There is something about the contrabass clarinet that is achingly sad to hear. American-Canadian composer Colin Stetson has an already impressive body of work, but his interpretation of Henryk Górecki’s most iconic composition is something else to behold. As he states on his Bandcamp site: “The concept was simple, and Continue Reading
Contemporary Classical
Adrián Demoč / Apartment House – Žiadba
Another Timbre is a record label based in Sheffield, England, known for producing high-quality experimental and modern classical music. This particular release features Slovak composer Adrián Demoč and is performed by the ensemble Apartment House. While only two tracks are available for listening, both are dense and calming compositions.
Giorgi Koberidze – Forests, Tales, Cities, Forests
Now that the chaos of moving is settling down, I can finally take the time to listen to music properly again. My first proper listening session here in Tbilisi features a Georgian composer named Giorgi Koberidze. His style reminds me of Pascal Comelade—charmingly quirky yet filled with elements of electroacoustic Continue Reading
Yann Tiersen – Ker al Loch (Four Ways) EP
Not a single in the traditional sense, Yann Tiersen’s Ker al Loch (Four Ways) is a contemplative solo piano work that fits in well with his back catalog of contemporary classical music and soundtrack work. The gem of the EP for me was the track 11 5 18. 1 12. Continue Reading
Ahmed Essyad – Moroccan Electroacoustic Music
From the ever-magnificent Sub Rosa Label: “Composer Ahmed Essyad was born in Salé, Morocco, in 1938. After studying music at the Rabat Conservatoire (Morocco) he moved to Paris in 1962, where he became a student of Max Deutsch and, later, his assistant. Trained in the avant-garde practices of Western musical Continue Reading
Steve Layton – Introspection
Our dear friend Steve Layton’s latest work is a collection of minimalist music, including the first work, Gospodi pomiluj (Lord have mercy) which has a, dare I say it, holy feel to it. I owe Steve a great debt for introducing me to many modern classical musicians through his website, Continue Reading
Brooklyn Rider – The Wanderer: Live From Paliesius, Lithuania
Brooklyn Rider are one of America’s best contemporary classical music quartets and they simply don’t receive the exposure they so richly deserve. In this album, the first six tracks are dedicated to modern composers like Osvaldo Golijov from Argentina and Gonzalo Grau, who hails from Venezuela. Both come from a Continue Reading
Passepartout Duo – Argot
My, this is a lovely release. Passepartout Duo manage to balance modern classical music with a minimal post-rock sound without the “rock” part. It’s exquisite listening, especially for those who like minimalist music. Think of Arvo Pärt collaborating with Sigur Rós, and this might give you an idea of what Continue Reading
Nick Sudnick – Opera of the Sixth Hour
Zga bandleader Nick Sudnick has been busy composing his Opera of the Hours series, and this installation might be his most creative yet. It has the passion of Rock-In-Opposition with a touch of Frank Zappa’s general weirdness. This is in keeping with what I remember of the old Soviet avant-garde Continue Reading
OpensoundOrchestra – String Quartets
Today, we have some fine contemporary classical music coming out of Russia. Fancy Music usually deliver consistently good albums, and this one is no exception. The Opensoundorchestra interpret the works of newer composers such as Nastasya Khrushcheva, Elmir Nizamov, Anatoly Palaev, Vladimir Kobekin, Vladimir Martynov and zhokhowski