By Laurie Niles: Welcome to "For the Record," Violinist.com's weekly roundup of new releases of recordings by violinists, violists, cellists and other classical musicians. We hope it helps you keep track of your favorite artists, as well as find some new ones to add to your listening!![Jordan Bak]()
Violist Jordan Bak.Cantabile: Anthems for ViolaJordan Bak, violaRichard Uttley, pianoPiazzolla: Buenos Aires, arrangements for Violin and String OrchestraTomás Cotik, violin
Martingale Ensemble, Ken Selden conductingBach UnCagedZachary Carrettin, electric violinMina Gajic, piano
Violist Jordan Bak.
The JamaicanAmerican violist Jordan Bak is joined by British pianist Richard Uttley for this album that includes two 20th-century works Arnold Baxs Sonata for Viola and Piano and Benjamin Britten's Lachrymae: "Reflections on a song of John Dowland," written respectively for Lionel Tertis and William Primrose and sets them alongside more recent music for solo viola by Jonathan Harvey and Bright Sheng. It also includes the premiere recording of Augusta Read Thomass "Song without Words," in a version specially composed for Bak and Uttley. (Click here for a nice review of this album by Norman Lebrecht.) BELOW: Bax: Viola Sonata III. Molto Lento
On this album violinist Tomás Cotik pays homage to his birth city of Buenos Aires, with world-premiere arrangements of instrumental works that Argentine composer Astor Piazzolla composed for his Quinteto Nuevo Tango. Most prominent is the Vivaldi-inspired "Las cuatro estaciones porteñas" ("The Four Seasons of Buenos Aires"), reimagined in concerto style for solo violin and string orchestra by Leonid Desyatnikov. The seven other companion pieces, arranged by Ken Selden, use printed sources for structure but incorporate improvisations transcribed from original recordings made by Piazzolla and his band. BELOW: Astor Piazzolla: Suite Troileana II. Zita.
Bach UnCaged features music by J.S. Bach on electric violin, and John Cage on prepared piano. Bach UnCaged is a reflection of several performances that took place over time and in varying acoustic environments, including collaborations with contemporary and aerial/vertical dance As regards phrasing in Bach, time and place have influenced my work in distinct and ever-changing ways. From period instrument performances in European churches to electric violin collaborations with dance, Im enchanted by the inherent flexibility in Bachs content, his message within the music. There seems to be no finality to the meanings within his solo instrumental works, the teachings, if you will," said violinist Zachary Carrettin. Bach UnCaged features electric violin played at low pitch with a baroque bow, utilizing occasional delay effect pedal to accentuate elision and cadenza within Bachs autograph manuscript, as observed in harmonic stasis points and in the artfulness of the script itself." BELOW: Bach Cello Suite No. 3 Bourrée on electric violin.If you have a new recording you would like us to consider for inclusion in our "For the Record" feature, please e-mail Editor Laurie Niles. Be sure to include the name of your album, a link to it and a short description of what it includes.You might also like:
- For the Record, Op. 280: Isabelle Faust, Luka Faulisi
- For the Record, Op. 279: Randall Goosby; Patrick Savage
- For the Record, Op. 278: Leonidas Kavakos' Bach Violin Concertos
Enjoying Violinist.com? Click here to sign up for our free, bi-weekly email newsletter. And if you've already signed up, please invite your friends! Thank you.