the spirit of this album is an unbridledfiesta. The pianist has a light, precisetouch that serves her well in the break-neckpace of some of the pieces, and infuses thewhole with a sense of fun.Most of the pieces will be both unfamiliarand very familiar at the same time, as theyreflect the region’s tradition of rhythmicdance. Whether filled with carnival fervor ormoments of whimsy, the music of Lecuona,Cervantes and Ginastera shimmers with lightand colour — and of course, the “Passion”of the title. This delightful disc is a musicalequivalent of sangria— a perfect accompanimentto a hot summer evening. Muy caliente!— Robert TomasEnglish Recorder ConcertosMichala Petri; City Chamber OrchestraHong Kong; Jean ThorelOUR Recordings 6.220606!!Of the manyworks written forthe recorder over thelast century, few ofthe neo-classical orneo-impressionistexamples ever makeit onto concert programsor CDs, soit’s good to see the release of this recording.Opening the program is Richard Harvey’sConcerto Incantato, written for soloistMichala Petri in 2009. Using a variety of sizesof recorder over five movements, Harveywrites beautifully for the instrument andthe piece also sweetly reflects his sensibilitiesas a composer for film and television.Here’s hoping that the piece receives moreperformances by recorder players aroundthe world!Following the Harvey is Malcolm Arnold’sdiminutive Concerto Op.133, written for Petriin 1988, and his inclusion of winds in theorchestration makes for a welcome colourchange. Gordon Jacob’s exemplary sevenmovementConcerto for alto (and sopranino)recorder and strings closes the program.Written in 1957 for Carl Dolmetsch, it blendsthe strengths of both string and recorderworlds and is given a definitive and expressivereading here.Conducted by Jean Thorel, the CityChamber Orchestra of Hong Kong is superlativethroughout, and Michala Petri, one of therecorder’s leading figures of the past 40 years,is completely at home in this repertoire.— Alison MelvilleAccordion ConcertosBjarke Mogensen;Danish Chamber Orchestra; Rolf GuptaDacapo 6.220592!!Danish accordionistBjarke Mogensenis the rising youngstar in the accordionworld. Here heperforms concertoworks representingfour decades ofcomposition. Thisis really is a “coming of age” release for boththe performer and the instrument. Mogensenand the colourful Danish National ChamberOrchestra under the direction of Rolf Guptaare brilliant both in their interpretations andtight ensemble nuances.Any serious student/performer of accordionwill have tackled the accordion works ofthe late Ole Schmidt. Symphonic Fantasy andAllegro, Op.20 is a very early work for classicalaccordion. The 1958 piece draws its inspirationfrom Bartók and Stravinsky. Its rhythmicpulse cries out for a modern dance interpretation.Per Nørgård’s Recall (1968/1977) is ahappy rhapsodic work with its many popularmusic harmonic and groove references.The remaining two concertos were composedfor Mogensen. The underlying “ticktock” idea in Anders Koppel’s ConcertoPiccolo (2009) sets the mood in a work clearlyrooted in the film score idiom. Martin Lohse’sIn Liquid (2008/2010) is one of the most originalworks for accordion I have ever heard.Mogensen makes his brutal technical partsound so easy in this quasi minimalistic exercisein shifting fluid breathtaking sounds.Mogensen’s strength lies in his great independenceof line in the contrapuntal sections.Occasionally the higher pitches coulduse some added bellows support to createa fuller colour but this is a moot point.Mogensen is an artist to experience!— Tiina KiikGames and ImprovisationsKatharina Weber; Barry Guy; Balts NillIntakt CD 203www.intakrec.ch!!More than merechild’s play, this significantCD expandssome of Hungariancomposer GyörgyKurtág’s performancepieces toevocative chamberimprovisations.Taking 11 miniatures for solo piano from hiseight-volume Játékok series, which translatesas “Games” in English, the trio’s intuitiveskills create nine exciting tracks that referboth to Kurtág (born 1926) and the widermusical world.The high quality shouldn’t come as a surprise.Besides a career as an improviser, Bern-July 1 – September 7, 2012thewholenote.com 67