Here in Chicago the first hints of fall are already creeping into our days. That’s one of my favorite seasons to listen to music new and old. Which is exactly what I have for you in New In Music This Week: September 5th.
My top pick this week is:
WHISPERS & THUNDER – Illia Ovcharenko – Steinway & Sons
I only received this album yesterday, but it quickly found its place at the top of this week’s list. Ovcharenko is a 24-year-old Ukranian pianist and he recorded this album last year to express his feeling about the circumstances in his country.
As he says in the liner notes, “At this moment, it is important to me that I represent my culture and tell my story through the music and places that shapes who I am.”
He begins the album with Scarlatti’s Sonata in B minor, K. 87. This piece serves as the calm before the inevitable storm. With Liszt’s Sonata in B minor, S 178 following, the thunder was inevitable, but it does ultimately return to a sense of calm
After another Scarlatti sonata, Ovcharenko gets into the Ukranian composers who make up the rest of the album: Valentine Silvestrov and Levko Revutsky. The latter is a composer with whom I wasn’t familiar. Silvestrov was one of his pupils.
Revutsky clearly favored melodic structure in his composition. That is evident in the five brief preludes that Ovcharneko plays on Whispers & Thunder. The album concludes with Revutsky’s Sonata in B Minor, Op. 1(There are four sonatas in the same key on this album.) It is the longest of his works on this album and easily the most impactful. It makes for a perfect conclusion to Ovcharneko’s album. While it has moments that reminded me of Rachmaninoff, Revutsky has his own way of expressing himself through his music.
As does Ovcharenko. This is an impressive album that absolutely accomplishes his mission of representing his story and his country. At only 24, he is setting a high barre for his career moving forward.
Here are the other fine recordings in New In Music This Week: September 5th:
CLASSICAL MUSIC: AND I HEARD A VOICE – Arvo Pärt/Vox Clamantis – ECM New Series
Estonia’s Vox Clamantis has been making making for nearly thirty years. Amongst the composers with whom they have a great relationship (and whose music they perform brilliantly) is Arvo Pärt.
This recording, made in 2021, has been saved for the composer’s 90th birthday (which is September 11th). Pity it took so long to get such a beautiful recording.
They perform Sieben Magnificat-Antiophonen (1988); Für Jan van Eyck (2019); O Holy Father Nicolas (2021); Kleine Litanei (2015); Nunc dimittis (2001) and And I heard a voice (2017).
Vox Clamantis and leader Jaan-Eik Tulve have once again proven what a perfect match they are for Pärt’s music.
This album is a gift to celebrate the composer’s birthday. But we’re the beneficiaries of this breathtaking album.
CLASSICAL MUSIC: DOPPELGÄNGER – Jonas Kaufmann/Helmut Deutsch – Sony Classical
Robert Schumann composed Dichterliebe op. 48 in 1840. Heinrich Heine’s Lyrisches Intermezzo served as the text for these 16 songs that are collectively known in English as A Poet’s Love.
That same year he set text by Justinus Kerner for his 12 Gedichte or Kerner Lieder op. 35.
Tenor Jonas Kaufmann recorded both these song cycles in 2020. Helmut Deutsch is at the piano.
They are joined by 6 Songs from Dichterliebe op. 48 that Kaufmann had recorded, but not released, in 1994. He’s joined for these six tracks by pianist Jan Philip Schulze.
Hearing how a more mature singer approaches the Dichterliebe is brought into great contrast by hearing the same singer, 26 years earlier, singing some of the same pieces.
Kaufmann approaches these new recordings with a grace and ease that I think we all find in our lives and our work as we get older. The results are quite satisfying.
For those who purchase the physical disc, there is a bonus DVD of Schubert’s Schwanengesang from the Park Avenue Armory. I wasn’t able to see this video, but I know that it received great reviews including a New York Times Critic’s Pick. The show was presented under the title that gives this album its name: Doppelganger.
For those who love lieder, this is an excellent recording that didn’t need to add the six earlier recordings or the DVD to be worthy of your time. That they are available makes this recording a must-have for Kaufmann fans.
CONTEMPORARY CLASSICAL: BIRDS AND INSECTS VOL. 4 – Sarah Cahill/Steven Beck – Bridge Records
The Future Is Female is a project exploring the compositions of women worldwide. Not just modern works (as this album is), but going back for centuries.
Composer Arlene Sierra’s Birds and Insect, Book II and Book III have their world premiere recordings in this thoughtful album by pianist Cahill. Also performed is Birds and Insects, Book I. The third book was commissioned by the Barbican Center as part of The Future Is Female.
Whether you are familiar with the sounds of the titmouse or the black and white warbler or tawny owls, Sierra’s approach to giving them a musical work is enjoyable and provocative. These are just a few of the birds and insects depicted in these three books.
Interestingly, Sierra structures all three books with shorter pieces that lead up to the longest composition of each respective collection. Particularly with books I and II, the last piece of each is significantly longer, more complicated and, for my money, the most intriguing of the sets.
Steven Beck joins Cahill for the first two books. They play masterfully in their pairings. Cahill is on her own for the last book and continues with excellent performances.
JAZZ: IT’S ABOUT TIME – Jason Forsythe – Hollistic MusicWorks
When you’ve been playing and writing music for decades, there comes a time in every musician’s career where they want to put the spotlight on themselves and their work. That’s precisely what composer/trombonist Jason Forsythe has done with this outstanding new album.
Forsythe composed all nine tracks on It’s About Time. He doesn’t play until the album’s final track, Sanctity. Instead, he relies on some heavyweight musicians to bring his music alive.
They are Steve Davis on trombone; Brian Lynch (who co-produced the album with Forsythe) on trumpet and flugelhorn; Ugonna Okegwo on bass; Andy Watson on drums; Walt Weiskopf on tenor saxophone and Michael Weiss on piano. Trumpeter Kenny Rampton and tenor saxophonist Donny McCaslin guest on Sanctity.
Forsythe’s sophisticated writing is matched by the supreme artistry with which is musicians perform this music. It’s the kind of music that quickly makes it mark on you and isn’t about to let you go. This is mature writing and playing through and through.
You can listen to Fourth Rites from the album HERE.
JAZZ: CHICO HAMILTON QUINTET – Chico Hamilton – Blue Note Tone Poet Vinyl Series
This is a remastered vinyl release of drummer Hamilton’s 1955 album. This was a unique album in that the A Side was all recorded in a studio (Radio Recorders in Hollywood, CA). The B Side was recorded live at The Strollers Club in Long Beach.
Joining Hamilton in this album were Buddy Collette on tenor saxophone, alto sax, flute and clarinet; Jim Hall on guitar; Fred Katz on cello (particularly emotive on My Funny Valentine) and Carson Smith on bass.
This configuration is unique and so is the music on the album. I read one review that called it chamber jazz. That seems like a great fit for this album; certainly for the first side. The second side has significantly more swing to it.
I’ve long been a fan of this album. If you don’t need your jazz to be straightforward with conventional music choices, this album is for you.
JAZZ: COMPLETE COMMUNION – Don Cherry – Blue Note Tone Poet Vinyl Series
This 1966 recording by trumpeter/composer Cherry was his first album. It was divided into two suites: Complete Communion one side A and Elephantasy on the B side.
Those suites were respectively comprised with Complete Communion/And Now/Golden Heart/Remembrance and Elephantasy/Our Feelings/Bishmallah/Wind, Sand and Stars.
If you listen to them on streaming platforms, you might not catch where one ends and the next one begins. One of the best things about this vinyl release is that each track is separated.
This is a great album. Complete Communion must have seemed avant-garde at the time. Cherry’s music is inventive, still fresh sounding and wonderfully played. He was joined on this recording by tenor saxophonist Leandro “Gato” Barbeiri; drummer Edward Blackwell and bassist Henry Grimes.
JAZZ: NUEVA TIMBA – Harold López-Nussa – Blue Note
What does this jazz album have in common with Whispers & Thunder? Both albums are by pianists exploring their relationship to their homeland. In this live album from Cuban-born López-Nussa, he travels the gamut of emotions that reflect leaving his home country behind for France.
Translating some of the titles gives you a hint about the journey: from nice & tasty (Bonito y Sabroso) to near & far (Cerca y Lejos), to soul & fire (Alma y Fuego) to Why to Final/New Day. You can listen to Alma y Fuego HERE.
Nueva Timba is a rewarding journey that finds López-Nussa and his bandmates (Luques Curtis on bass; Ruy Adrian López-Nussa on drums and Grégoire Maret on harmonica) fully expressing this music.
This is also a unique live album that, while recorded live, then went into the studio to fine tune the recording.
If this is López-Nussa’s new timba, it will be interesting to see what life in France does to influence his music. In the meantime, enjoy Nueva Timba.
That’s all for New In Music This Week: September 5th.
Enjoy your weekend! Enjoy the music!
Main Photo: Album art from Harold López-Nussa’s Nueva Timba