ECM New Series

On An Overgrown Path, Leoš Janáček’s 15 pieces-spanning piano cycle, is here presented in a reshaped guise, arranged for string orchestra and played by the Camerata Zürich under lead violinist Igor Karsko’s direction. This is the premiere recording of the adaption, written by Daniel Rumler in 2017. Janáček’s composition is based on autobiographical fragments – memories from his youth and of his daughter Olga that are additionally contextualised on the recording by readings of poems, written and recited explicitly for this project by the French writer Maïa Brami. Her words, combined with the elaborate string reworkings, establish an insightful setting for Janáček’s music and uncover fresh paths through the original scores. Josef Suk’s Meditation on the Old Czech Chorale St. Wenceslas and Antonín Dvořák’s Notturno, thematically bound to the cycle’s folkloric backdrop, create an appropriate frame. Much of the cycle On An Overgrown Path – previously captured in its original design on the ECM New Series release "A Recollection" by András Schiff – had originally been conceived for harmonium, a popular domestic instrument in Janáček’s days, and was only later rearranged for piano, the instrument the remaining pieces were written for. Ultimately divided into two volumes – referred to as "books", – the first, comprising ten pieces, was published in 1911, and the second posthumously in 1942. Moving seamlessly between subtle harmonic shifts, generous folkloric gestures and more somber scenes from Janáček’s past, the cycle’s nuances are respectfully translated to strings on the recording, and the alternatingly light and dark themes that flare up across the fifteen pieces turn into a compelling chiaroscuro. Violinist Daniel Rumler created the string arrangements at the suggestion of Igor Karsko, the Camerata’s concertmaster and current artistic director, who followed in the footsteps of Thomas Demenga, the ensemble’s director from 2011 to 2020. It was Demenga who had recruited Maïa Brami, asking the writer to draft texts to go along with the cycle. Brami has taken to the task with great care, opening little windows into Janáček’s memories, drawn from different aspects of the composer’s life. In a foreword to her texts, included in the booklet with liner notes by Thomas Meyer, Brami shares her thoughts on the cycle, as she imagines a seasoned Leoš Janáček returning to his native forest: “As I listened to the piece, I saw the old man, the halo of his white mane at dusk. I saw him go deep into the forest from which he had been torn as a child – that regained kingdom, an eternal source of inspiration – and go back in time for one last journey, to the overgrown path that symbolises life”. In On An Overgrown Path, contrasts are omnipresent and reveal a rare wealth of colours and textures. After only a minute into “Our evenings”, the opening piece unveils everything from romantic sighs and pastoral idyll to interruptions by turbulent gloom, offering a short preview of the abundance of ideas and subjects that pervade the cycle. Outlining its essence, Thomas Meyer accurately summarizes On An Overgrown Path as: “a collection of intimate memories and inklings, for example of his (Janáček’s) own youth or of Olga, all captured in a spare, transparent and highly unusual tonal language”. As it’s divided among the strings of the Camerata Zürich, this tonal language is highlighted from a fresh perspective and endowed with new transparency. Bookending On An Overgrown Path on both sides, Josef Suk’s Meditation on the Old Czech Chorale St. Wenceslas and Antonín Dvořák’s Notturno act as preface and epilogue to the cycle. The pieces’ connection to Janáček are exposed – besides the obvious fact that their composers are all Czech – by Janáček, Dvořák and Suk’s common concern for Bohemian folklore. Suk, Dvořák’s pupil and son-in-law, created his meditation after the outbreak of World War I “in the hope of Czech independence from the Austro-Hungarian monarchy”, basing it on the 12th century chorale as an act of rebellion. Dvořák’s single-movement composition, originally the slow movement of his early String Quartet No. 4 in E minor, had been used in an abbreviated form as the first of two slow movements in his String Quintet in G major, Op. 77, but was later excised and re-arranged to the version presented here. Its patient harmonic pulse receives a vivacious treatment by the Camerata Zürich, concluding the programme on a hopeful note. © ECM New Series

On An Overgrown Path, Leoš Janáček’s 15 pieces-spanning piano cycle, is here presented in a reshaped guise, arranged for string orchestra and played by the Camerata Zürich under lead violinist Igor Karsko’s direction. This is the premiere recording of the adaption, written by Daniel Rumler in 2017. Janáček’s composition is based on autobiographical fragments – memories from his youth and of his daughter Olga that are additionally contextualised on the recording by readings of poems, written and recited explicitly for this project by the French writer Maïa Brami. Her words, combined with the elaborate string reworkings, establish an insightful setting for Janáček’s music and uncover fresh paths through the original scores. Josef Suk’s Meditation on the Old Czech Chorale St. Wenceslas and Antonín Dvořák’s Notturno, thematically bound to the cycle’s folkloric backdrop, create an appropriate frame. Much of the cycle On An Overgrown Path – previously captured in its original design on the ECM New Series release "A Recollection" by András Schiff – had originally been conceived for harmonium, a popular domestic instrument in Janáček’s days, and was only later rearranged for piano, the instrument the remaining pieces were written for. Ultimately divided into two volumes – referred to as "books", – the first, comprising ten pieces, was published in 1911, and the second posthumously in 1942. Moving seamlessly between subtle harmonic shifts, generous folkloric gestures and more somber scenes from Janáček’s past, the cycle’s nuances are respectfully translated to strings on the recording, and the alternatingly light and dark themes that flare up across the fifteen pieces turn into a compelling chiaroscuro. Violinist Daniel Rumler created the string arrangements at the suggestion of Igor Karsko, the Camerata’s concertmaster and current artistic director, who followed in the footsteps of Thomas Demenga, the ensemble’s director from 2011 to 2020. It was Demenga who had recruited Maïa Brami, asking the writer to draft texts to go along with the cycle. Brami has taken to the task with great care, opening little windows into Janáček’s memories, drawn from different aspects of the composer’s life. In a foreword to her texts, included in the booklet with liner notes by Thomas Meyer, Brami shares her thoughts on the cycle, as she imagines a seasoned Leoš Janáček returning to his native forest: “As I listened to the piece, I saw the old man, the halo of his white mane at dusk. I saw him go deep into the forest from which he had been torn as a child – that regained kingdom, an eternal source of inspiration – and go back in time for one last journey, to the overgrown path that symbolises life”. In On An Overgrown Path, contrasts are omnipresent and reveal a rare wealth of colours and textures. After only a minute into “Our evenings”, the opening piece unveils everything from romantic sighs and pastoral idyll to interruptions by turbulent gloom, offering a short preview of the abundance of ideas and subjects that pervade the cycle. Outlining its essence, Thomas Meyer accurately summarizes On An Overgrown Path as: “a collection of intimate memories and inklings, for example of his (Janáček’s) own youth or of Olga, all captured in a spare, transparent and highly unusual tonal language”. As it’s divided among the strings of the Camerata Zürich, this tonal language is highlighted from a fresh perspective and endowed with new transparency. Bookending On An Overgrown Path on both sides, Josef Suk’s Meditation on the Old Czech Chorale St. Wenceslas and Antonín Dvořák’s Notturno act as preface and epilogue to the cycle. The pieces’ connection to Janáček are exposed – besides the obvious fact that their composers are all Czech – by Janáček, Dvořák and Suk’s common concern for Bohemian folklore. Suk, Dvořák’s pupil and son-in-law, created his meditation after the outbreak of World War I “in the hope of Czech independence from the Austro-Hungarian monarchy”, basing it on the 12th century chorale as an act of rebellion. Dvořák’s single-movement composition, originally the slow movement of his early String Quartet No. 4 in E minor, had been used in an abbreviated form as the first of two slow movements in his String Quintet in G major, Op. 77, but was later excised and re-arranged to the version presented here. Its patient harmonic pulse receives a vivacious treatment by the Camerata Zürich, concluding the programme on a hopeful note. © ECM New Series

On "Three Or One", Bach appears in transfigured light. Fred Thomas’ ECM New Series debut presents organ chorale preludes, vocal cantata movements and orchestral sinfonias – 24 pieces in all – transcribed for trio and solo piano by the British pianist himself. Throughout, Bach’s idiom is thoughtfully explored by three innovative players – a process Thomas describes as "quietly joyful" – and the trio pieces, primarily drawn from Bach’s Orgelbüchlein, acquire a fresh character in the hands of Thomas, violinist Aisha Orazbayeva and cellist Lucy Railton. Both respectful of the original musical texts but unique in their execution, Thomas’ reformulations strike a rare balance between moderation and innovation. In the process, the pianist draws attention to various techniques used to "separate the voices and avoid the typical blending and blurring of the organ in a church. Particularly interesting to me", he explains, "was to illuminate how the musical characters interact, sometimes stubbornly ignoring one another as they continue their trajectories, other times moving in separate dimensions, unaware of anything but themselves, and often intertwining in a kind of blissful symbiosis". <br< The pianist points to the tradition of improvisation that prevails in baroque music, elucidating his understated approach to Bach’s texts by referring to the spontaneous improvisational design that distinguished the changeable art of counterpoint in Bach’s time. Pointing to the things that were played but not written in the musical text, Thomas notes that "Baroque musicians shared a clear understanding of what the interpreter must contribute". A skill that translates to the pianist’s fellow interpreters on this recording and, enhanced by their versatile musical backgrounds, helped form these unique adaptations: "That we can’t help but bring too many things to the table is an incitement to creativity. Bach often re-used his own material and it is no surprise it came out differently each time. With his imaginative, technical and improvisatory powers, do we really believe that Bach would play the same thing the same way twice?" It’s a good question, and the key to the approach taken on "Three Or One". © ECM New Series

At first glance, the pairing of the two composers chosen by the Parker Quartet and violist Kim Kashkashian for their recording on ECM New Series may appear unusual. However, György Kurtág and Antonín Dvořák have more in common than a fleeting glimpse at their oeuvre – an extremely narrow, concentrated catalogue of works in the one case and a multifaceted life's work that lavishly encompasses all musical genres in the other – would suggest. There is no question that György Kurtág and Antonín Dvořák are creators of eminent chamber music works. Dvořák wrote thirty-one works in this field (not counting the two serenades and some lost pieces), the most generously represented genre being the string quartet with fourteen works, in addition to the three quintets, one sextet, two tercets and others, all intended for pure string ensembles. Even greater still is the proportion of chamber music works in Kurtág's oeuvre, although his orchestral works were often written for smaller ensembles and reduced instrumentations. Ultimately, the intimate, austere quality of chamber music is more in keeping with Kurtág's artistic nature, who thinks less in terms of large formats, but rather developed his own unique style with sound material reduced to microscopic cells. <br< For the present recording, their first for ECM, the Parker Quartet combines the Six moments musicaux, Op. 44 and the Officium breve, Op. 28 – Kurtág's String Quartets No. 3 and No. 4, if you will – with Dvořák's String Quintet No. 3 in E-flat Major, Op. 97, for which Kim Kashkashian has taken over the second viola part. And here, within the musical facture, the compositional means, in the sound complexion, the paths of these two composers, who represent two musical eras, diverge. As with basically all the works of György Kurtág, who scrupulously concentrates and condenses the means and tools of composition, these two string quartets are made up of the smallest musical gestures, timbres and fragments – all of convincing consistency. They are replete with allusions to persons close to him, works and events of the past and present, from which the composer's aesthetic points of orientation can be derived: Beethoven, Olivier Messiaen, the pianist and piano teacher György Sebök, the Hungarian poet Endre Ady, Samuel Beckett, Leoš Janáček. And Anton Webern, of course, with his minimum of notes and maximum of expression as a consequence. These examples of sonic artistry, concentrated around the essential, frame Antonín Dvořák's late String Quintet in E-flat major, Op. 97. Like the other works written at the same time, during the composer’s "American period", its attractiveness hails from the natural, almost blossoming melodicism as well as the concise rhythm. Brahms, the Czech composer’s mentor of many years, took note of Dvořák’s unpretentious sense for melody, and his apparently never-ending power of invention. © ECM New Series

On "Three Or One", Bach appears in transfigured light. Fred Thomas’ ECM New Series debut presents organ chorale preludes, vocal cantata movements and orchestral sinfonias – 24 pieces in all – transcribed for trio and solo piano by the British pianist himself. Throughout, Bach’s idiom is thoughtfully explored by three innovative players – a process Thomas describes as "quietly joyful" – and the trio pieces, primarily drawn from Bach’s Orgelbüchlein, acquire a fresh character in the hands of Thomas, violinist Aisha Orazbayeva and cellist Lucy Railton. Both respectful of the original musical texts but unique in their execution, Thomas’ reformulations strike a rare balance between moderation and innovation. In the process, the pianist draws attention to various techniques used to "separate the voices and avoid the typical blending and blurring of the organ in a church. Particularly interesting to me", he explains, "was to illuminate how the musical characters interact, sometimes stubbornly ignoring one another as they continue their trajectories, other times moving in separate dimensions, unaware of anything but themselves, and often intertwining in a kind of blissful symbiosis". <br< The pianist points to the tradition of improvisation that prevails in baroque music, elucidating his understated approach to Bach’s texts by referring to the spontaneous improvisational design that distinguished the changeable art of counterpoint in Bach’s time. Pointing to the things that were played but not written in the musical text, Thomas notes that "Baroque musicians shared a clear understanding of what the interpreter must contribute". A skill that translates to the pianist’s fellow interpreters on this recording and, enhanced by their versatile musical backgrounds, helped form these unique adaptations: "That we can’t help but bring too many things to the table is an incitement to creativity. Bach often re-used his own material and it is no surprise it came out differently each time. With his imaginative, technical and improvisatory powers, do we really believe that Bach would play the same thing the same way twice?" It’s a good question, and the key to the approach taken on "Three Or One". © ECM New Series

At first glance, the pairing of the two composers chosen by the Parker Quartet and violist Kim Kashkashian for their recording on ECM New Series may appear unusual. However, György Kurtág and Antonín Dvořák have more in common than a fleeting glimpse at their oeuvre – an extremely narrow, concentrated catalogue of works in the one case and a multifaceted life's work that lavishly encompasses all musical genres in the other – would suggest. There is no question that György Kurtág and Antonín Dvořák are creators of eminent chamber music works. Dvořák wrote thirty-one works in this field (not counting the two serenades and some lost pieces), the most generously represented genre being the string quartet with fourteen works, in addition to the three quintets, one sextet, two tercets and others, all intended for pure string ensembles. Even greater still is the proportion of chamber music works in Kurtág's oeuvre, although his orchestral works were often written for smaller ensembles and reduced instrumentations. Ultimately, the intimate, austere quality of chamber music is more in keeping with Kurtág's artistic nature, who thinks less in terms of large formats, but rather developed his own unique style with sound material reduced to microscopic cells. <br< For the present recording, their first for ECM, the Parker Quartet combines the Six moments musicaux, Op. 44 and the Officium breve, Op. 28 – Kurtág's String Quartets No. 3 and No. 4, if you will – with Dvořák's String Quintet No. 3 in E-flat Major, Op. 97, for which Kim Kashkashian has taken over the second viola part. And here, within the musical facture, the compositional means, in the sound complexion, the paths of these two composers, who represent two musical eras, diverge. As with basically all the works of György Kurtág, who scrupulously concentrates and condenses the means and tools of composition, these two string quartets are made up of the smallest musical gestures, timbres and fragments – all of convincing consistency. They are replete with allusions to persons close to him, works and events of the past and present, from which the composer's aesthetic points of orientation can be derived: Beethoven, Olivier Messiaen, the pianist and piano teacher György Sebök, the Hungarian poet Endre Ady, Samuel Beckett, Leoš Janáček. And Anton Webern, of course, with his minimum of notes and maximum of expression as a consequence. These examples of sonic artistry, concentrated around the essential, frame Antonín Dvořák's late String Quintet in E-flat major, Op. 97. Like the other works written at the same time, during the composer’s "American period", its attractiveness hails from the natural, almost blossoming melodicism as well as the concise rhythm. Brahms, the Czech composer’s mentor of many years, took note of Dvořák’s unpretentious sense for melody, and his apparently never-ending power of invention. © ECM New Series

Ce nouvel enregistrement des Concertos pour piano de Brahms a bien des chances de faire date pour toutes sortes de (bonnes) raisons parmi lesquelles se détachent les personnalités des interprètes et l’entrée d’un répertoire inhabituel au catalogue de ECM, le prestigieux label fondé en 1969 par Manfred Eicher pour promouvoir la musique de notre temps. D’autres critères entrent en jeu comme le fait que le pianiste est également le chef d’orchestre pour des œuvres qui exigent pourtant un grand travail de mise en place pour l’un comme pour l’autre. Enfin, et ce n’est pas le moindre attrait de cet enregistrement captivant, le fait de jouer cette musique sur instruments d’époque. Ici, The Orchestra Of The Age Of Enlightenment (Orchestre de l'Age des Lumières) se mêle aux sonorités d’un superbe piano Blüthner construit autour de 1859 à Leipzig, la date restant incertaine à la suite de la destruction de presque toutes les archives du fabricant pendant la Seconde Guerre mondiale.À la fluidité du jeu inspiré d’András Schiff répond la mécanique légère du piano aux sonorités parfois cristallines, mais avec toute la force (spécialement dans le registre des basses et des aigus) du vénérable instrument dont Brahms lui-même aurait pu jouer. Enregistrés en décembre 2019 dans les studios d’Abbey Road à Londres, ces deux concertos bénéficient d’une prise de son mettant particulièrement en valeur le dialogue du pianiste et de l’orchestre, ce dernier brillant des feux de la passion dès le puissant tutti d’entrée du Concerto en ré mineur, jusqu’aux joyeuses dernières mesures du Concerto en si bémol majeur. Ils ne sont pas nombreux les enregistrements qui viennent remettre les pendules à l’heure. Splendide ! © François Hudry/Qobuz

Ce nouvel enregistrement des Concertos pour piano de Brahms a bien des chances de faire date pour toutes sortes de (bonnes) raisons parmi lesquelles se détachent les personnalités des interprètes et l’entrée d’un répertoire inhabituel au catalogue de ECM, le prestigieux label fondé en 1969 par Manfred Eicher pour promouvoir la musique de notre temps. D’autres critères entrent en jeu comme le fait que le pianiste est également le chef d’orchestre pour des œuvres qui exigent pourtant un grand travail de mise en place pour l’un comme pour l’autre. Enfin, et ce n’est pas le moindre attrait de cet enregistrement captivant, le fait de jouer cette musique sur instruments d’époque. Ici, The Orchestra Of The Age Of Enlightenment (Orchestre de l'Age des Lumières) se mêle aux sonorités d’un superbe piano Blüthner construit autour de 1859 à Leipzig, la date restant incertaine à la suite de la destruction de presque toutes les archives du fabricant pendant la Seconde Guerre mondiale.À la fluidité du jeu inspiré d’András Schiff répond la mécanique légère du piano aux sonorités parfois cristallines, mais avec toute la force (spécialement dans le registre des basses et des aigus) du vénérable instrument dont Brahms lui-même aurait pu jouer. Enregistrés en décembre 2019 dans les studios d’Abbey Road à Londres, ces deux concertos bénéficient d’une prise de son mettant particulièrement en valeur le dialogue du pianiste et de l’orchestre, ce dernier brillant des feux de la passion dès le puissant tutti d’entrée du Concerto en ré mineur, jusqu’aux joyeuses dernières mesures du Concerto en si bémol majeur. Ils ne sont pas nombreux les enregistrements qui viennent remettre les pendules à l’heure. Splendide ! © François Hudry/Qobuz

"Anájikon", le deuxième album pour ECM de Konstanzia Gourzi, réunit des œuvres de musique pour orchestre et de chambre composées au cours de la dernière décennie. Le langage musical de la compositrice, née à Athènes mais installée à Munich, mélange des éléments de diverses traditions musicales, créant un dialogue entre l’Orient et l’Occident. Elle tient particulièrement à créer des liens entre les arts : deux des présentes compositions, le troisième quatuor à cordes Anájikon et l’œuvre pour orchestre Ny-él, font partie d’une série d’œuvres sur le thème des anges, inspirés de représentations d’anges de divers artistes. La compositrice dirige par ailleurs la pièce pour orchestre. Un tout autre lien entre le passé et le présent est entrepris dans Hommage à Mozart, composé en 2014 pour l’altiste Nils Mönkemeyer et le pianiste William Youn. © ECM New Series

"Anájikon", le deuxième album pour ECM de Konstanzia Gourzi, réunit des œuvres de musique pour orchestre et de chambre composées au cours de la dernière décennie. Le langage musical de la compositrice, née à Athènes mais installée à Munich, mélange des éléments de diverses traditions musicales, créant un dialogue entre l’Orient et l’Occident. Elle tient particulièrement à créer des liens entre les arts : deux des présentes compositions, le troisième quatuor à cordes Anájikon et l’œuvre pour orchestre Ny-él, font partie d’une série d’œuvres sur le thème des anges, inspirés de représentations d’anges de divers artistes. La compositrice dirige par ailleurs la pièce pour orchestre. Un tout autre lien entre le passé et le présent est entrepris dans Hommage à Mozart, composé en 2014 pour l’altiste Nils Mönkemeyer et le pianiste William Youn. © ECM New Series

The rather abstract-sounding title of this release by the Danish String Quartet comes from a series; the "Prism" recordings select a late Beethoven quartet and program it with an arrangement of a relevant Bach work as well as a later quartet from a composer who came under the influence of late Beethoven. The idea is that the original Bach work is refracted by Beethoven as if by a prism. It sounds like a slightly involved apparatus, and it is; the influence of the late Beethoven quartets is nowhere near as direct as the group suggests in its note, and one can even argue that Bartók was the first composer to really attempt to come to terms with them directly. This said, the importance of Bach in the music of late Beethoven is large and arguably under-explored, and there are several strong draws here, not least the performance of the Beethoven String Quartet No. 14 in C sharp minor, Op. 131. The Danish String Quartet sharply highlights the juxtaposition of contrapuntal and folkish material in this work, and their performance feels strongly connected to Bartók, who exploited the same contrast. Listen to the fifth-movement Presto of the Beethoven to hear an example of the unusually light and joyous quality the group brings to this work, despite its heavy opening. ECM's sound, always impressive, could hardly be improved upon; the acoustic environment of an old indoor riding stadium results in clarity without the harshness of church environments or the over-intimate quality of some studio recordings. An intriguing Beethoven release that is both expertly executed and worthy of discussion. © TiVo

The rather abstract-sounding title of this release by the Danish String Quartet comes from a series; the "Prism" recordings select a late Beethoven quartet and program it with an arrangement of a relevant Bach work as well as a later quartet from a composer who came under the influence of late Beethoven. The idea is that the original Bach work is refracted by Beethoven as if by a prism. It sounds like a slightly involved apparatus, and it is; the influence of the late Beethoven quartets is nowhere near as direct as the group suggests in its note, and one can even argue that Bartók was the first composer to really attempt to come to terms with them directly. This said, the importance of Bach in the music of late Beethoven is large and arguably under-explored, and there are several strong draws here, not least the performance of the Beethoven String Quartet No. 14 in C sharp minor, Op. 131. The Danish String Quartet sharply highlights the juxtaposition of contrapuntal and folkish material in this work, and their performance feels strongly connected to Bartók, who exploited the same contrast. Listen to the fifth-movement Presto of the Beethoven to hear an example of the unusually light and joyous quality the group brings to this work, despite its heavy opening. ECM's sound, always impressive, could hardly be improved upon; the acoustic environment of an old indoor riding stadium results in clarity without the harshness of church environments or the over-intimate quality of some studio recordings. An intriguing Beethoven release that is both expertly executed and worthy of discussion. © TiVo

The Hungarian word "Hallgató," the title of the first movement of the guitar concerto by jazz guitarist Ferenc Snétberger, means "student," but also "listener"; the audience for this live concert of music by Snétberger and others is invited to listen and learn. The program of music by Snétberger and the Keller Quartet is ingenious and powerful. It opens and closes with music by Snétberger, and the other works, quite various, share the haunting mixture of public-facing and inward heard in Snétberger's concerto and rhapsody. Samuel Barber, who has often been used to good effect by the otherwise resolutely contemporary-oriented Keller Quartet, is present with the original string quartet version of the Adagio for Strings, and there are arrangements of two Dowland lute songs that would seem to be completely out of place but most assuredly are not. The largest piece in the center of the program is the Shostakovich String Quartet No. 8 in C minor, Op. 110, and there is no one whose music seems to conceal personal reflection and memory under the surface more than Shostakovich. Snétberger's music, especially the Rhapsody at the end, has jazz-like elements, and he is actually better known as a jazz player than as a classical composer; this adds another layer of tension to a program that has a lot of it and compels the listener's attention from beginning to end. The only complaint is the live sound; ECM does its formidable best, but the coughs of a Budapest winter at the Liszt Academy Grand Hall intrude. © James Manheim /TiVo

The Hungarian word "Hallgató," the title of the first movement of the guitar concerto by jazz guitarist Ferenc Snétberger, means "student," but also "listener"; the audience for this live concert of music by Snétberger and others is invited to listen and learn. The program of music by Snétberger and the Keller Quartet is ingenious and powerful. It opens and closes with music by Snétberger, and the other works, quite various, share the haunting mixture of public-facing and inward heard in Snétberger's concerto and rhapsody. Samuel Barber, who has often been used to good effect by the otherwise resolutely contemporary-oriented Keller Quartet, is present with the original string quartet version of the Adagio for Strings, and there are arrangements of two Dowland lute songs that would seem to be completely out of place but most assuredly are not. The largest piece in the center of the program is the Shostakovich String Quartet No. 8 in C minor, Op. 110, and there is no one whose music seems to conceal personal reflection and memory under the surface more than Shostakovich. Snétberger's music, especially the Rhapsody at the end, has jazz-like elements, and he is actually better known as a jazz player than as a classical composer; this adds another layer of tension to a program that has a lot of it and compels the listener's attention from beginning to end. The only complaint is the live sound; ECM does its formidable best, but the coughs of a Budapest winter at the Liszt Academy Grand Hall intrude. © James Manheim /TiVo

"Lost Prayers" est le premier album chez ECM New Series à être entièrement dédié à la musique de chambre du compositeur estonien Erkki-Sven Tüür. Les effectifs instrumentaux réduits n’affectent pas pour autant la puissance expressive des compositions, et la volatilité du concept 'vectoriel' de Tüür émerge avec force dès les premières secondes de Fata Morgana qui est, avec Lichttürme, une de ses deux pièces pour violon, violoncelle et piano. Ces pièces sont interprétées par le trio estonien formé de Harry Traksmann, Leho Karin and Marrit Gerretz-Traksmann, qui ont tous largement joué la musique de Tüür et ont participé à des enregistrements chez ECM, dont "Crystallisatio" and "Oymoron". Le quatuor Signum joue le Deuxième Quatuor à cordes du compositeur intitulé "Lost Prayers", et son violoniste Florian Donderer interprète également Synergie, aux côtés de la violoncelliste Tanya Tetzlaff. L’album a été enregistré à la Sendesaal de Brême en avril 2019. © ECM New Series

"Lost Prayers" est le premier album chez ECM New Series à être entièrement dédié à la musique de chambre du compositeur estonien Erkki-Sven Tüür. Les effectifs instrumentaux réduits n’affectent pas pour autant la puissance expressive des compositions, et la volatilité du concept 'vectoriel' de Tüür émerge avec force dès les premières secondes de Fata Morgana qui est, avec Lichttürme, une de ses deux pièces pour violon, violoncelle et piano. Ces pièces sont interprétées par le trio estonien formé de Harry Traksmann, Leho Karin and Marrit Gerretz-Traksmann, qui ont tous largement joué la musique de Tüür et ont participé à des enregistrements chez ECM, dont "Crystallisatio" and "Oymoron". Le quatuor Signum joue le Deuxième Quatuor à cordes du compositeur intitulé "Lost Prayers", et son violoniste Florian Donderer interprète également Synergie, aux côtés de la violoncelliste Tanya Tetzlaff. L’album a été enregistré à la Sendesaal de Brême en avril 2019. © ECM New Series

Amis de longue date et partenaires réguliers sur scène, le pianiste András Schiff et le clarinettiste et compositeur Jörg Widmann se sont réunis pour la première fois en studio pour enregistrer les Sonates pour clarinette et piano Op. 120 de Brahms, chefs-d’œuvre de la maturité du compositeur. Aux côtés des deux sonates, Schiff interprète les Intermezzi pour piano de Widmann, compositions inspirées par son amitié avec András Schiff et leur amour partagé pour Brahms, à qui les deux musiciens rendent hommage. © ECM New Series