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VINTAGE AMERICANA
Christina Petrowska Quilico, piano
Navona Records, NV6384
Release: Nov. 19, 2021
Hailed by the New York Times as a “promethean talent,” Canadian pianist Christina Petrowska Quilico performs compositions from six American composers on VINTAGE AMERICANA. In an exhilarating show of virtuosity, Petrowska Quilico steps unflinchingly from tonality to atonality and back again. While the solo piano is the unquestioned star of the album, moments of electronic manipulation and other unexpected instrumentation offer surprising new textures. In VINTAGE AMERICANA, Christina Petrowska Quilico reimagines what this centuries-old instrument is capable of. The result is a captivating collection of masterfully-performed works from some of America’s most gifted composers.
iFugue ~ A World of Fugues
Ensemble Vivant
Release: March 31, 2022
Ensemble Vivant’s groundbreaking new album iFugue ~ A World of Fugues features 15 fugues by composers from around the globe, including three Canadian world premières. This is a fabulous, highly original, wonderfully imaginative musical journey through the ages. Renowned drummer/percussionist Adrian Bent (Drake, Eminem, Stevie Wonder), teamed up with EV for the title track, iFugue. Ensemble Vivant are Opening Day Entertainment Group recording artists, and this is the group’s 15th album.
The Last Evening
Laura Hawley, composer
Halifax Camerata Singers
Leaf Music, LM210
Release: May 6, 2022
Over its 35-year history, the Halifax Camerata Singers have given 40 world premières of new works, 25 of which were commissioned by the choir. This season, they are working with their first-ever composer-
in-residence, Edmonton-based Laura Hawley. The Last Evening, Hawley’s first commission for the Camerata Singers, uses text from celebrated American poet Edward Hirsch’s poem, “What the Last Evening Will Be Like” from The Living Fire: New and Selected Poems. The combination of The Halifax Camerata Singers’ delicate harmonies and sensitive dynamics, nested in Hawley’s swirling arrangement and Hirsch’s pensive reflection on a final evening by the sea, produces a stirring piece.
Digital Bird Suite, Op. 15
Takashi Yoshimatsu, composer
Lara Deutsch, flute; Phil Chiu, piano
Leaf Music, LM24901
Release: May 31, 2022
Long-time collaborators Lara Deutsch and Phil Chiu present their rendition of the aptly named Digital Bird Suite, Op. 15. Takashi Yoshimatsu is renowned for his eclectic influences, ranging from the spacious soundscapes of Pink Floyd, to The Beatles’ distaste for tradition and adventurous spirit. His compositions draw on his love of progressive rock and jazz, both of which make their imprints apparent. This performance from Lara Deutsch and Phil Chiu captures the evocative imagery suggested by the title. Mechanical creatures soaring high above the Earth, simultaneously facilitating connection yet wholly apart from those on the ground.
Virtuosa
Infusion Baroque
Leaf Music, LM246
Release: June 24, 2022
Building on years of research and concert programming related to historical women composers and performers, Infusion Baroque’s Virtuosa showcases music from composers who continue to be underrepresented on concert stages. The idea for Virtuosa was born out of collective frustration with the media’s insistent focus on the lack of men in the group. After dealing with a number of these vexing interviews, they decided to lean into the angle by creating an entire project inspired by female composers and performers throughout history. Virtuosa is the result of four friends channelling their frustrations into an exquisite album. With its uncluttered textures and a decidedly buoyant yet sophisticated interpretation, Virtuosa unfurls through sprawling movements that are explosive and contemplative in equal measure.
This page is also available in / Cette page est également disponible en:
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