Classical Music Discoveries

Innovative New Music trumpeter Stephen Ruppenthal commands attention right out the gate. Or perhaps, more specifically, he commands it right out the “NGate” – the subtitle of the opening track on FLAMETHROWER, his Ravello Records debut. The album contains world premieres of five pieces for trumpet, flugelhorn, voice, and crotale, composed specifically for Ruppenthal by Allen Strange, Bruno Liberda, Elainie Lillios, and Brian Belet. From the first notes of Velocity Studies V: NGate, listeners might recall the spirit of Miles Davis’s Electric Era, as delayed trumpet blasts echo deep into their psyche. Ruppenthal’s playing also alludes to the works of trumpeters like Jon Hassell and Nils Petter Molvær. What sets Ruppenthal’s expressive trumpet performances apart is the way they’re informed by digital sound processing and interactive electroacoustics. The combination of organic and synthesized sounds come together to form a cohesive sonic landscape steeped with an edgy, introspective feeling throughout. Tracks like “a sphere of air is bound” show the trumpeter extending his instrument from its traditional sound. Ruppenthal’s trumpet is simultaneously processed and multiplied by the Kyma system, which mimics sounds from deep within a dense jungle soundscape. Ruppenthal uses the haunting reverberations of the crotale to open Lillios’ November Twilight, the album’s centerpiece. As his bursts of trumpet pierce through the track’s sonic landscape, the trumpeter adds intermittent vocalizations, taking inspiration from the Haiku poem by Wally Swist, and substratal sonance, contributing further ripples to the atmosphere. This all builds to a triumphant swell of trumpets that shimmer amid the piece’s darker tones, a dichotomy creating contrast and depth, and enhancing the many facets and moods of the work. The title of Misty Magic Land reflects its sounds; chimes and high-end timbres create a mystical and mysterious atmosphere for Ruppenthal’s trumpets to explore. Brian Belet also appears on the track as producer and overseer of digital audio processing. He returns to these roles for his composition System of Shadows at the end of the album. Speaking of FLAMETHROWER’s concluding track, System of Shadows returns to the frenzied, impassioned nature of the album’s opener, processing a Bitches Brew-inpired core with shimmering reconstruction achieved in tandem with the Kyma system processing. Quick loops sizzle under the surface long after Ruppenthal has released the notes from his trumpet, resulting in a hypnotic effect unlike anything else on the album. The hum of the lingering trumpet is a cathartic end to an innovative journey. Purchase now at: http://www.classicalsavings.com/store/p348/Flamethrower.html TRACK TITLES 01 VELOCITY STUDIES V: NGATE 2007 Allen Strange Stephen Ruppenthal C trumpets 02 A SPHERE OF AIR IS BOUND 2010 Bruno Liberda Stephen Ruppenthal C trumpet & voice Bruno Liberda Kyma digital audio processing 03 NOVEMBER TWILIGHT 2011 Elainie Lillios Stephen Ruppenthal C trumpet, crotale & voice Elainie Lillios interactive electroacoustics 04 MISTY MAGIC LAND 2004 Allen Strange Stephen Ruppenthal C trumpet Allen Strange digital media Brian Belet Kyma digital audio processing SYSTEM OF SHADOWS 2007 Brian Belet 05 I. Aurora Borealis 06 II. Andromeda’s Dream 07 III. Zephyr Apparition Stephen Ruppenthal C trumpet & Bb flugelhorn Brian Belet Kyma digital audio processing Purchase now at: http://www.classicalsavings.com/store/p348/Flamethrower.html

Innovative New Music trumpeter Stephen Ruppenthal commands attention right out the gate. Or perhaps, more specifically, he commands it right out the “NGate” – the subtitle of the opening track on FLAMETHROWER, his Ravello Records debut. The album contains world premieres of five pieces for trumpet, flugelhorn, voice, and crotale, composed specifically for Ruppenthal by Allen Strange, Bruno Liberda, Elainie Lillios, and Brian Belet. From the first notes of Velocity Studies V: NGate, listeners might recall the spirit of Miles Davis’s Electric Era, as delayed trumpet blasts echo deep into their psyche. Ruppenthal’s playing also alludes to the works of trumpeters like Jon Hassell and Nils Petter Molvær. What sets Ruppenthal’s expressive trumpet performances apart is the way they’re informed by digital sound processing and interactive electroacoustics. The combination of organic and synthesized sounds come together to form a cohesive sonic landscape steeped with an edgy, introspective feeling throughout. Tracks like “a sphere of air is bound” show the trumpeter extending his instrument from its traditional sound. Ruppenthal’s trumpet is simultaneously processed and multiplied by the Kyma system, which mimics sounds from deep within a dense jungle soundscape. Ruppenthal uses the haunting reverberations of the crotale to open Lillios’ November Twilight, the album’s centerpiece. As his bursts of trumpet pierce through the track’s sonic landscape, the trumpeter adds intermittent vocalizations, taking inspiration from the Haiku poem by Wally Swist, and substratal sonance, contributing further ripples to the atmosphere. This all builds to a triumphant swell of trumpets that shimmer amid the piece’s darker tones, a dichotomy creating contrast and depth, and enhancing the many facets and moods of the work. The title of Misty Magic Land reflects its sounds; chimes and high-end timbres create a mystical and mysterious atmosphere for Ruppenthal’s trumpets to explore. Brian Belet also appears on the track as producer and overseer of digital audio processing. He returns to these roles for his composition System of Shadows at the end of the album. Speaking of FLAMETHROWER’s concluding track, System of Shadows returns to the frenzied, impassioned nature of the album’s opener, processing a Bitches Brew-inpired core with shimmering reconstruction achieved in tandem with the Kyma system processing. Quick loops sizzle under the surface long after Ruppenthal has released the notes from his trumpet, resulting in a hypnotic effect unlike anything else on the album. The hum of the lingering trumpet is a cathartic end to an innovative journey. Purchase now at: http://www.classicalsavings.com/store/p348/Flamethrower.html TRACK TITLES 01 VELOCITY STUDIES V: NGATE 2007 Allen Strange Stephen Ruppenthal C trumpets 02 A SPHERE OF AIR IS BOUND 2010 Bruno Liberda Stephen Ruppenthal C trumpet & voice Bruno Liberda Kyma digital audio processing 03 NOVEMBER TWILIGHT 2011 Elainie Lillios Stephen Ruppenthal C trumpet, crotale & voice Elainie Lillios interactive electroacoustics 04 MISTY MAGIC LAND 2004 Allen Strange Stephen Ruppenthal C trumpet Allen Strange digital media Brian Belet Kyma digital audio processing SYSTEM OF SHADOWS 2007 Brian Belet 05 I. Aurora Borealis 06 II. Andromeda’s Dream 07 III. Zephyr Apparition Stephen Ruppenthal C trumpet & Bb flugelhorn Brian Belet Kyma digital audio processing Purchase now at: http://www.classicalsavings.com/store/p348/Flamethrower.html

Mozart composed 17 Church Sonatas between 1772 and 1780. These church sonatas are short single-movement pieces that were performed during a celebration of the Mass between the Epistle and the Gospel. Three of the sonatas include more orchestral scorings including oboes, horns, trumpets and timpani. However, the more common sonatas were scored for 2 violins and a continuo. All the sonatas were commissioned by the Archbishop of Salzburg and were meant to go with specific religious mass settings. Mozart was very important to the Archbishop, so important in fact, that after Mozart left Salzburg, there was a mandate that the congregation sing hymns in place of the church sonata. Thus, the Archbishop did not commission a new composer after the departure of young Mozart. Today, these 17 church sonatas are very often overlooked as not important to the Mozart musical catalog. However, here at Classical Music Discoveries, we would like to differ from the consensus concerning the church sonatas. We will play all 17 sonatas in order of composition, and we hope that our listeners will pay very close attention to these works as they give many hints as to what will come in future compositions by Mozart. We believe that Mozart used these sonatas to explore musical ideas that he would develop and use in future compositions. So, we believe that the Church Sonatas were an important musical sketchbook to Mozart. These sonatas are performed by the CMD Philharmonic of Paris and this recording is available now at ClassicalRecordings.co Purchase now at: http://www.classicalsavings.com/store/p356/Mozart%3A_The_17_Church_Sonatas.html

Mozart composed 17 Church Sonatas between 1772 and 1780. These church sonatas are short single-movement pieces that were performed during a celebration of the Mass between the Epistle and the Gospel. Three of the sonatas include more orchestral scorings including oboes, horns, trumpets and timpani. However, the more common sonatas were scored for 2 violins and a continuo. All the sonatas were commissioned by the Archbishop of Salzburg and were meant to go with specific religious mass settings. Mozart was very important to the Archbishop, so important in fact, that after Mozart left Salzburg, there was a mandate that the congregation sing hymns in place of the church sonata. Thus, the Archbishop did not commission a new composer after the departure of young Mozart. Today, these 17 church sonatas are very often overlooked as not important to the Mozart musical catalog. However, here at Classical Music Discoveries, we would like to differ from the consensus concerning the church sonatas. We will play all 17 sonatas in order of composition, and we hope that our listeners will pay very close attention to these works as they give many hints as to what will come in future compositions by Mozart. We believe that Mozart used these sonatas to explore musical ideas that he would develop and use in future compositions. So, we believe that the Church Sonatas were an important musical sketchbook to Mozart. These sonatas are performed by the CMD Philharmonic of Paris and this recording is available now at ClassicalRecordings.co Purchase now at: http://www.classicalsavings.com/store/p356/Mozart%3A_The_17_Church_Sonatas.html

BRIGHT CIRCLE is an exquisitely programmed showcase of the interconnectivity underlying the tradition of solo piano in Classical music. Pianist Beth Levin shines as she navigates the romantic masterpieces of Schubert and Brahms, and their very new counterpart – David Del Tredici’s 2014 work, Ode To Music. Levin’s performance is particularly remarkable in the way she places the Del Tredici within the context of Schubert’s Piano Sonata No. 20 and Brahms’ Variations and Fugue on a Theme by Handel. Del Tredici’s music is an excellent choice to be set alongside two romantic stalwarts, as it aims to recapture the expressive language of nineteenth century European composers. Beyond this general association, all three works on BRIGHT CIRCLE truly are kindred spirits. Schubert and Brahms belong to the same tradition of German romanticism that arose and matured in the early- and mid-nineteenth century. Ode to Music is a fantasy on Schubert’s art song An die Musik. Essentially, BRIGHT CIRCLE is defined by music that takes older ideas and reconstitutes them in a new, transformative setting. This is certainly the case with Brahms’ Variations, which serves as BRIGHT CIRCLE’s backbone. By the time Brahms set to work on this piece in the late 1850s, large sets of variations for piano were a common form for Romantic composers to flex their muscles. However, Brahms departed from the grandeur typical of these precedents – namely, Beethoven’s famed Diabelli Variations – and challenged himself to study and assimilate aspects of Baroque forms into his treatment of Handel’s theme. The melody at the heart of the variations originated in a work for harpsichord, and Brahms’ appreciation of this fact is evident in restrained virtuosity of his piano writing. Purchase now at: http://www.classicalsavings.com/store/p351/Beth_Levin_-_Bright_Circle.html TRACK LISTING Franz Schubert PIANO SONATA NO.20, D.959 01 I. Allegro 02 II. Andantino 03 III. Scherzo. Allegro vivace 04 IV. Rondo. Allegretto Johannes Brahms VARIATIONS AND FUGUE ON A THEME BY HANDEL, OP.24 05 Aria 06 Variation I 07 Variation II animato 08 Variation III piano dolce 09 Variation IV risoluto 10 Variation V espressivo 11 Variation VI 12 Variation VII con vivacita 13 Variation VIII 14 Variation IX poco sostenuto 15 Variation X 16 Variation XI 17 Variation XII 18 Variation XIII Largamente, ma non piu 19 Variation XIV 20 Variation XV 21 Variation XVI 22 Variation XVII Piu mosso 23 Variation XVIII 24 Variation XIX leggiero e vivace 25 Variation XX 26 Variation XXI 27 Variation XXII 28 Variation XXIII 29 Variation XXIV 30 Variation XXV 31 Fugue David Del Tredici 32 ODE TO MUSIC Purchase now at: http://www.classicalsavings.com/store/p351/Beth_Levin_-_Bright_Circle.html

In the 1730’s “Il Pastor Fido - 6 Sonatas for Flute and Continuo” was published in Paris by a new music publication company, eager to make a name for itself. The composer of this work was listed as Antonio Vivaldi. Since Antonio Vivaldi was a very famous composer, the ploy worked as the composition sold well and the publication company established a firm foothold in their industry. However, the entire publication was actually a forgery. 12 years after the publication, it was discovered, by Vivaldi’s attorney, that the work had actually been composed by a cousin of Vivaldi - Nicholas Chedeville. Nicholas was an excellent imitator of his famous cousin and this work had fooled many people for many years. Although the work was proven not to be by Vivaldi, the court document never came to public knowledge. Thus, “Il Pastor Fido” was performed for hundreds of years as a work by Antonio Vivaldi. It wasn’t until 1990 that the court document was discovered and finally Nicholas Chedeville was attributed as the rightful composer. This performance of “Il Pastor Fido” features flutist Rita D’Arcangelo, a favorite of our listeners and Alberto Mammarella playing the harpsichord. This CD is available now in our online store - ClassicalRecordings.co http://www.classicalsavings.com/store/p304/Il_Pastor_Fido.html

THERE ARE MANY OTHER LEGENDS Jonathan Santore composer Dan Perkins conductor New Hampshire Master Chorale Manchester Choral Society & Orchestra OVERVIEW Both the New Hampshire Master Chorale and the Manchester Choral Society elevate the works of composer-in-residence Jonathan Santore on THERE ARE MANY OTHER LEGENDS, an expansive collection of works from Santore’s choral catalog. Each piece highlights the composer’s impressive command of choral writing and the ensemble’s traditions. Through their texts and other premises, several works on THERE ARE MANY OTHER LEGENDS are referential pieces, some alluding to other works of vocal music while others recall the mythology of distant cultures. Requiem: Learning to Fall, a work which is both internally and externally referential, yielding a compelling, multi-layered musical text. The composition demonstrates Santore’s command of vocal texture and ability to add character to the choir’s text through instrumental accompaniments. At the heart of Requiem is the cyclical recurrence of multiple musical and textual ideas, including the ancient “dies irae” Gregorian Chant and various musical cues of Santore’s creation. The most important of these is his setting of the word “alleluia,” which opens the work and returns multiple times as a positive counterbalance to the darker, more dissonant instrumental representations of the “dies irae” chant. Requiem and Forgetting are the album’s only two pieces containing orchestral arrangements, featuring the New Hampshire-based Manchester Choral Society and Orchestra. However, several of the pieces on THERE ARE MANY OTHER LEGENDS are written for both choir and additional instrumentation, including strings, piano, and soprano saxophone. While choral music is the focus of this album, Santore’s instrumental writing and orchestration for heterogeneous ensembles should not be overlooked. For example, Santore’s three-movement work O Sweet Spontaneous Earth evocatively pits the choir against a string trio as it conveys its transformative musical and textual form. In this way, O Sweet Spontaneous Earth stands alongside Requiem as the album’s most structurally nuanced and narratively cogent works. Available for purchase now at: http://www.classicalsavings.com/store/p347/There_Are_Many_Other_Legends.html TRACK LISTING Dan Perkins conductor 01 Walden Recessional New Hampshire Master Chorale Linda Galvan cello The Return (Armistice Poems) New Hampshire Master Chorale Dan Perkins piano 02 I. The Return 03 II. November 11, 1918 04 III. The Country of the Camisards 05 Kalevala Fragments New Hampshire Master Chorale Eight Gypsy Songs After Brahms New Hampshire Master Chorale 06 I. “Hey, Gypsy, strike the strings!” 07 II. “The bronzed boy” 08 III. “The moon shrouds its face” 09 IV. “Does it sometimes come to mind” 10 V. “Hark, the wind wails in the branches” 11 VI. “Dear God, you know how often” 12 VII. “High towering Rima tide” 13 VIII. “Hey, Gypsy, strike the strings!” 14 Love Always! New Hampshire Master Chorale Rik Pfenninger soprano saxophone O Sweet Spontaneous Earth New Hampshire Master Chorale Eva Gruesser violin Daniel Doña viola Leo Eguchi cello 15 I. “O sweet spontaneous” 16 II. “pity this busy monster, manunkind,” 17 III. “when God lets my body be” Requiem: Learning to Fall Manchester Choral Society and Orchestra Emily Jaworski mezzo-soprano Part One 18 I. “And now, as I prepare to fall” 19 II. “Tigers either way, before me and behind me” 20 III. “All winter beech leaves remind us of what we have lost” 21 IV. “Haul the wood, hammer the shingles” 22 V. “Cultivating wildness takes practice” 23 VI. “Seek the holy quiet of solitude” 24 VII. “In mud season” Part Two 25 VIII. “As the tree puts forth new branches” 26 IX. “On the edge of a moonlit field” 27 X. “Do not suffer change” 28 XI. “Throw clay on the(continued)

Mozart’s “Ascanio in Alba” was commissioned by the Empress Maria Theresa. Her son, who would be Emperor Joseph II (who is featured in the movie “Amadeus”) would remember Mozart very well 10 years later when Wolfgang comes to Vienna. This opera was composed for Empress Maria’s wedding of her third son, Archduke Ferdinand and Princess Maria Beatrice of Modena. The wedding was held in Milan on October 15, 1771. A year earlier, Princess Maria attended a Mozart family concert and was very impressed with the talents of young Wolfgang. She related this experience to Empress Maria Theresa and a commission was born. The opera was completed in 3-1/2 weeks when Mozart was 15 years old. While this opera is never performed today, in Mozart’s time, the opera was a tremendous success and garnered young Wolfgang even more fame in Europe, if indeed, that could be possible. Regardless of the opera’s success, this opera set the proverbial wheels in motion for his later triumphant entry into Vienna, and of course, the opera garnered young Mozart even more jealously and hatred from other composers of his day. It is also noteworthy, that following the overture to this opera, Mozart’s very first ballet in any opera is performed. This opera is performed by the CMD German Opera Company of Berlin and it is available now in our online store at ClassicalRecordings.co http://www.classicalsavings.com/store/p355/Mozart%3A_Ascanio_in_Alba%2C_K._111.html

FOREVER BEELER SONATAS & SOLI OF ALAN BEELER LADISLAV BILAN VIBRAPHONE JAN DVOŘÁK BASSOON PETR HLADÍK FLUTE ALEŠ JANEČEK CLARINET LUCIE KAUCKÁ PIANO JIŘÍ KRÁL TUBA VIT MUŽÍK VIOLIN DALIBOR PROCHÁZKA BASS TROMBONE KAROLINA ROJAHN PIANO JENNIFER SLOWICK ENGLISH HORN, OBOE OVERVIEW FOREVER BEELER represents a sampling of composer Alan Beeler’s prolific output throughout his musical career, which is generally defined by his commitment to compositional craft and structural clarity. The works featured on this album also reveal a playfulness lying just under the surface of Beeler’s compositional perspective. This quality of Beeler’s music is most notable in the seven sonatas for piano, often accompanied by another instrument, included in FOREVER BEELER. Here, Beeler crafts engaging conversations between the players at his disposal – he employs a great deal of imitative writing and a more roaming style than in the more concise works on this album. A particularly clear example of Beeler’s fluid sense of style occurs in the second movement of his Sonata for Clarinet and Piano, which is dominated by a subtle “swing” characteristic as well as the “cakewalk rhythm” popular in early twentieth century ragtime music. One of the most deeply intriguing works in FOREVER BEELER is the Three Early Pieces for Piano, which ranks among the first music Beeler formally composed and published. These short pieces exemplify the directness of Beeler’s compositional voice, as they clearly develop and resolve a singular musical idea. In addition to being succinct, finely crafted piano miniatures, they stand as evidence to this album’s unique offerings to listeners. It is extremely rare to have this kind of longitudinal representation of a composer’s career available in an individual recording. The collection is even more valuable because, despite his indomitable and specific approach to composition, Beeler’s oeuvre is filled with nuance, all of which stands out in FOREVER BEELER. This album is also marked by the way it testifies to the creative conditions of the mid-twentieth century, when Beeler emerged as a composer. The many aforementioned sonatas featured on FOREVER BEELER, for example, suggest the composer’s abiding interest in the forms and styles of the eighteenth and nineteenth century. Yet, piano works like the Twelve-Tone Quartal Etude indicate Beeler was not only subject to a variety of stylistic influences, but also extremely skilled in fulfilling their aesthetic mandates. Available for purchase now at: http://www.classicalsavings.com/store/p345/Forever_Beeler%2C_Sonatas_and_Soli_of_Alan_Beeler.html TRACK LISTING SONATA FOR CLARINET & PIANO Aleš Janeček clarinet Lucie Kaucká piano 1 I. 2 II. 3 III. SOMETHING MORE CHEERFUL SUITE - VARIATIONS ON A WELL-KNOWN TUNE Ladislav Bilan vibraphone 4 I. 5 IIa. & IIb. 6 III. 7 IV. 8 V. FLUTE & PIANO SONATA Petr Hladík flute Lucie Kaucká piano 9 I. 10 II. 11 III. MY IDENTITY SUITE Karolina Rojahn piano 12 I. 13 II. 14 III. ENGLISH HORN SONATA Jennifer Slowick English horn Karolina Rojahn piano 15 I. 16 II. 17 III. MULTI-TONAL SUITE Karolina Rojahn piano 18 I. Arpeggios & cords Using Conflicting Major Triads 19 II. Waltz 20 III. Turns, Triads & the Octatonic Scale 21 IV. Meandering Major & Augmented Triads 22 V. Major & Minor Triads Together 23 VI. Arpeggiated Non-Dominant Seventh Chords 24 VII. Expanding Chromatic Neighboring Tones 25 VIII. Contracting Minor Triads OBOE SONATA Jennifer Slowick oboe Karolina Rojahn piano 26 I. 27 II. 28 III. 3 EARLY PIECES FOR SOLO PIANO Lucie Kaucká piano 29 I. Piano Piece No. 1 30 II. Piano Piece No. 2 31 III. Piano Piece No. 3 SONATA DE CAMERA Jan Dvořák bassoon Lucie Kaucká piano 32 I. French Overture 33 II. Chaconne 34 III. Alla Concerto 35 BEELER’S FIT ’06 Karolina Rojahn piano SONATAS(continued)

Be sure to purchase your tickets now for “Lamb of God: An Easter Oratorio." Composed by Rob Gardner, this stirring oratorio features events surrounding the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ and blends the singing of LietoVoices! with the artistry of the Southwest Symphony Orchestra. A divine, awe-inspiring modern masterpiece of song, music and praises to the Lord. Save the date on your calendar for, Friday, April 14th at 7:30 PM. Tickets may be purchased at SouthwestSymphony.co

DARK CLOUDS IN LIFE NATALIE’S SUITE & OTHER WORKS Mark John McEncroe OVERVIEW A persistent goal of Mark John McEncroe is to create compositions that elicit an emotional response, as is echoed in the titles of his works. This is particularly true of the Australian composer’s Navona debut DARK CLOUDS OF LIFE, a conceptual release focused on overcoming addiction and depression, challenges McEncroe has personally struggled with. His sessions in Ostrava, Czech Republic with the Janáček Philharmonic Orchestra and pianist Helen Kennedy produced a cornerstone suite and three addendums that capture the essence of the record’s stated purpose. The most personal of these works is the three-movement Natalie’s Suite. McEncroe dedicated the piece to his daughter, who has been “wrestling with addiction and depression as I have and is well on the way to a better life. This suite is all about that struggle.” The emotive, expansive performances of this tribute by Kennedy and the Janáček Philharmonic amount to a stirring soundtrack to Natalie’s journey and the turmoil of all who battle addiction. The composer describes these themes as grappling with an insane, detrimental cycle of repeating mistakes, which he chose to illustrate by staying in the home key throughout the entire work and creating a “tragic soundscape.” This is most prominently showcased in the storming density of the suite’s first two, 20-minute movements – “Facing the Demons” and “Into the Dark Spaces.” Yet, as “Moving into the Light” concludes Natalie’s Suite, a lighter mood begins to dissipate the tragedy of the suite. The movement accomplishes what its title suggests, presenting and embodiment of McEncroe’s view that “there can be no recovery until acceptance of complete powerlessness is reached. Only at that point can an addict and/or alcoholic begin the long slow, painful, but richly rewarding journey into a brand new life.” Though the Janáček Philharmonic returns on Echoes from a Haunted Past, Kennedy dominated the album’s three addendums with her solo piano performances on Natalie’s Theme and The Pendulum. While both pieces are haunting displays, it is the pianist’s reprise of Natalie’s Suite which beautifully accents the album’s central theme. The solo duet also draws from McEncroe’s fondness of Japanese gardens, bonsai and koi ponds, an influence he compares to the way in which Claude Monet took inspiration from his garden for many of his paintings. Now available for purchase at: http://www.classicalsavings.com/store/p343/Dark_Clouds_in_Life.html TRACK INFO NATALIE’S SUITE THREE FACES OF ADDICTION Symphonic Suite for Piano & Orchestra Janáček Philharmonic Orchestra | Anthony Armore conductor Helen Kennedy piano 1 Facing The Demons 2 Into The Dark Spaces 3 Moving Into The Light 4 NATALIE’S THEME Helen Kennedy piano 5 SYMPHONIC POEM ECHOES FROM A HAUNTED PAST Janáček Philharmonic Orchestra | Anthony Armore conductor 6 THE PENDULUM Helen Kennedy piano Now available for purchase at: http://www.classicalsavings.com/store/p343/Dark_Clouds_in_Life.html

Although Mozart composed over 600 works, many of his compositions have not survived the 200 plus years of human history. Natural cataclysmic events can destroy much of man’s history, sadly, it is our own political events that destroy our greatest artistic creations. Mozart’s symphonies 54, 42, 9 and 12 are prime examples of war destroying art. It seems that no matter how much beauty man creates, the tragedies and ugliness of war continually destroys our finest creations. We will now discuss 4 of Mozart’s symphonies that barely escaped the ravages of World War 2. These 4 symphonies were composed in rapid succession while the Mozart family was preparing for a concert tour of Italy in 1771. Mozart was 15 years old at this time. We will discuss and play for you all 4 symphonies in order of composition.

In this month’s 42nd edition of La Musica Chamber Music Hour, we will be pleased to hear: Mendelssohn: Piano Trio in D minor, Op. 49 Brahms: String Quartet in G Major, Op. 111 Musicians performing in this broadcast are: Jennifer Frautschi, Massimo Quarta, violins Bruno Giuranna and Rebecca Albers, violas Eric Kim and Xenia Jankovic, cellos Derek Han, piano We wish to thank Sally Faron, the staff and musicians at La Musica International Chamber Music Festival for allowing us to broadcast this live concert from April 12, 2010. For more information on the upcoming season, please visit LaMusicaFestival.org

As the title of this album suggests, AN ARC OF QUARTETS gives listeners unique access to a continuum of composer Michael G. Cunningham’s intricate and inviting string music. Five international string ensembles present the album’s seven compositions, including Sirius Quartet from New York; The Moravian Quartet from the Czech Republic; the Millennium Quartet from Florida; and The Pedroia Quartet and New England String Quartet, both from Massachusetts. These groups’ performances of Cunningham’s work present the hallmarks of his style of string writing, which is defined by a focus on rhythm, melody, and texture, as well as his gentle, yet often dissonant, harmonic language. Although these quartets contain a wide range of sounds and styles, Cunningham maintains a reliable attraction to tense, lyrical melodies, and energetic rhythms. One specific string effect that pervades these works is the glissando, or slide sound, that is produced easily on string instruments. In the middle of String Quartet No. 3, we can hear glissandi spangle an all-pizzicato section, while in the “Zestful” movement of String Quartet No. 5, these sliding gestures are decorated with a trill. This piece’s marriage of Cunningham’s typical style with uncontrollable, rhythmic energy marks it as one of the more abstract works on the album. Cunningham’s quartets utilize special sounds as accents to a core of intriguing textures, evocative melodies, and momentum-building rhythms, all of which remain compelling throughout the album. The composer’s impressive skill at creating musical lines is displayed particularly strongly in the “Song and Fantasia” movement of his String Quartet No. 1, a piece defined by both soulful lyricism and intense contrapuntal motion. Overall, one can admire both the experimentation and consistency present in Cunningham’s string music, as highlighted by the works included on AN ARC OF QUARTETS. The quality of each of these pieces speaks to the strength of his approach to composition. Available now at: http://www.classicalsavings.com/store/p344/An_Arc_of_Quartets.html DISC ONE QUARTET NO. 1 OPUS 10/14 1959 Sirius Quartet | Fung Chern Hwei violin Gregor Huebner violin Ron Lawrence viola Jeremy Harman cello 01 I. Easter Variations 02 II. Song and Fantasia Quartet No. 2 THREE SATIRES Opus 22 1967 Sirius Quartet | Fung Chern Hwei violin Gregor Huebner violin Ron Lawrence viola Jeremy Harman cello 03 I. Brusque 04 II. Candidly 05 III. Crisp and Energetic Quartet No. 3 PARTITIONS Opus 69 1975 The Moravian Quartet | Vít Mužík violin Igor Kopyt violin Dominika Mužíková viola Jiří Fajkus cello 06 I. quarter note = circa 70 07 II. 08 III. 09 IV. Quartet No. 4 INTERLACINGS Opus 117 1985 The Pedroia Quartet | Jae Cosmo Lee violin Rohan Gregory violin Peter Sulski viola Jaques Wood cello 10 I. Beginning 11 II. Scherzo 12 III. Adagio 13 IV. Finale DISC TWO Quartet No. 5 AGGREGATES Opus 137 1988 The New England String Quartet | Julia Okrusko violin Konstantin Rybakov violin Lilit Muradyan voila Ming-Hui Lin cello 1 I. Zestful 2 II. Languid 3 III. Spirited Quartet No. 6 DIGITAL ISORHYTHM Opus 215 2001 The Millennium Quartet | Jorge Aguirre violin Simon LaPointe violin Beverly Kane Baker viola Michael Daniels cello 4 I. Caleando/Slargando 5 II. Canso 6 III. Energico Quartet No. 7 BACK HOME Opus 241 2005 The Moravian Quartet | Vít Mužík violin Igor Kopyt violin Dominika Mužíková viola Jiří Fajkus cello 7 I. Con Carita 8 II. Andante 9 III. Vivace 10 IV. Con Slancio Available now at: http://www.classicalsavings.com/store/p344/An_Arc_of_Quartets.html

Götterdämmerung or Twilight of the Gods, WWV 86D, is the last in Richard Wagner's Ring cycle. It received its premiere at the Bayreuth Festspielhaus on August 17, 1876, as part of the first complete performance of the Ring. The title is a translation into German of the Old Norse phrase Ragnarök, which in Norse mythology refers to a prophesied war among various beings and gods that ultimately results in the burning, immersion in water, and renewal of the world. However, as with the rest of the Ring, Wagner's account diverges significantly from his Old Norse sources. This performance by the CMD German Opera Company of Berlin, is now available for purchase at ClassicalRecordings.co Available now at: http://www.classicalsavings.com/store/p352/Wagner%3A_G%C3%B6tterd%C3%A4mmerung.html #podcast #classicalmusicdiscoveries #wagner #opera