Catalog

MAD DANCES? Mad indeed! This collection of American music for saxophone and piano is a representation of the wonderfully "mad" and spectacular contemporary saxophone repertoire. There is a uniquely mad-like quality to all of these works: this madness is presented in many different ways, using the definition of "mad" quite loosely. Libby Larsen's Holy Roller is full of madness, invoking the intensity of revival meetings and sermons of "holy roller" type preachers. Skookum Suite, by Kevin Isaacs is inspired by the Sasquatch, or "Skookum," who becomes "mad, sad and glad" as he is discovered by humans, escapes, and finds true love. William Albright actually provided us with our album title in the second and fourth movements of his brilliant Sonata for Alto Saxophone and Piano, while David Diamond's sonata allows us a brief respite from madness with his eloquently composed and truly American work. The collection ends with an arrangement of David Del Tredici's Acrostic Song from Final Alice...well, what could be madder than the Mad Hatter? All this given brilliant performances by the esteemed saxophone player, Dan Goble, and pianist Russell Hirshfield.

In the grand American tradition initiated by Ives, this collection of piano music by Ethan Wickman balances refreshing individuality with an acute awareness of tradition. Aptly titled, Portals and Passages offers myriad glimpses of correspondent time periods, distant relationships, complementary cultural values, and diverse locales -- earthbound and otherwise. Wickman's compositional style weaves a dynamic network of motivic, rhythmic, and textural contrasts into a unified voice that continually prospects fresh realms of tonal possibility and interest. In Nicholas Phillips, his music finds a measured, solicitous interpreter whose touch renders the most challenging technical passages effortless and those more delicate, sublime.

This compact disc presents six world premiere recordings of works commissioned by Duo XXI. Each of these pieces introduces an innovative compositional approach to the relatively unexplored genre of the string duo. Both members of Duo XXI -- Anna Cromwell, violin and Mira Frisch, cello -- are passionate string professors who reach a diverse audience through concerts, conference presentations and outreach workshops. Ms. Cromwell is on the faculty at Eastern Illinois University while Ms. Frisch teaches cello at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte.

Cellist Jonathan Golove offers a program of contemporary Mexican works for cello, five of which are world premiere recordings. All of these composers are major figures in Mexican music and this recording showcases the exciting and vibrant work that is being done in Mexico. Golove is a dedicated performer of both new and traditional works as well as of improvised music. A native of Los Angeles, he now serves as associate professor in the University of Buffalo's Department of Music.

In the notes to this recording John Salmon observes that he has always been a classical and jazz pianist and that his professional life has mirrored his youthful inclinations with recitals of music from the classical canon around the globe and appearances with the jazz-faculty combo at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. This is the first recording of his own piano compositions, which are unmistakably in the jazz idiom, probably even more precisely categorized as "third stream," the style that combines jazz and classical languages. The composer/pianist says, "Salmon Is a Jumpin' would have been grammatically incorrect if referring to the fish. But as an autobiographical statement it is correct, especially when I get in a B-flat blues swinging mood."

Born in Chicago, Michael White attended the Chicago Music College and at the Juilliard School where he worked with Peter Mennin and Vincent Persichetti. He was composer-in-residence for the public schools of Seattle and Amarillo, where he began composing operas. He subsequently taught at Oberlin and the Philadelphia Musical Academy and is now at Juilliard. Since 2007 White has composed entirely for solo piano and the results are heard on this recording. In pianist Mirian Conti, White has an unexcelled champion for his music.

Extreme Measures is the first project in clarinetist Jean Kopperud's Rated X series. It is seven clarinet and piano works written for Kopperud asking composers to dare to stretch the medium. The Winnipeg Free Press reviewed a past project that Kopperud toured, which might best describe Rated X. "You can expect to have your head bent a little. You will stay awake. You will be fascinated and infuriated . . . and exhilarated by what you have heard." Rated X ("Extreme Measures") premiered in the fall of 2008 on the West Coast and was recorded in the spring of 2009. A graduate of Juilliard and former student of Nadia Boulanger, Kopperud has toured the U.S., Canada, Europe, Japan, China, the Caribbean and Australia as a concert soloist and chamber musician. She performs with the New York New Music Ensemble and is a professor of music at the University of Buffalo.

Jorge Elias Variego is a clarinetist and composer born in Rosario, Argentina, in 1975. He holds a Bachelors Degree from Universidad Nacional de Rosario and a Masters Degree from Carnegie Mellon University, where he studied with Michael Rusinek and Leonardo Balada. He has performed as soloist with the most renowned orchestras in Argentina and his works have been performed throughout the world. This recording features Variego performing all the clarinet parts in works written for a variety of clarinet configurations and ensembles.

American composer, cellist, and arranger Alan Shulman (1915-2002) made a distinct and significant contribution to American music. He was a fellowship student at the Juilliard School studying both cello (with Felix Salmond) and composition (with Bernard Wagenaar.) He then continued his studies on cello with Emanuel Feuermann and in composition with Paul Hindemith. Shulman had a significant career as cellist, teacher, arranger and, of course, composer. He performed extensively as cellist of the Kreiner, Stuyvesant, and Haydn String Quartets, the Philharmonia and Vardi Trios, with An Die Musik, and as a charter member of both the NBC Symphony Orchestra under Arturo Toscanini and the Symphony of the Air. Shulman was a notable and active teacher for many decades. Primarily know for his Theme and Variations for Viola and Orchestra, his body of fine solo cello literature is virtually unknown today. This recording intends to begin raising awareness of this important music.

A cycle based on folk material for flute and guitar by Robert Beaser, a commissioned song cycle by David Liptak based on the poetry of Homero Aridjis for soprano, flute and guitar, plus the ever popular Histoire du Tango by Astor Piazzolla are given exquisite performances by flutist Bonita Boyd and guitarist Nicholas Goluses with Kathryn Lewek, soprano on this recording of Songs & Dances of the Americas. The Boyd/Goluses Duo has received much acclaim, the two members breathing new fire into a rich repertoire for flute and guitar, as well as an artistic vision that embraces support for new repertoire.

This selection of piano music by Henry Martin composed between 1980 and 2007 has a place within both the composer's broader work and the literature for piano to which it makes a valuable contribution. Over the years, Martin has composed for chorus, orchestra, string quartet, various smaller ensembles, and solo instruments; but many of his works involve the piano, and about a score of them are for solo piano. All facets of Martin's life (pianist, music theorist, educator) come through in this music that is so beautifully performed by the noted pianist Hilary Demske. The listener to these pieces can look forward to rewards for the heart as well as the mind.

The cycle of birth, death, experience, and the renewal of life can be found in varying degrees as the inspiration for several of the works on this recording, and in some cases, their reinterpretations. This recording highlights the diversity and creativity that can be found in the music of these distinguished American composers. The music is brought to life through the exquisite performances of Jonathan Keeble and Ann Yeung. Their collaboration as a flute/harp duo since 2002 has led them to venues in Asia, Europe and throughout North America.

For more than 40 years, Lynn Klock has been an enthusiastic participant in new music for the saxophone. He has premiered more than 50 compositions written for and dedicated to him and this cd of world premiere recordings highlights this aspect of his career. All of the compositions on the cd are the result of friendships and musical collaborations between the composer and Mr. Klock and were written specifically for Klock or one of his students.

Japanese-American composer Asako Hirabayashi writes: "After 150 years' absence, there has been a vigorous revival of interest in and compositions for the harpsichord. To address the lack of music for harpsichord as a solo instrument, I started to write my own pieces." The recording was made at St. Bridget's church in rural Johnson County, Iowa. The harpsichord is a French double manual after Peter Taskin, built by Eizo Hori in 1986.

New remastering and annotation distinguish this reissue of a 1992 release on CRI with the addition of historic private recordings made by Gunnar Johansen of Collins' music. This adds to the existing seven volumes previously released by Albany Records of this Chicago composer's music.

Pianist and composer Yvar Mikhashoff had an international performing career that led him to promote new music and American music around the world. He organized many festivals and broadcasts throughout the world, notably at the Almeida Theater in London and De Ijsbreker in Amsterdam. Mikhashoff was one of the founders of the North American New Music Festival in Buffalo and its co-director, with Jan Williams, for 11 years. The Canadian pianist Winston Choi offers splendid performances of Mikhashoff's Elemental Figures and Ravel's Gaspard. The parallel design of Ravel's work and Mikhashoff's is multi-faceted and extensive. Both are trilogies that are associated with poetry and the tempos and the structure of both works are similar.

The music of Turkish composer Ahmed Adnan Saygun (1907-1991) is often framed as a bridge between East and West. Upheld as a central figure in the musical life of the Turkish Republic, Saygun represents a nationalistic stance based on an embrace of European compositional models combined with an appreciation for Turkish traditional music, particularly folk sources from Anatolia. The distinguished pianist Kathryn Woodard offers a fascinating and sympathetically performed program of his music for that instrument.

William Appling, who died in 2008, felt that the music of Joplin and Bach were perfect compliments to each other. He was passionate to have people hear that the two composers were comparable in the caliber of their work. Bach wrote tightly structured works within the baroque style and his music became more complex over time. Joplin worked the tightly structured rag style, developing and expanding it throughout his career. Both stylistically created music having melodies within melodies. These were two geniuses writing at the highest level and thus the idea for a recording pairing the music of both was born. Those people who heard William Appling play knew that his gifts as a pianist were equal to those as a conductor, teacher and mentor. This recording is a small sample of his genius.

Performing his own music for piano on this recording, Gary Smart considers himself an improvising composer-pianist who finds ideas at the keyboard and works them out in an active engagement with the instrument. Smart contends that the piano can create subtle and complex orchestral textures, wonderful tonal variations and most of all -- the piano can sing. This recording adds to his discography on Albany Records. Previous recordings include a disc of sonatas, one of rags and one of songs.

Jeanne Golan gives us performances of music by American composer-pianists who understand and write beautifully for the piano, making a collection that ranges from the virtuosic to the introspective. With American Hand Stands, pianist Jeanne Golan continues her active involvement in the fostering of works by new composers and discovering relatively unknown musical treasures.

Touch: The Toccata Project is a collection of post-1900 piano toccatas written by American composers. The distinguished pianist Philip Amalong has uncovered many unknown gems of the genre. Amalong is known for his intelligent, passionate interpretations and diverse and challenging repertoire. A graduate of the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music, Mr. Amalong is an active recitalist and chamber music performer.

Argentine pianist Rosa Antonelli enjoys an active and varied performance career. Hailed by critics as a leading exponent of Spanish and Latin American music, Ms. Antonelli has premiered the works of important Latin American composers including Piazzolla, Ugarte, Gianneo, and Guastavino, among others. She has performed extensively in Europe, Africa, Asia, and the Americas with orchestras, in recital and as a chamber musician. She served as chairwoman of the piano department at the Provincial Conservatory of Music Alberto Ginestera and was professor of piano at the National University of La Plata in Buenos Aires. She currently teaches at Adelphi University.

The 99 Beautiful Names of God are the names by which Muslims regard God. Composer J. Mark Scearce was inspired to interpret these names into music from a desire to heal. He created 99 Beautiful Names in order to help a pianist friend, ill from cancer, by giving her a set of small pieces that she could play to bring her back to her instrument and through it, back to health. Pianist John Cheek comments that "Mark's nobilissima visione for solo piano aims to heal and give the listener some soul time: Intimate, respectful ruminations on the Godhead or visions of Almighty Power."

Violinist Scott Conklin and pianist Alan Huckleberry have assembled an impressive group of new American compositions for violin and piano, which, with the exception of the Bolcom and Sheng, are world premiere recordings. Scott Conklin is Assistant Professor of Violin at the University of Iowa School of Music. He appears regularly as a recitalist, soloist, chamber musician, orchestral player and teaching clinician throughout the United States and abroad. He was named the 2008 Iowa String Teachers Studio Teacher of the year and was a featured artist at the 2004 Music Teachers National Association Conference. A graduate of the Cleveland Institute of Music, Conklin earned his D.M.A. from the University of Michigan School of Music.

The highlight of this exceptional program of American piano music is the first complete recording of Dane Rudhyar's Third Pentagram. Its fourth movement, "Stars," is a great American nocturne. Rudhyar lived a fascinating life studying philosophy, Buddhism, alchemy and Asian music. He painted (the cover image of the booklet is one of his works), wrote poetry, science fiction and books on astrology. The disc showcases landmark works by four composers who had contact with each other during the 1920s. Richard Zimdars, a professor of music at the University of Georgia, has performed the works on this compact disc to critical acclaim: "He conjured the mythology of clusters with two "Irish Legends" of Cowell... in Copland's Variations of 1930 he compressed a chiseling technique up to heroic force." --Rhein-Neckar Zeitung, Heidelberg "The most valuable contribution came after intermission with the First Piano Sonata of Ives. Confident performances of this big and difficult work are not common, and Mr. Zimdars gave one." --New York Times

Pianist Jeffrey Middleton, a champion of Joseph Fennimore's music, received his DMA from Yale. His career has included chamber music, vocal coaching and accompanying, solo performances and teaching. Of the music, Phillip Kennicott notes: "Fennimore's insistence on his right to work within a tradition, even if out of fashion, was pioneering. But his compositional style has undergone continual metamorphosis, and today the percussive aspects of the piano are more integral to his music."

The extraordinary pianist Donna Amato presents a disc of the piano music of Arnold Rosner that includes five world premiere recordings. Born in 1945 Arnold Rosner has pursued a conservative but highly individual style, and his works have been widely performed, recorded, and reviewed. His music is known for it's gorgeous, long-breathed tunes and its powerful emotional appeal.

With sparkling articulation, pianist Pola Baytelman probes deeply to the heart of whatever music she plays. Born in Chile, Baytelman made her debut with the Chilean Symphony Orchestra at age 17, and has since played with numerous orchestras. She studied at the University of Chile's National Conservatory as well as at New England Conservatory and the University of Texas, Austin. Baytelman is an active recitalist and particularly enjoys playing music by women and by Spanish and Latin American composers, as this beautiful recording so clearly demonstrates.

Five works for solo piano plus a sonata for two pianos by the distinguished American composer Adolphus Hailstork are performed by Andrey Kasparov and Oksana Lutsyshyn. Sharing the honors on the solo piano pieces, they join forces for the Sonata for Two Pianos. Hailing from Armenian and Ukrainian families, these musicians were educated at the Moscow State Conservatory and came to the United States in the 1990s. They presently teach at Old Dominion University where they are colleagues of the composer.

The origin of this project lies in a grant obtained by flutist Asako Arai for commissioning and performing four new works. After the pieces were performed, Arai conceived the idea of making a recording and presenting a wide panorama of music for flute from both sides of the border. Moreover, there are no strict borders as far as musical languages and chronology are concerned with the six works. Not only is there a time frame of almost half a century between the earliest and the latest of these pieces, but there is also a wide spectrum of technical and expressive means.

Mathias Wexler comments in the notes that "Perhaps a musician's greatest responsibility is finding and championing important new works, forging an ongoing relationship with the music of his time and expanding the repertoire for future generations. If he is very lucky, the work is a great pleasure both artistically and personally. In certain extraordinary circumstances, the music also speaks profoundly to him and allows him to shine as a performer..." This is certainly true in the case of these five new works for solo cello.

Hailed as "one of the foremost performers and teachers of trumpet in the U.S.," Richard Stoelzel maintains an active career as an international soloist, chamber and orchestral musician. He began his career as solo cornet with the U.S. Coast Guard Band. As a soloist he has performed throughout the U.S. and abroad including three tours of China and has been named Distinguished Visiting Professor at the Shen Yang Conservatory of Music. This is his second recording for Albany Records.