Sonor Ensemble

On this CD:

1. Double Concerto, for two orchestras
Composed by Rand Steiger
Performed by Aleck Karis, Steve Schick
Conducted by Rand Steiger

2. Prometheus for wind sextet
Composed by Brian Ferneyhough
Performed by Susan Barrett, Warren Gref, Peggy Michel, David Savage, Robert Zelickman
Conducted by John Fonville

3. Mutterings, for soprano & seven players
Composed by Joji Yuasa
Performed by Fred Benedetti, Peter Farrell, John Fonville, Aleck Karis, Janos Negyesy, Janos Negyesy, Carol Plantamura, Steve Schick, Robert Zelickman
Conducted by Harvey Sollberger

4. Not Only Night, for soprano and five instruments
Composed by Roger Reynolds
Performed by Peter Farrell, John Fonville, John Fonville, Aleck Karis, Janos Negyesy, Carol Plantamura, Robert Zelickman
Conducted by Harvey Sollberger

Sonor Ensemble, Music, David Savage, Peter Farrell, Robert Zelickman, Brian Ferneyhough, Roger Reynolds, Rand Steiger, Joji Yuasa, Harvey Sollberger, John Fonville, Rand Steiger, Susan Barrett, Warren Gref, Fred Benedetti, Peggy Michel, Steve Schick, Aleck Karis, Carol Plantamura, Janos Negyesy, Chamber, Classical, Classical Artists, Concerto, Sextet for Six Woodwind Instruments

Czernowin: Dam Sheon Hachol --String Sextet; String Quartet
Average customer rating:
Czernowin: Dam Sheon Hachol --String Sextet; String Quartet

Manufacturer: Mode
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Chamber Music | Forms & Genres | Classical (c.1770-1830) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music
General Modern | Modern, 20th, & 21st Century | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music
General | Classical | Styles | Music
General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music
Similar Items:

Pnima Ins...Innere

Shu Hai Practices the Javelin

ASIN: B00000JIPW
Release Date: 1999-08-17

Tracks:

Nonet - SONOR
String Quartet - Arditti String Quartet
Die Kreuzung - Mayumi Miyata
String Sextet - Mary Oliver
Ina - John Fonville

Average customer rating:

the range of Reynolds' genius

Personae/Vanity of Words

Manufacturer: Neuma
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

General | New Age | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Electronica | Dance & DJ | Styles | Music
Similar Items:

Roger Reynolds: Whispers Out of Time; Transfigured Wind 2
Tristan Murail: Gondwana; Désintégrations; Time and Again

ASIN: B000005VX2
Release Date: 1995-12-13

Tracks:

Personae
Vanity of Words
Variation

Customer Reviews:

the range of Reynolds' genius.......2002-09-18

This Neuma disc is superb, and with works in three different forms, would serve as an excellent introduction to Reynolds. The title piece, "Personae," is a violin concerto, definitely one of best contemporary works in the genre. Janos Negyesy plays violin with the SONOR Ensemble and computer-processed sound -- Negyesy and SONOR, like Reynolds, are based at UC San Diego. As Reynolds explains in the liner notes, the violinist takes on four roles in turn -- conjurer, dancer, meditator and advocate, the last of which subsumes the other three in summation. A stunning, cutting edge work. The second piece is "The Vanity of Words (Voicespace V)," one of Reynolds' works with computer-processed vocals, in this case the tenor Philip Larson of UCSD. This one features a text from Milan Kundera's "The Unbearable Lightness of Being." Unlike the concerto, this radical form is not recognizable as "classical music," but requires open ears and mind to appreciate. I am more impressed by this "pure" application than I am by "Odyssey," an avant-opera with computer-processed vocals (also on Neuma -- see my review of "The Paris Pieces"). Finally, "Variation" is a 22-minute piano piece, performed by Aleck Karis, also at UCSD. Reynolds mentions Webern as a point of reference, and I am reminded of Schoenberg's piano works, though the level of complexity is doubtless multiplied.

Tracks:

Ferneyhough Remix (Affection Aphorism 1)
Janus
Omnibus Etude
Entre Funerailles IV
Licensed To Fail
Meditation
Catfish
Discipline V - From Saturn To Alabama: Travels In Outer Space
Snagglepuss Remix

Average customer rating:

The Music Of Will Ogdon

Manufacturer: Composers Recordings
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Quintets | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Caprices | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Tracks:

Three Pno Pieces: 1/4nt = 66 - Stefani Walens
Three Pno Pieces: 1/4nt = 108-112 - Stefani Walens
Three Pno Pieces: 1/8nt = 66-72 - Stefani Walens
Three Baritone Songs: Moon Song - Philip Larson/Stefani Walens
Three Baritone Songs: Slow, Slow Fresh Fount - Philip Larson/Stefani Walens
Three Baritone Songs: O Let Me Climb - Philip Larson/Stefani Walens
Two Kechwa Songs: That She May Not Find Dew - Carol Plantamura/Stefani Walens
Two Kechwa Songs: How Sadly She Dreams - Carol Plantamura/Stefani Walens
Three Trifles: I. March - Peter Farrell/Aleck Karis
Three Trifles: II. Romance - Peter Farrell/Aleck Karis
Three Trifles: III. Schrezo - Peter Farrell/Aleck Karis
By The Isar - Beverly Ogdon/John Fonville/Bertram Turetzky
Six Small Trios: 1/4nt = 48-52 - Edwin Harkins/David Shively/Aleck Karis
Six Small Trios: Poco Scherzando - Edwin Harkins/David Shively/Aleck Karis
Six Small Trios: Briskly - Edwin Harkins/David Shively/Aleck Karis
Six Small Trios: Very Slow March Tempo - Edwin Harkins/David Shively/Aleck Karis
Six Small Trios: 1/8nt = 60-66 - Edwin Harkins/David Shively/Aleck Karis
Six Small Trios: 1/4nt = 112-120 - Edwin Harkins/David Shively/Aleck Karis
Five Prlds: Adagio Ma Flessibile - Janos Negyesy/Will Ogdon
Five Prlds: Andante Ma Non Troppo - Janos Negyesy/Will Ogdon
Five Prlds: Andante Cantabile - Janos Negyesy/Will Ogdon
Five Prlds: Adagio Tranquillo - Janos Negyesy/Will Ogdon
Five Prlds: Allegretto - Janos Negyesy/Will Ogdon
Ser No.1: I. Adagio - Eolus Qnt
Ser No.1: II. 1. Arioso - Eolus Qnt
Ser No.1: II. 2. Adagio - Eolus Qnt
Ser No.1: II. 3. Vivace/4. Allegretto - Eolus Qnt
Ser No.1: II. 5. Arioso 2 - Eolus Qnt
Ser No.1: II. 6. 1/4nt = 120 - Eolus Qnt
Ser No.1: III. Allegro - Eolus Qnt
Two Capriccios: Capriccio 1 - Aleck Karis
Two Capriccios: Capriccio 2 - Aleck Karis
Var Ste: 1. Somewhat Freely ('Dreamily') - Janos Negyesy/Paivikki Nykter
Var Ste: 2. Quasi Giocoso - Janos Negyesy/Paivikki Nykter
Var Ste: 3. Scherzo - Janos Negyesy/Paivikki Nykter
Var Ste: 4. Tranquillo (Cantabile) - Janos Negyesy/Paivikki Nykter
Var Ste: 5. Scherzando - Janos Negyesy/Paivikki Nykter
Var Ste: 6. Andante - Janos Negyesy/Paivikki Nykter
Var Ste: 7-8-7. Quasi Marcia, Meno Mosso, Piv Vivo - Janos Negyesy/Paivikki Nykter
Var Ste: 9. Quasi Giocoso - Janos Negyesy/Paivikki Nykter
Var Ste: 10. Somewhat Freely - Janos Negyesy/Paivikki Nykter
Six Small Trios: 1. 1/4nt = 48-52 - Edwin Harkins/Keith Humble/Jean-Charles Francois
Six Small Trios: 2. Poco Scherzando - Edwin Harkins/Keith Humble/Jean-Charles Francois
Six Small Trios: 3. Briskly - Edwin Harkins/Keith Humble/Jean-Charles Francois
Six Small Trios: 4. Very Slow March Tempo - Edwin Harkins/Keith Humble/Jean-Charles Francois
Six Small Trios: 5. 1/8nt =60-66 - Edwin Harkins/Keith Humble/Jean-Charles Francois
Six Small Trios: 6. 1/4nt = 112-120 - Edwin Harkins/Keith Humble/Jean-Charles Francois

Average customer rating:

A mixed bag
More essential Xenakis recordings

Xenakis: Thalleïn; Aïs

Manufacturer: Neuma
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music
ASIN: B000005VX9
Release Date: 1995-04-16

Tracks:

Ais: A
Gendy3
Taurhiphanie
Thalle

Customer Reviews:

A mixed bag.......2001-07-31

Gendy3 is 18+ minutes of synthesized sound. It was "written" by a program called GENDYN, which Xenakis wrote (in BASIC!) as part of his research into algorithmic composition. The result has eleven sections, each 1-2 minutes long, each pretty much a single texture which doesn't evolve in any particular way. The sequence of the eleven sections seems arbitrary. If you like the sound clip on this page, you'll probably like listening to the piece, if not, it may make you run from the room.

I find Tauriphanie a more interesting listen. It also uses computer-generated sounds, but this time inspired by the sounds of bulls.

This disc is currently the only way to hear these two pieces.

Aïs and Thalleïn are fine works, but there's a newer and much stronger performance of Aïs on Timpani.

More essential Xenakis recordings.......2000-07-21

It's astounding how many CDs are available now that feature Xenakis' music. While it's great, it makes it a little difficult to know which CDs to pick up and which ones to leave alone. Xenakis, of course, is an incredible composer, but like anyone he *does* have a few misses here and there.

If it weren't for the first piece on this CD, "Aïs", I'd say this CD is probably one to leave alone. It has 2 recent electronic pieces, and another chamber piece (which sounds strikingly like "Aïs" but without the baritone or percussion solo). I've always found Xenakis' acoustic music much more interesting than his purely electronic music because, like most electronic music, it tends to come off flat and uninteresting.

Having said that, "Aïs" is one hell of a piece... possibly the best Xenakis I've heard. It's a piece for baritone solo, percussion solo and orchestra and is one of the most intense 10 mins of music I've heard. "Aïs" alone is worth the price of this CD. Not only is the piece excellent, but the performance is impeccable. Steve Schick (percussion) and Philip Larson (baritone) and two of the most accomplished interpreters of contemporary music around, so to hear them performing together on such an incredible piece is quite a treat.

Sonor Ensemble
Average customer rating:
Sonor Ensemble

Manufacturer: Composers Recordings
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Sextets | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music
General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music
General | Concertos | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music
General Modern | Modern, 20th, & 21st Century | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music
General | Classical | Styles | Music
ASIN: B000005TW4
Release Date: 1994-06-13