Sky
Tessa Lark (violin), Peter Kolkay (bassoon), Ryan Roberts (oboe), Weixiong Wang (clarinet), Albany Symphony, David Alan Miller
Acclaimed composer Michael Torke has brought fresh life to an old, but popular form, as these four concertos demonstrate. For Sky, a concerto for violin, Torke imposed classical forms on Bluegrass, evoking the music of the people who settled Kentucky. The other three concertos (for bassoon, oboe, and clarinet) test the limits of the instruments with unstale musical expression. Torke's music has been commissioned and performed by organizations such as the New York Philharmonic, the English National Opera, the London Sinfonietta, and the New York City Ballet, among many others. He has created a substantial body of works in virtually every genre. Award winning violinist Tessa Lark is a budding superstar in the classical realm and a highly acclaimed fiddler in the tradition of her native Kentucky. Bassoonist Peter Kolkay is on the faculty at the Blair School of Music at Vanderbilt. The recipient of an Avery Fisher Career Grant, he is an active soloist and chamber musician. Oboist Ryan Roberts is a member of the New York Philharmonic and has performed as guest principal oboe with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and the San Francisco Symphony. Weixiong Wang is principal clarinetist of the Albany Symphony and the winner of several international competitions.
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Track Listing
| Title | Composer | Performer |
|---|---|---|
| Sky, concerto for violin | Michael Torke | Tessa Lark (violin); Albany Symphony; David Alan Miller (conductor) |
| West, concerto for bassoon | Michael Torke | Peter Kolkay (bassoon); Albany Symphony; David Alan Miller (conductor) |
| South, concerto for oboe | Michael Torke | Ryan Roberts (oboe); Albany Symphony; David Alan Miller (conductor) |
| East, concerto for clarinet | Michael Torke | Weixiong Wang (clarinet); Albany Symphony; David Alan Miller (conductor) |
Reviews
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"But I was gobsmacked by the lyrical gifts Torke brings to "South,"a concerto for oboe featuring soloist Ryan Roberts. I am not generally prone to hyperbole, and while a sensitive person, I rarely react emotionally to music upon first listen. But reader, I tell you that as I drove around one late-summer afternoon, I may have actually teared up a little while listening to the first two movements of "South."The melodies flow beautifully in this brief (only eleven minutes long) work, with the oboe delicately backed by the sounds of harp and wistful orchestral smiles that finally burst into joy. Torke is a synesthete who sees color in music. I've enjoyed noticing the association between color and music in past works by him such as "Bright Blue Music,"and "Orange."For the first time while listening to this music, I felt it, too. This is some of Torke's best work, and once again, I'd renew my call for any orchestra to program one of the four concertos on this disc as a perfect example of modern music that exemplifies pure joy. They're sure to be real crowd pleasers."
*Album cover provided for Editorial use only. ©Albany Records. The Albany Imprint is a registered trademark of PARMA Recordings LLC. The views and opinions expressed in this media are those of the artist and do not necessarily represent or reflect the views and opinions held by PARMA Recordings LLC and its label imprints, subsidiaries, and affiliates.