Jamaican-born composer Eleanor Alberga brings a fresh perspective to the string quartet genre. Alberga is also a concert pianist. At times when all four instruments play chords the ensemble seems to resemble a piano. But Alberga is also married to a violinist, and her writing for strings is idiomatic and practical. She also has a […]
Navona Records
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John Robertson: Virtuosity a bit uneven
For me, Virtuosity was something of a mixed bag. There were many things I liked about the recording (the music), and a few things I didn’t (the playing). As a composer, John Robertson created his own path. He was mostly self-taught, and never tapped into the various trends in contemporary music. As the liner notes […]
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Piffaro Journeys Back Through Bach
Back Before Bach delivers on its promise. Piffaro surveys the music of 16th Century Germany, showing the foundation upon which Bach would build. Piffaro explores seven different themes. The tracks for each theme moves in chronological order. This makes it easy to hear how each tune develops. In some cases, also making the transition from […]