Pianist Orion Weiss assembled this program around a theme – the composer responding to a specific source of inspiration with a virtuoso composition. It’s an interesting idea, and it yielded an album that virtually spans the Romantic Period. The earliest work is Variations on “Là ci darem la mano” by Frederic Chopin. And the inspiration […]
Bridge Records
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Louis Karchin – Five Compositions
The five compositions by Louis Karchin featured in this release include his chamber symphony, and four smaller chamber works. In the liner notes Karchin says, “While writing the Chamber Symphony, I realized why the genre is such an appealing one for composers working today. Contemporary music revels in the discovery of new sounds and instrumental […]
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New England Trios make a solid program
Joel Pitchon, Marie-Volcuy Pelletier, and Y-Mei Wei had a very specific program in mind for this recording. In the liner notes, they state that they wanted piano trios that “spoke with an American, and even more narrowly, a New England voice.” In the end their focus was even tighter. The four piano trios on this […]
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Aaron Tindall soars with Yellowbird
For his sophomore release, tuba virtuoso Aaron Tindall presents music that blends classical and jazz. And it works really, really well. Tindall’s masterful technique makes the tuba a truly lyrical instrument. His playing has exceptional clarity throughout the registers — no mean feat. And his musical phrasing is spot on. Many times classical artists who […]
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Poul Ruders avoids categorizations in Volume 15
What I like best about Poul Ruders is that he’s his own man. Ruders picks and chooses from all the various contemporary compositional trends. He mixes and matches them, all in service of the idea he wants to express. And Ruders makes it all sound not only cohesive but logical — as if it simply […]
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Andrew Waggoner – Quantum Memoir explores connections
This release features three concertos by violinist and composer Andrew Waggoner. These are short works — the longest runs just 19 minutes. But they’re also densely packed. Waggoner writes in a post-tonal style that can be enjoyed by the casual (albeit adventurous) listener, and those who want music that reveals more with every playing. The […]
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Aleck Karis brings fresh insights to Debussy
There are plenty of Debussy recordings made by artists past and present — so what makes this release different? Two things, I think; Aleck Karis’ musicality and Bridge Records’ skill at piano recordings. Right from the opening Etude, I was impressed. Pour Les “Cinq Doigts”: D’après Monsieur Czerny starts off with a simple scale but […]
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Morton Feldman – For John Cage
“For John Cage” is one of the seven musical portraits Morton Feldman composed for friends. And it’s the third issued by Bridge Records. “For John Cage” doesn’t quote any of Cage’s music, but Feldman perfectly captures his aesthetic, I think. This 71-minute piece draws the listener in, and heightens their awareness of the ambient sounds […]
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“Buried Alive” unearths Roaring 20s classics
This release presents three works from the late 1920s. It was a time of reinvention. The First World War swept away the conventions of the Edwardian Age. Composers (and other artists) developed new forms of expression, that incorporated various elements of prewar aesthetics. Arthur Honegger, Othmar Schoeck, and Dmitri Mtropoulous were among them — each […]