Antonio Caldara - Requiem

"Antonio Caldara was not only one of the most important composers of his generation, but wielded considerable influence over the evolution of Italian vocal music of the early eighteenth century. Moreover, having lived the last two decades of his life in Vienna, he was a significant factor in shaping the direction of both Viennese and German music. To say Caldara was prolific is an understatement: he wrote nearly 3,500 works, including more than 90 operas, numerous oratorios, liturgical works, cantatas, madrigals, and many instrumental pieces. Unfortunately, many of his scores are lost, but there still exists a substantial body of work by which to judge him positively. As a performer he was immensely talented: he was accomplished as a viol player, cellist, and keyboardist, and in his childhood, as a choirboy at St. Mark's Cathedral in Venice, he was considered a highly gifted singer. While his operas are rarely performed today, his instrumental and liturgical music has achieved some currency, and because of the increasing availability of them on recordings, Caldara's reputation could be on the upswing.

"Antonio Caldara was born in Venice, Italy, probably in 1671. Caldara's educational background is clouded: his first teacher was probably his father, a workaday violinist, and Giovanni Legrenzi, maestro di cappella of St. Mark's, and cello virtuoso Domenico Gabrielli likely taught the young Caldara.

"By the early 1690s Caldara's operas were drawing attention, and he was already known as a virtuoso cellist in Venice. In 1699 he was appointed maestro di cappella to the Duke of Mantua, a fanatic lover of opera. Caldara apparently wrote many operas for the Duke, but none of the manuscripts survive.

"Caldara relocated to Rome in 1708, where he was taken into the service of Cardinal Ottoboni. Caldara's Serenata 'Chi s'arma di virtù' (1709) was one of many successful works he wrote while in Rome.

"In 1717 Caldara resettled once more, this time in Vienna as the vice-kapellmeister under Charles VI. Caldara was required to write many operas, oratorios, and other works as part of his duties. Among his more successful efforts from the Vienna years were the operas 'Dafne' (1719) and 'Sancio Panza' (1730). His sacred music also drew acclaim with such works as 'Missa Laetare' (1729) and 'Missa in spei Resurrectionis' (1732). So busy was Caldara from the demands of his Viennese post that there is evidence exhaustion was a factor in his death on December 28, 1736." (Biography by Robert Cummings for AllMusic. See here.)

Performers: Musica Fiorita, Daniela Dolci

1. Reqiuiem: Requiem. Andante

2. Reqiuiem: Te Decet Hymnus. Largo

3. Requiem: Requiem. Andante

4. Reqiuiem: Kyrie Eleison. Andante

5. Reqiuiem: Christe Eleison. Andante

6. Reqiuiem: Kyrie Eleison. Andante

7. Trio Sonata In E Minor, Op. 1 No. 5: I. Grave

8. Trio Sonata In E Minor, Op. 1 No. 5: II. Vivace

9. Trio Sonata In E Minor, Op. 1 No. 5: III. Adagio

10. Trio Sonata In E Minor, Op. 1 No. 5: IV. Vivace

11. Reqiuiem: Dies Irae. Adagio. Quantus Tremor

12. Reqiuiem: Tuba Mirum. Andante

13. Reqiuiem: Mors Stupebit. Adagio

14. Reqiuiem: Judex Ergo

15. Reqiuiem: Rex Tremende. Largo

16. Reqiuiem: Recordare

17. Reqiuiem: Ingemisco Tamquam Reus

18. Reqiuiem: Confutatis. Presto

19. Reqiuiem: Voca Me Cum Benedictis

20. Reqiuiem: Oro Supplex. Adagio

21. Reqiuiem: Lacrymosa. Adagio

22. Reqiuiem: Judicandus. Largo

23. Reqiuiem: Pie Jesu

24. Reqiuiem: Reqiuem. Andante

25. Reqiuiem: Amen

26. Sonata In A Major No. 15: I. Largo

27. Sonata In A Major No. 15: II. Allegro

28. Sonata In A Major No. 15: III. Aria Non Molto Allegro

29. Sonata In A Major No. 15: IV. Allegro

30. Missa Dolorosa: Sanctus. Andante-Allegro

31. Missa Dolorosa: Benedictus. Andante-Allegro

32. Missa Dolorosa: Agnus Dei. Lento-Allegro

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Wilhelm Stenhammar - String Quartets Nos. 3 & 4

"Wilhelm Stenhammar was one of the most versatile Swedish composers of his generation. In addition to writing two operas, two symphonies and two piano concertos, he produced a large number of songs, piano music and a violin sonata. The string quartet genre is a central one in his œuvre. An important precondition for this was his long-standing collaboration with violinist Tor Aulin and his string quartet, the Aulin Quartet, with which Stenhammar worked closely as a pianist. 'The Aulins' concerts in Stockholm', Stenhammar wrote during the winter of 1896, 'are an undertaking that is closer to my heart than any other of this kind, and it is no exaggeration if I say that I long for each new concert, and that it is a real sacrifice for me if I am forced to miss one of them. I don't know if you understand this, but I believe that you will grasp my feelings when I say that for me that the Aulin Quartet is, and with every passing day becomes all the more, the incarnation of everything exalted that I know in the world of music - not ideal, I grant - but, perhaps even because of its imperfections, all the more cherishable. With every day, every hours that passes I feel more strongly that I would not voluntarily give this up, that it would be the last thing that I would abstain from. It has educated me, it has turned me into a musician, I need it and love it.'

"Between 1894 and 1916 Stenhammar composed a total of seven string quartets, of which one (F minor, 1897) was withdrawn immediately after its first performance. In Scandinavian music of its time, this series of quartets is unique both in its consistency and in its musical aspirations.

"'String Quartet No. 3 in F major', Op. 18 (1897-1900): Stenhammar composed the first movement of his Third String Quartet in an intensive creative period in 1897, but did not add the remaining movements until 1900. In the meantime, following the première of his opera 'Tirfing', Op. 15, he had gone through a phase of deep depression. Although audience reactions to 'Tirfing' had been positive, with hindsight the opera did not measure up to Stenhammar's own standards. Around 1900 Stenhammar was grappling in depth with his compositional ideas, and developed a self-critical attitude that would leave its mark on his future works. At the same time there was a more matieral - and indeed pecuniary - background to the crisis. In 1894 he had promised his published (Henrik Hennings in Copenhagen) to deliver a fixed number of compositions per year. After 'Tirfing' it became increasingly clear to him that this contract was depriving him of his freedom to compose. As he wrote to Hennings, Stenhammar no longer had any desire to be a 'worker at a composition factory'. In August 1899 he terminated the contract; after that, he had to earn a living from his appearances as a pianist and conductor, which significantly curtailed the time that he could devote to composition.

"The F major Quartet, Op. 18, was the first major instrumental work that Stenhammar completed and published after the crisis. It clearly documents his high aspirations as a composer, and explicitly names the benchmark: Ludwig van Beethoven. Stenhammar's contemporaries already observed that the first movement's principal motif alludes to the beginning of Beethoven's first 'Razumovsky' Quartet, Op. 59 No. 1. The context in which Stenhammar places this motif is, however, remarkable: soloistically from the viola, with short, fragmentary comments from the other three instruments. This technique was also based on tradition, and can be traced back to late Beethoven, as used for instance in the German composer's final string quartet, Op. 135, which is also in F major. In a nutshell: here Stenhammar views mid-period Beethoven from the perspective of late Beethoven. What is the function of these allusions? By no means should they be seen as involuntary reminisces, or as an attempt to imitate the style. Instead, during the course of the movement, Stenhammar emphasizes not the proximity to his role model, Beethoven, but rather the distance that he has managed to travel from that style. This is all the more apparent in the finale. The prelude ('Presto motlo agitato') toys with motivic fragments from the scherzo, in the manner of a free eighteenth-century fantasy. The ensuing fugue once again takes an allusion to Beethoven as its point of departure: the theme of the fugal opening movement of his Op. 131 Quartet. It is fascinating to follow how, throughout the movement, Stenhammar makes the distance from his model more clearly heard. In the first, contrapuntally strict fugal section this is initially achieved through a variet of sophisticated harmonic modulations. Later, the strict ricercare fugue is carried away by the irresistable pull of the motivic writing, which ultimately leads to a thematic outburst (no longer even slightly fugal in style) and a capricious stretto. With a further motivic transformation the movement ends unexpectedly, returning to the dream-like atmosphere of the first movement's coda. The middle movements, too, do not try to conceal that they were composed around 1900. The 'Perpetuum mobile', with its abrupt beginning, was perceived by contemporary reviewers as 'a depiction of the nervous bustling and anxiety of our age'. The third movement, a set of variations in B-flat minor, initially seems to be self-contained, although its coda once more alludes to Beethoven, this time the coda of the Ninth Symphony's first movement. Even the quartet's calmest and most lyrical section thus participates in the interaction with tradition.

"'String Quartet No. 4 in A minor', Op. 25 (1904-09): The Fourth String Quartet, too, comes from a period of change in Stenhammar's life. He sketched the overall scheme of the first movement as early as 1904, but did not flesh it out until the winter of 1906-07, which he and his entire family spent in Florence. Stenhammar had earned his long-awaited trip to Florence - which was intended to give him time to compose undisturbed - with a heavy schedule of concerts as a pianist during the preceding season. In addition, Henrik Hennings had held out the prospect of a private grant from Danish music-lovers. But Hennings had promised more than he could deliver. When it became apparent that he could not raise the sum involved, the relationship between composer and publisher was irretrievable soured. In the strained circumstances, Stenhammar received a prestigious offer from Gothenburg: to be the conductor of the city's newly formed symphony orchestra. He accepted, and in the period from 1907 until 1922 turned the orchestra into one of the finest in Scandinavia. His free time for composing, however, was thereby permanently restricted to the summer months. Completion of the remaining movements of the String Quartet in A minor was thus delayed until the summer of 1909.

"The extended genesis of the work is not, however, discernible from listening to the piece; in fact the Fourth String Quartet sounds as if it had been written in a single burst. This is the most important of Stenhammar's string quartets and, more than almost any other work, proves his abilities as a composer: a supreme command of a wide range of traditions and models, harmonic sophistication pushing the very limits of functional tonality, artistry in the transformation of motifs and an interconnectedness that spans the entire work.

"Stenhammar's own conviction that he had done justice to his highest aspirations in his Fourth String Quartet is clearly shown by the fact that he dedicated this work to his friend and colleague Jean Sibelius. Sibelius, in return, dedicated his Sixth Symphony to Stenhammar - a fact that is little-known today, as the dedication was written on an extra page before the score itself, and later editions have no included it.

"In the A minor Quartet, Stenhammar continued along the same path that he had followed in its F major predecessor, but once again significantly increased the range of contrasts that he seeks to convey. This is shown in an exemplary manner by the themes of the first movement. It begins with a semiquaver run from the first violin above a diminished chord from the other instruments: this is a direct reference to Beethoven - a terse figure that alludes to the beginning of his A minor Quartet, Op. 132. This is immediately followed by a wan, archaic melody, set like a choral, briefly undermined by unexpected harmonies. Melodically this passage refers to the cadential formulae of Swedish folk songs, but harmonically it reflects the then contemporary procedures of chromatically altered harmony. From these very different points of departure, Stenhammar proceeds so logically that, by the end of the movement, he can reveal that all of the thematic elements share a common nucleus. He also avoid any kind of formal stereotypes. The expressive subsidiary theme, supported by a dense accompanimental texture, does not start out in the C major that would be expected in traditional sonata form, but rather in the remote key of D-flat major, far away in the circle of fifths. The development and recapitulation, too, are not easily separated but overlap in an unconventional manner.

"Similar tendencies can be found in the slow movement as well. Stenhammar confronts the dream, opulent 'Adagio' theme with a violin figure that can with justification be described as atonal. The harmonically advanced repetition of the theme, which emerges from this confrontation, demands the utmost concentration from the players in the richly figured accompanimental structure. In the five-part scherzo, nervous tension is created by the skilful use of fugato techniques that conflict with the underlying metre; not until we reach the extensive coda is this dynamic energy reined back. As a finale there is a slow variation movement based on the Swedish folk song 'Och riddaren han talte till unga Hillevi' ('And the Knight Spoke to Young Hillevi'). The eleven variations, some of which are quite far removed from the theme itself, are linked together at an underlying level, both harmonically and motivically. At the end of the movement, when finally the solo run from the beginning of the work grows out of the exuberant figurations, the music has come full circle: late Beethoven, the folks style and chromatically altered harmony - all of these grow out of a single point of departure and everything ultimately leads back to the same place. The game could begin all over again.

"'Elegy and Intermezzo from the incidental music to Hjalmar Bergman's play 'Lodolezzi sjunger' ('Lodolezzi Sings')', Op. 39 (1919): These two movements not only come from a different creative period in Stenhammar's career than the Third and Fourth String Quartets, but also have an entirely different purpose. They were composed in 1919 as part of the incidental music for a production put on by Per Lindberg, a young theatre director from Gothenburg. The Elegy served as an overture, whilst the Intermezzo was heard between Act II and Act III. The drama 'Lodolezzi Sings' by Hjalmar Bergman, which the playwright - not without irony - described as a 'romantic comedy', is about an aging opera singer Renée Lodolezzi who, after years away from the limelight and after numerous psychological complications, finally dares to take the stage again. The play ends with her triumphant performance (invisible to the theatre audience). Stenhammar chose a string quartet to perform the incidental music; in the Elegy a flute makes two brief appearances as well, heard from afar (on this recording its part is played by the second violin). As befits its function as an overture, the Elegy sets the emotional tone of the drama. The singer's extrovert tendencies and her fundamentally depressive mood are reflected in the melodic entries, which do possess potential for pathos, but also remain harmonically unstable, dissolving back into nothingness. Whereas the Elegy can be understood as a psychological profile of the main character, the Intermezzo represents the world to which Renée Lodolezzi is venturing to return: the great European nineteenth-century operas, including the last role she sang, from Ambroise Thomas's 'Mignon'. The Intermezzo has the form of a two-part opera scena, with a recitative and aria as the first part, followed by a more extensive second part which Stenhammar wryly marks 'Andante molto italiano'. The first violin and cello sing a veritable love duet, and the Italiante character is made evidence by means of 'portamenti' and second violin's mandolin-like 'pizzicati'. At the same time, Stenhammar mockingly shatters this image with metrical irregularities and contrapuntal complications. Here the composer uses techniques that he had already tried out in his last two string quartets - No. 5 in C major 'Serenade', Op. 29 (1910) and No. 6 in D minor, Op. 35 (1916)." (Signe Rotter-Broman, 2013. From the liner notes.)

Performers: Stenhammar Quartet

1. String Quartet In A Minor, Op. 25: I. Allegro Ma Non Troppo

2. String Quartet In A Minor, Op. 25: II. Adagio

3. String Quartet In A Minor, Op. 25: III. Scherzo. Allegro

4. String Quartet In A Minor, Op. 25: IV. Aria Variata. Andante Semplice

5. Lodolezzi Sjunger, Op. 39: Elegi. Lento

6. Lodolezzi Sjunger, Op. 39: Intermezzo. Allegro Agitato

7. String Quartet No. 3 In F Major, Op. 18: I. Quasi Andante

8. String Quartet No. 3 In F Major, Op. 18: II. Presto Molto Agitato

9. String Quartet No. 3 In F Major, Op. 18: III. Lento Sostenuto

10. String Quartet No. 3 In F Major, Op. 18: IV. Presto Molto Agitato - Molto Moderato

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André Grétry - Le Magnifique

"André-Ernest-Modeste Grétry, the second of six children born to a professional violinist at the Collegiate Church of St. Denis in Liège on 8th February 1741, showed precocious talent as a composer under the tutelage of H.J. Renkin and Henri Moreau. A Mass and six symphonies earned him a fellowship from the Darchis Foundation to go on to complete his studies in Rome under Giovani Casali. His years in Rome not only brought six string quartets Op. 3, but also, and more importantly, directed him towards opera and the theatre with a commission to compose an intermezzo 'La vendemmiatrice' (1765). From Rome he travelled to Geneva where he was befriended by Voltaire, and composer his first 'opéra-comique', 'Isabelle et Gertrude' (1766). The following year he settled in Paris, where he met the writer Jean François Marmontel. With him he collaborated on a series of very successful 'opéras-comiques': 'Le Huron' (1768), 'Lucile' (1769), 'L'Amitié à l'épreuve' (1770), 'L'Ami de la maison' (1771), and 'Zémire et Azor' (1771), the last of these based on the story of 'Beauty and the Beast'). Grétry did not write exclusively to librettos of Marmontel, however, but also scored successes on text by Anseaume, 'Le Tableau parlant' (1769); by Fenouillot de Falbaire, 'Les Deux avares' (1770) and by Sedaine, 'Le Magnifique' (1773). In fact, much to Marmontel's chagrin, after composing music for their heroic-ballet, 'Céphale et Procris', written for the Paris Opéra in 1773, Grétry essentially put an end to their collaboration. He continued to produce successful 'opéras-comiques' such as 'L'Amant jaloux' (1778), 'Les Evénements imprévus (1779), 'L'Epreuve villageoise' (1784), and 'Richard Cœur de Lion' (1784) arguably his greatest success. At the Opéra he was similarly successful with 'La Caravane du Caire' (1783) and 'Panurge dans l'ile des lanternes' (1785). A number of mediocre works on patriotic/republican subjects appeared during the Revolution. His last two successes after the Revolution were 'Lisbeth' (1797) and 'Elisca' (1799). In his last years he wrote memoirs, 'Mémoires, ou Essai sur la musique' (1789, expanded 1797), and essays: 'De la vérité' (1801) and 'Réflexions d'un solitaire', (published posthumously).

"In his 'Mémoires, ou Essai sur la musique' (1797), Grétry states '...I wished to set to music a poem by Mr. Sedaine, who seemed to me to be the best person either for the creation of characters, or for the so rare ability to bring situations in such a manner as to produce new effects and yet remain true to nature. 'Le Magnifique' was offered to me by Madame de Lalive d'Epinay, the intimate friend of J.J. Rousseau...'

"Indeed Madame d'Epinay held a salon where the intellectual and literary elite of eighteenth-century Paris convened. Both major librettists of Grétry, Marmontel and Sedaine, frequented her salon along with Denis Diderot, Jean le Rond d'Alembert, Pierre Carlet de Chamblain de Marivaux, Montesquieu and the baron Melchior Grimm, among others. So it is not surprising that the chosen subject for the libretto of 'Le Magnifique' had a well established literary history going back to Boccaccio's 1353 'Decameron' (Third day, fifth tale). Furthermore, Antoine Houdar de La Motte produced a two-act comedy, 'Le Magnifique', in 1731 which had been performed at court as recently as 1769. Sedaine, however, in the preface of his libretto, denies having seen or read La Motte's comedy when writing the libretto of 'Le Magnifique' and acknowledges having been inspired by La Fontain's tale. Indeed, Sedaine had previously mined the same source for the librettos of 'On ne s'avise jamais de tout' (Monsigny, 1761) and 'Le Faucon' (Monsigny, 1771) and had been inspired by La Fontain's fable for the libretto of 'L'Huître et les plaideurs' (Philidor, 1759). If Grétry wished to set a poem by Sedaine to music, Sedaine admitted to wanting to work with Grétry because Monsigny, his preferred composer to this date, was in possession of two librettos of Sedaine but was in no hurry to set them to music.

"This first collaboration between Sedaine and Grétry proved very fruitful, and Grétry paid homage to Sedaine in his 'Mémoires': 'If Sedaine is not the poet who fashions verses to be sung with the greatest care, the situations that he brings about [...] are so compelling that they force the musician to endeavor to convey them. He almost finds the right word and dispenses himself with poetical embellishments. He forces the musician to find new forms to illustrate his original characters.'

"In 'Le Magnifique' Sedaine presents several compelling situations: the release of prisoners, a theme already illustrated in Sedaine's 'Le Déserteur', to which he will often return ('Richard Cœur-de-Lion' [1784], 'Le Comte d'Albert' [1786], 'Raoul Barbe-bleue' [1789]) and which will later inspire Beethoven's 'Fidelio'; the confrontation of the innocence of a young girl with the cruel realities of the world; and, most dramatically, the love declaration and the dropping of the rose. This scene challenged Grétry to new expressive means and was the chief attraction to Sedaine's libretto. This scene was so successful that people flocked to the theatre to hear Le Magnifique (sung by Clairval) sing his love to Clémentine (Mme. Laruette) and watch her drop the rose. Grétry recounts that a lady attending the performance and 'impatient to see the rose drop from the hands of modesty, opened her charming fingers and dropped her fan on the stage. She was as disconcerted by her action, as was Clémentine a moment later.'

"As beautiful and novel as this scene is, it is not the only noteworthy piece of the score. The overture is one of the earliest examples of programmatic music. The overture portrays the movements and clamours accompanying a procession of captives and is so intimately linked to the beginning of the action that it is necessary for the scene's comprehension. It also has the particularity of juxtaposing music of different styles (march and plain-song) to illustrate the spectacle of different processions (captives, soldiers, priests) occurring simultaneously. This device would be used later by Mozart at the end of Act I of 'Don Giovanni' when three orchestras play, one a minuet, the second a contredanse and the third an allemande, all at the same time. The rondeau of Clémentine's 'Pourquoi donc ce Magnifique' illustrates very aptly, by the return of the rondeau theme, the obsession of Clémentine with Le Magnifique whom she cannot drive out of her mind. There are contrasting scenes such as the comic air of Alix's 'Ô ciel, quel air de courroux', followed by the sentimentality of Clémentine's 'Jour heureux!' and the multi-sectional finale of Act III, inspired by Italian 'opera buffa', which is one of the earliest examples in French 'opéra-comique'. To better link the scenes musically, Grétry composed extended preludes or postludes to his airs or duos to accompany the pantomime described in the libretto. For instance, during the ritornello of the duo between Aldobrandin and Clémentine's 'Ma chère enfant', the libretto states that 'during the ritornello of the following duo, Aldobrandin goes to close the door; Clémentine watches him with some apprehension' while after the duo of Clémentine and Alix in 'Je ne sais pourquoi je pleure', Sedaine directs that 'during the final ritornello, Alix and Clémentine are supposed to hear the steps of people approaching; they pretend to be concentrated on their work: Clémentine is to arrange a flower corsage and attach it to herself, leaving behind a single rose which she keeps in her hand'. This is the rose she will drop in the next scene in response to Le Magnifique's declaration of love. Madame Laurette was so eloquent in the rôle of Clémentine that she inspired the following poem by Frémincourt, published in 'Le Mercure de France':

"'Que ton jeu toujours vrai sait rendre intéressant

Le moment où tes doigts laissent tomber la rose!

Oui, tu triomphes en cédant.

En vain sur ton silence un tuteur se repose:

Que Laurette parle, ou qu'elle ait la bouche close,

Le sentiment par elle est sûr d'être vainqueur;

Elle le peint d'aprés son cœur.'

"[How your acting knows how to make interesting

The moment when your fingers drop the rose!

Indeed, you triumph by yielding.

In vain, a tutor rests assured by your silence,

Whether Laurette speaks, or has her mouth closed,

Feelings are sure to be victorious;

She paints them after her own heart.]" (Nizam Peter Kettaneh. From the liner notes.)

Performers: Opera Lafayette Orchestra, Ryan Brown, Emiliano Gonzalez Toro, Elizabeth Calleo, Marguerite Krull, Jeffrey Thompson, Karim Sulayman, Douglas Williams, Randall Scarlata

1. Ouverture

2. Acte I, Scène I: Marche. Andante

3. Acte I, Scène I: Tempo Giusto

4. Acte I, Scène I: Marche

5. Acte I, Scène I: 'C'est Lui'

6. Acte I, Scène II: Pourquoi Donc Ce Magnifique'

7. Acte I, Scène IV: 'Ma Chere Enfant'

8. Acte I, Scène VI: 'Ah, C'est Un Superbe Cheval'

9. Acte I, Scène VII: 'Vous M'etonnez, Vous Badinez'

10. Acte II, Scène III: 'Ah! Si Jamais Je Cours Es Mers'

11. Acte II, Scène VI: 'Je Ne Sais Pourquoi Je Pleure'

12. Acte II, Scène X: 'Quelle Contrainte!'

13. Acte II, Scène XI: 'Clementine, Mettez - Vouz La'

14. Entr'acte

15. Acte III, Scène I: 'Ah! Que Je Me Sens Coupable'

16. Acte III, Scène IV: 'Te Voila Donc'

17. Acte III, Scène VI: 'O Ciel! Quel Air De Courroux!'

18. Acte III, Scène VIII: 'Jour Heureux!'

19. Acte III, Scène XIII: 'Ne Me Bats Pas'

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The Rita, NFW & Christian Nicolay - Atlantis

2011 split/collaboration between The Rita (Sam McKinlay), NFW (American harsh-noise artist better known under his Taskmaster moniker) and the relatively anonymous Christian Nicolay. The Rita and NFW join together for the A-side which is an extremely dense and overdriven noise wall assault. The B-side has harsh sections but is much more varied over the same ~25 minute running time, making use of dynamics and samples. The third track shared here is both sides played together, which also makes for great listening. Released as a double cassette run of one hundred copies on intriguing but apparently defunct US noise label Satan's Din.

A. The Rita & NFW - Water

B. Christian Nicolay - Fire

(AB). The Rita, NFW & Christian Nicolay - Water & Fire

mp3/320kbps

Per Nørgård - Songs from Evening Land

"Exactly 25 years ago I had my first intense encounter with Per Nørgård's music. I had just been accepted on trial by the vocal ensemble Ars Nova, and one of the first jobs on the programme was Nørgård's 'Wie ein Kind'. My qualifications for rehearsing music with this degree of difficulty were close to zero, but I struggled determinedly to learn my part, and my amazement, joy and excitement were great when I was at last able to hear all the parts united in a totality. At the time, of course, I was not aware that the experience was to be of great importance to the direction my artistic career was to take later. 

"Subsequently I have had many opportunities to work with Per Nørgård's music in solo contexts – with among other things the opera 'Nuit des hommes' and the cantata 'The Will-o'-the-Wisps Go to Town'. The unmistakable Nørgård vocal lines have continued to appeal to my urge to explore the possibilities of my voice and to make use of expressive devices that are otherwise rarely justified in the classically trained use of the voice. 

"In the winter of 2008 I drove to Langeland and visited Per Nørgård. My idea was to do a CD with a collection of vocal works from the whole of Per's production, as an opportunity to sum up all the experience I had gained from his music over the years. During the next few months we exchanged ideas for the repertoire on the CD and arrived at the result that is now presented here. 

"It has proved a strange and wonderful journey through time in Per Nørgård's vocal music, where rich, sophisticated chamber music instrumentation illuminates the poems in the different languages, and where we meet a composer who, ever since the earliest works, has tried out recitational and declamatory effects in the use of the singing voice; a method that culminates in the works from the 1980s, in which he makes explicit use of these elements. 

"It has been a constant challenge to work with the material, but there is no doubt that Per Nørgård's music is to a very special degree reflected and echoed in me, and that there was a deeper meaning in my experience of the encounter with his music 25 years ago." (Helene Gjerris. From the liner notes.)

"Per Nørgård (born 1932) is Denmark's great, original composer from the time after World War II. With his lively emotional imagination and his ingenious musical structures he has shifted boundaries and opened up new musical landscapes and modes of awareness that challenge the musicality of the performers and listeners. 

"Per Nørgård was born in Copenhagen, where his parents had a shop selling wedding dresses and other ladies' wear. He has lived most of his life in Denmark, but he has also travelled widely in both East and West. In his student years Per Nørgård was a pupil of Vagn Holmboe; at the same time he was a great admirer of the music of Jean Sibelius.

"In those years Per Nørgård worked with the idea of 'the universe of the Nordic mind', understood as a feeling that nature and the light in the northern regions helped to unite our cultures. Later, like other composers of his generation, he explored the serial music of central Europe. 

"This was the background for Per Nørgård's invention in 1959 of his unique 'infinity series' on the basis of the fractal theories of the mathematician Benoît Mandelbrot. Skewed rhythms, in many cases based on the proportions of the Golden Section and interference phenomena, also became important elements in his music.

"Around 1980 Per Nørgård began to extend his compositional palette once more, looking for means of expressing the darker sides of the human mind. To this end he created a number of works inspired by the schizophrenic Swiss artist Adolf Wölfli. These works included a good deal of highly expressive vocal music as well as the Fourth Symphony, which alternates between idyll and disaster, order and chaos.

"The vocal works on this CD were composed in the 1950s, the 1960s and the 1980s. For Per Nørgård the texts were to a very great extent the crucial inspiration for his vocal compositions. They are powerful, and come from a variety of countries and language areas. The accompaniment to the songs is highly varied, as is the choice of instruments and the sophisticated way they are used to bring out the sonorities and structure of the music.

"In 1953, long before Jess Ørnsbo made his debut as a poet and Per Nørgård had his debut concert, Per Nørgård composed music to Ørnsbo's poem 'Solen så jeg' ('I saw the Sun'). This short, intense song is about maturing enough to love. The instrumentation, with flute, violin, viola and cello, was done in 2010 in connection with the recording of this CD. 

"Over the next few years Per Nørgård composed a number of 'Evening Land works' to texts by the Swedish poet Pär Lagerkvist, specifically the choral work 'Aftonland' ('Evening Land') from 1954, Two Recitatives and Songs from 'Evening Land'. The last of these is five songs about grief, longing and departure. Per Nørgård's idea of 'the universe of the Nordic mind' found its form during the composition of these Lagerkvist songs, and the inspiration from his great exemplar Jean Sibelius is unmistakable in the orchestral-sounding instrumentation of the almost folk-like song lines. 

"Per Nørgård's music from the 1960s is represented by two works. In 'Three Love Songs' a very short poem by Arthur Rimbaud is combined with two poems by Rainer Maria Rilke. 'Three Love Songs was originally composed for soloist and orchestra. For this CD recording Per Nørgård has adapted the instrumentation of the songs to the ensemble of musicians who play in the other works on the CD. The work 'Trois chansons de 'L'Amour la poésie'' was composed to texts by the French Surrealist poet Paul Éluard. They revolve around the relationships between sleep, ravens and the orange-blue earth and with the beloved. The musical idiom is subdued: the erotic intensity is concentrated around the closely interwoven lines of the singer and the solo flute. 

"There is a great expressive leap from the early works to the vocal work 'Plutonian Ode', which Per Nørgård composed to fragments of the American Allen Ginsberg's poem from 1978 with the same title. Here the poet and composer lash out on the issue of the terrible taboo of the time – total nuclear annihilation – with great verbal intensity. Under the inspiration of some stays on Bali, Per Nørgård saw his rendering of this poem as a kind of exorcism. Per Nørgård described this wild, sprawling aria as '... a rhythmically intense threnody to plutonium, viewed as the basic emptiness of total destruction – opposed to the indefatigable will of the human spirit to create connections and meaning. The constant ambivalences of the rhythm are united here with the transformations of words in gradual shifts of meaning (for example 'at last' – 'Atlas' – 'alas').'

"'Day and Night' from 1982 has texts by Ted Hughes and William Shakespeare. Ted Hughes' poem, 'A Kill', is a description of the pangs of coming into the world, of being born. Shakespeare's balmy declaration of love, on the other hand, also calls night and darkness to mind and is a brief extract from 'Romeo and Juliet', Act II, Scene III.

"'Entwicklungen' ('Developments') was composed to two poems by Rainer Maria Rilke. The first poem, 'Kindheit' ('Childhood'), revolves around the remote, lost, long afternoons of childhood. The second poem, 'Die Genesende' ('The convalescent), describes how life plays with the invalid until healing arrives as a soft, sensitive caress. 

"The last item on the CD, 'Schlafen gehen, Schmerz und Not' is a free version of Nørgård's choral piece 'Abendlied' (from 'Two Wölfli Lieder' from 1980). In this 2012-style 're-mix' Helene Gjerris herself recorded all four choral parts, while Gert Sørensen added gamelan instruments." (Eva Hvidt. From the liner notes.)

Performers: Helene Gjerris, Toke Møldrup, Ulla Miilmann, Jesper Lützhøft, Gert Sørensen, Lotte Wallevik, Johannes Søe Hansen, Anne Marie Abildskov, Tine Rehling

1. Two Recitatives, Op.16: I. Jag Lyssnar Till Vinden

2. Two Recitatives, Op.16: II. Gammal Genius

3. Entwicklungen: I. Kindheit

4. Entwicklungen: II. Die Genesende

5. Plutonian Ode: Recitation (Introduction)

6. Plutonian Ode: I. Recitation

7. Plutonian Ode: II. Aria

8. Trois Chansons De 'L'amour La Poésie': I. Le Sommeil

9. Trois Chansons De 'L'amour La Poésie': II. Les Corbeaux

10. Trois Chansons De 'L'amour La Poésie': III. La Terre

11. Three Love Songs: I. L'étoile A Pleuré Rose

12. Three Love Songs: II. Wie Soll Ich Meine Seele Halten

13. Three Love Songs: III. Opfer (Fragment)

14. Day And Night: I. A Kill

15. Day And Night: II. Silver-sweet Sound

16. Solen Så Jeg

17. Sånger Från 'Aftonland', Part I: No. 1, Allt Är Så Underligt Fjärran I Dag

18. Sånger Från 'Aftonland', Part I: No. 2, Du Människa Som Står Vid Stranden Av...

19. Sånger Från 'Aftonland', Part I: No. 3, Det Är Om Aftonen Man Bryter Upp

20. Sånger Från 'Aftonland', Part II: No. 1, Preludio

21. Sånger Från 'Aftonland', Part II: No. 2, Nu Är Det Sommermorgon

22. Sånger Från 'Aftonland', Part II: No. 3, Tacka Vill Jag

23. Sånger Från 'Aftonland', Part III: Det Är Om Aftonen Man Bryter Upp

24. Schlafen Gehen, Schmerz Und Not

flac/16-bit

LHD - Veiled

Apparently the last in a long running series of 7" releases by noise duo Phil Blankenship and John Wiese, this is archival material from 2002 released in 2011 on Wiese's Helicopter imprint (the releases seem to mostly bounce back and forth between the labels run by each artist). High density, textured noise assault spanning four minutes. 

A. Veiled

flac/16-bit

Sharpwaist - Sucking from the Breast of a Castrator

Early power electronics release on the American industrial/noise label New Forces, a collaboration between Carl Haas and Kristen Rose (Sewer Goddess). Themes appear to be centered on violence against homosexuals. An edition of fifty cassettes released in 2011, available to buy digitally here.

A1. To Punish Their Desire

A2. Corrective Attack Victim

A3. Baltimore Single Mother

A4. All Ways Without

B1. A Terror On Nothing

B2. Casual Attributions Of A Homophobic Murder

mp3/128kbps

Torturing Nurse / RedSK / Jason "Evil" Covelli - A Bonding Experience

Split between Chinese bondage noise aficionado Torturing Nurse alongside American experimental project RedSK and one Jason "Evil" Covelli. Torturing Nurse's offering is a screeching harsh noise assault with resplendent vocal work, whereas RedSK offers bizarre vocal cut-ups and industrial soundscapes along with a condensed remix of TN's offering. Jason "Evil" Covelli offers hilariously childish and profanity laced sex stories that would titillate and shock any thirteen year old: best avoided. Released on the politely named American grind/punk/noise label TRASHFUCK Records in 2011 and featuring handmade packaging. 

 

A1. Torturing Nurse - Sin With Cha

A2. RedSK - Psychedelic Harmonica

A3. RedSK - NativeBorthor

A4. RedSK - Jazz Fingers (Shit My Piss)

B1. RedSK - Shin With Dagesh 2010

B2. RedSK - Tied To A Chair Naked And Barely Breathing

B3. Torturing Nurse - Shin With Cha (RedSK Language Rape Version)

B4. Jason "Evil" Covelli - Tied Up And Spanked By People In Animal Suits

B5. Jason "Evil" Covelli - Bound, Gagged And Truly Fucking Insane

mp3/320kbps

Last Rape / Pollutive Static

Harsh Noise Wall from Richard Ramirez/Sean Matzus duo Last Rape split with UK maestro Hal Hutchinson HNW/harsh noise project Pollutive Static. Released in 2011 on (for once) still active noise label Love Earth Music as an edition of one hundred and fifty CDrs.

 

1. Last Rape - Close Your Eyes

2. Last Rape - The Sickness Is In My Head

3. Pollutive Static - Razor Room

4. Pollutive Static - Perpetrator

5. Pollutive Static - Penetrator

 

mp3/320kbps

Grunt - Ritual of Mortality

Live material from Mikko Aspa's Grunt, recorded in Turku in 2011. The artwork is a frame capture of a video projected at the show. Grinding power electronics atmosphere with customarily threatening vocal work and assorted clanging.

A1. Ritual Of Mortality

A2. Can You Hear The Bells

B1. Fucked By Steel

B2. Playday 2011

mp3/320kbps

Richard Wagner - Lohengrin

"Act I. A plain on the banks of the River Scheldt, near Antwerp. King Henry ('the Fowler') of Saxony has come to Antwerp to persuade the Brabantines to join him in defending Germany against an imminent attack by the Hungarians. Realising that there is tension among the Brabantines, the King calls on Telramund, a noble, to explain its cause. He says that the previous Duke of Brabant, on his deathbed, entrusted his two children to Telramund's care. The son, Gottfried, disappeared one day when he and his sister Elsa were alone. Telramund has accused Elsa of having killed her brother so that she can claim the dukedom; he has therefore renounced Elsa's hand and married Ortrud, through whose noble descent he claims to be ruler. The King orders a trial and Elsa is summoned. 

"Elsa cannot answer the King's questions but she describes a dream in which a knight in shining armour came to her aid. The King rules that the case will be resolved by combat between Telramund and whoever will be Elsa's champion. The King's herald twice sounds a summons, but no one steps forward. A swan appears, drawing a boat in which stands a knight; he steps ashore, bids farewell to the swan and offers to fight on Elsa's behalf. If he wins, they will many, but on condition that she promises never to ask him his name or origin. The knight overpowers Telramund but spares his life. Everyone except Telramund and Ortrud applaud his success. 

"Act II. In the fortress of Antwerp. Telramund blames Ortrud and her evil sorcery for his loss of honour and banishment from Brabant. Ortrud tells him that the knight's power can be overcome only if Elsa can be induced to ask him the forbidden questions or if he is wounded. The couple swear vengeance. 

"Elsa appears on a balcony. Ortrud sends Telramund away and appeals to Elsa's friendship. While Elsa is coming down to talk to her, Ortrud calls on profane gods for help. Gradually she sows seeds of distrust in Elsa's mind, undermining Elsa's faith in the knight.

"A herald announces that Telramund is banished and that the knight will many Elsa, become the Protector of Brabant and lead his men to battle in Germany. Four disaffected nobles (friends of Telramund), angry at the prospect, conceal Telramund.

"The wedding processions assemble. As Elsa is about to enter the minster, Ortrud comes forward and angrily claims that Elsa is taking Ortrud's rightful place. She taunts Elsa for not knowing the knight's name and lineage and accuses him of having defeated Telramund by supernatural means. The knight arrives with the King and tries to comfort Elsa. Telramund rushes forward, repeats Ortrud's accusation and demands to know the knight's name. The knight refuses to answer and sees that Elsa is disturbed. Ortrud and Telramund exult in her anguish; Elsa expresses her desire to know the knight's secrets; the knight prays to heaven for Elsa's protection. He drives Telramund and Ortrud away. The people hail Elsa, and the bridal couple proceed to the minster. As she enters, Elsa sees Ortrud making a threatening gesture.

"Act III. The bridal chamber. The knight and Elsa are led in by ladies and nobles. Alone, they express their love; but when the knight calls Elsa by her name she is saddened by not knowing his. Her torment increases. Hearing that her husband has forsaken happiness in his previous life, she fears he will want to return to it. In spite of his pleas, she demands to know his name. 

"At that moment, Telramund and his four followers break in and the knight kills Telramund with a single blow. He tells Elsa that their happiness is now lost, orders that Telramund's body be taken to the king and instructs that Elsa should be led to him too; there he will reveal his secret.

"A plain on the banks of the River Scheldt. The King and nobles are assembling to march to battle. Telramund's four accomplices bear his body in; Elsa arrives, followed by the knight. He tells the King that he cannot lead the army to war and that Elsa has broken her vow. He reveals that he is a knight of the Holy Grail, from Monsalvat; its guardian knights have supernatural powers provided their identity remains unknown. His father was Parsifal and his own name is Lohengrin. He reproaches Elsa, who begs him to stay, and predicts victory for the German armies. Her pleas are echoed by the King and the people. 

"The swan approaches, drawing the boat. Lohengrin bids Elsa farewell and hands her his sword, horn and ring, to give to Gottfried should he return. Suddenly Ortrud appears. She tells Elsa it was she who transformed Gottfried into a swan, the one now drawing Lohengrin's boat; had Lohengrin been able to stay he could have returned Gottfried to human form. Lohengrin falls to his knees in prayer. Suddenly a white dove descends over the boat. The swan submerges and reappears as Gottfried, whom Lohengrin proclaims the Duke of Brabant. The dove tows Lohengrin's boat away. As Elsa watches him disappear, she sinks lifeless to the ground in her brothers arms." (Alison Latham. From the liner notes.)

Performers: Orchester und Chor der Bayreuther Festspiele, Andris Nelsons, George Zeppenfeld, Klaus Florian Vogt, Annette Dasch, Jukka Rasilainen, Petra Lang, Samuel Youn

1.1. Vorspiel
1.2. Aufzug I, Szene I: 'Hört, Grafen, Edle, Freie Von Brabant!'
1.3. Aufzug I, Szene I: 'Dank, König, Dir, Dass Du Zu Richten Kamst!'
1.4. Aufzug I, Szene I: 'Welch' Fürchterliche Klage Sprichst Du Aus!'
1.5. Aufzug I, Szene II: 'Seht Bin! Sie Naht, Die Hart Beklagte!'
1.6. Aufzug I, Szene II: 'Einsam In Trüben Tagen'
1.7. Aufzug I, Szene II: 'Friedrich, Du Ehrenwerter Mann'
1.8. Aufzug I, Szene II: 'Des Bitters Will Ich Wahren'
1.9. Aufzug I, Szene II: 'Wer Hier Im Gotteskampf Zu Streiten Kam'/Szene III: 'Gegrüßt, Du Gottgesandter Held'
1.10. Aufzug I, Szene III: 'Nun Sei Bedankt, Mein Heber Schwan!'
1.11. Aufzug I, Szene III: 'Heil, König Heinrich!'
1.12. Aufzug I, Szene III: 'Wenn Ich Im Kampfe Für Dich Siege'
1.13. Aufzug I, Szene III: 'Nun Hört Euch, Volk Und Edlen, Mach' Ich Kund'
1.14. Aufzug I, Szene III: 'Nun Höret Mich, And Achtet Wohl'
1.15. Aufzug I, Szene III: 'Mein Herr Und Gott, Nun Ruf' Ich Dich'
1.16. Aufzug I, Szene III: 'Durch Gottes Sieg Ist Jetzt Dein Leben Mein'
1.17. Aufzug I, Szene III: Applaus
1.18. Aufzug II: Einleitung
1.19. Aufzug II, Szene I: 'Erhebe Dich, Genossin Meiner Schmach'
1.20. Aufzug II, Szene I: 'Was Macht Dich In So Wilder Klage Doch Vergeh'n?'

2.1. Aufzug II, Szene I: 'Entsetzlich! Wie Tönt Aus Deinem Munde Furchtbar Der Name'
2.2. Aufzug II, Szene I: 'Du Wilde Seherin! Wie Willst Du Doch'
2.3. Aufzug II, Szene I: 'Der Rache Werk Sei Nun Beschworen'
2.4. Aufzug II, Szene II: 'Euch Lüften, Die Mein Klagen'
2.5. Aufzug II, Szene II: 'Elsa!'/'Wer Ruft? Wie Schauerlich Und Klagend Ertönt Mein Name Durch Die Nacht?'
2.6. Aufzug II, Szene II: 'Entweihte Götter! Helft Jetzt Meiner Rache!'
2.7. Aufzug II, Szene II: 'Ortrud, Wo Bist Du?'
2.8. Aufzug II, Szene II: 'Du Ärmste Kannst Wohl Nie Ermessen'
2.9. Aufzug II, Szene II: 'So Zieht Das Unheil In Dies Haus!'
2.10. Aufzug II, Szene III: Morgenlied/'Im Früh’n Versammelt Uns Der Ruf'
2.11. Aufzug II, Szene III: 'Des Königs Wort Und Will’ Tu’ Ich Euch Kund'
2.12. Aufzug II, Szene III: 'Nun Hört! Dem Lande Will Er Uns Entführen?'
2.13. Aufzug II, Szene IV: Prozession/'Gesegnet Soll Sie Schreiten'
2.14. Aufzug II, Szene IV: 'Zurück, Elsa! Nicht Länger Will Ich Dulden'
2.15. Aufzug II, Szene V: 'Heil! Heil Dem König!'
2.16. Aufzug II, Szene V: 'O König! Trugbetörte Fürsten! Haltet Ein!'
2.17. Aufzug II, Szene V: 'Welch’ Ein Geheimnis Muß Der Held Bewahren?'
2.18. Aufzug II, Szene V: 'Mein Held Entgeg’ne Kühn Dem Ungetreuen!'
2.19. Aufzug II, Szene V: 'In Deiner Hand, In Deiner Treu’ Liegt Alles Glückes Pfand!'

3.1. Aufzug III: Vorspiel
3.2. Aufzug III, Szene I: 'Treulich Geführt, Ziehet Dahin'
3.3. Aufzug III, Szene II: 'Das Süße Lied Verhallt, Wir Sind Allein'
3.4. Aufzug III, Szene II: 'Wie Hehr Erkenn’ Ich Unsrer Liebe Wesen!'
3.5. Aufzug III, Szene II: 'Atmest Du Nicht Mit Mir Die Süssen Düfte?'
3.6. Aufzug III, Szene II: 'Ach, Könnt Ich Deiner Wert Erscheinen!'
3.7. Aufzug III, Szene II: 'Höchstes Vertrau’n Hast Du Mir Schon Zu Danken'
3.8. Aufzug III, Szene II: 'Hilf Gott, Was Muss Ich Hören!'
3.9. Aufzug III, Szene II: 'Hörtest Du Nichts? Vernahmest Du Kein Kommen?'
3.10. Aufzug III, Szene II: 'Tragt Den Erschlagnen Vor Des Königs Gericht!'
3.11. Aufzug III, Szene III: Sonnenaufgang/'Heil, König Heinrich!'
3.12. Aufzug III, Szene III: 'Was Bringen Die? Was Tun Sie Kund?'
3.13. Aufzug III, Szene III: 'Mein Herr Und König, Laß Dir Melden'
3.14. Aufzug III, Szene III: 'In Fernem Land, Unnahbar Eu’ren Schritten'
3.15. Aufzug III, Szene III: 'Mir Schwankt Der Boden! Welche Nacht!'
3.16. Aufzug III, Szene III: 'Mein Lieber Schwan!'
3.17. Aufzug III, Szene III: 'Weh! Weh! Du Edler, Holder Mann!'

flac/16-bit

White Gold - White Gold

The first of two (thus far) collaborations between John Wiese and Phil Blankenship (The Cherry Point). Recorded in 2011 and released on Blankenship's Troniks label the following year. Features intense, screaming dynamic noise throughout. 

1. A Narrow Bridge
2. Sick Gang

mp3/v0

Jan Ladislav Dussek - Duos for Harp & Piano Forte

"Dussek was a compositional pioneer, but also (like all the great composers) was willing and able to cater for all audiences and provide brilliant lighter music when necessary. His music for Harp and Piano reflects this extremely clearly. On this CD we have 4 works by Dussek: 2 larger scale works (Op. 72 Duo in E-flat, and Op. 73 Duo Concertant in F) clearly written to be played during his last years in France with his great harpist colleague François Naderman (who also published the music), an earlier F major Duo Op. 26 from 1794 'As Performed at Mr. Salomon's Concert in Hanover Square' in London, and a lovely 2-movement Duettino in C clearly written with the amateur market in mind. All of this music is superbly crafted. His understanding of the relationship between these two instruments gained through his immense experience is perfect. 

"It must be said here that the incredible sound mix between the harp and piano in this musk can only be truly appreciated by its delivery on excellent instruments from Dussek's time. The qualities of both the Broadwood piano and the Naderman harp are unbelievably complimentary and stunningly attuned to each other. It is sometimes difficult to determine who is playing what. The Broadwood piano in particular has the ability to play with a gossamer-light sound which allows the harp through without a fight. It can however thunder when needed, a characteristic of these new and exciting pianos from England which appealed so strongly to Haydn and Beethoven.

"The musical scores are full of expression marks. Rinforzando, smorzando, calando, espressivo, mezza/sottovoce, ppp and ff markings are plastered throughout Dussek's music - and not just the later works. Scores from the late 1780s and 90s also show a huge variety of performance directions. This demands that the players provide a great deal of flexibility and attention to sound, rhythm and tempo modification, and also encourages great openness of expression. The music is throbbing with emotion, sometimes extravagantly so. Perhaps this partially explains why this music is so 'out-of-fashion' these days.

"So gentle reader - A personal plea - Open your-self to this music. Dussek is truly important to the piano world, both as a composer-performer and a historical figure. I for one intend to use this year as a platform to refashion a place for Dussek and his music. The piano sonatas, violin sonatas and masses of other chamber music deserve to be heard much more often. With over 250 compositions to explore we have a real cause for a Dussek revival. I hope this small taste of what Dussek can create and a glimpse into his world will inspire you to join us in this crusade against the Creatures of Fashion in all their hideous forms."  (Richard Egarr. From the liner notes.)

Performers: Masumi Nagasawa, Richard Egarr

1. Duo Concertant In F Major, Op. 73: I. Allegro Moderato
2. Duo Concertant In F Major, Op. 73: II. Larghetto Espressivo
3. Duo Concertant In F Major, Op. 73: III. Rondo. Allegretto Ma Moderato
4. Duettino In C Major, C. 189: I. Allegretto Moderato
5. Duettino In C Major, C. 189: II. Rondo. Allegretto
6. Duetto In F Major, Op. 26: I. Allegro
7. Duetto In F Major, Op. 26: II. Larghetto
8. Duetto In F Major, Op. 26: III. Rondo. Allegretto
9. Duo Concertant In E-Flat Major, Op. 72: I. Allegro Maestoso
10. Duo Concertant In E-Flat Major, Op. 72: II. Les Souvenirs. Larghetto Affettuoso
11. Duo Concertant In E-Flat Major, Op. 72: III. Rondo. Allegro Con Brio
12. Sophia Giustina Dussek-Corri - Introduction & Waltz

flac/16-bit

Johann Baptist Vanhal - 3 Late String Quartets

"The 'Hoffmeister-Quartets', written a little later than Opus 33, are perhaps closer to Mozart in style. The middle movement of the quartet in E flat is particularly reminiscent of Arias in Mozart's great operas. Mozart's Figaro, composed in the same year, was possibly inspirational here, and the plainer development sections of Mozart's quartets also show their influence. The use of the instruments seems closer to Mozart's as well: parallel motion in thirds and octaves and the thinning out into three parts as a means of contrast are also characteristics of Mozart's quartets.

"As performers we needed to adjust to Vanhal's musical and technical peculiarities, as, like every composer, Vanhal has his idiosyncrasies, and calls for us as performers to engage with his music and to learn to satisfy individual technical demands. The first violin part in Opus 33 is especially demanding, it repeatedly reaches up into the highest position right up to the end of the finger board — was Vanhal perhaps trying to 'tickle' his quartet partner Haydn in a friendly manner? We became very fond of the three quartets on this CD whilst working on them — they show an inner perfection which we quite often miss in works of other contemporary composers. We hope to do Vanhal some service with this CD by making these first-class string quartets available to rediscovery. We can well imagine Haydn and Mozart at quartet parties, playing Vanhal's quartets with great pleasure and appreciating their inherent ingenuity." (Members of the Camesina Quartet. From the liner notes.)

Performers: Camesina Quartet

1. String Quartet In E-Flat Major 'Hoffmeister' No. 2: I. Allegro Con Fuoco
2. String Quartet In E-Flat Major 'Hoffmeister' No. 2: II. Adagio
3. String Quartet In E-Flat Major 'Hoffmeister' No. 2: III. Allegro
4. String Quartet In F Major Op. 33 No. 3: I. Allegro Moderato
5. String Quartet In F Major Op. 33 No. 3: II. Arietta I - Arietta II. Tempo Moderato
6. String Quartet In F Major Op. 33 No. 3: III. Adagio
7. String Quartet In F Major Op. 33 No. 3: IV. Allegro Con Fuoco
8. String Quartet In A Major Op. 33 No. 2: I. Allegro Moderato
9. String Quartet In A Major Op. 33 No. 2: II. Arietta I - Arietta II
10. String Quartet In A Major Op. 33 No. 2: III. Adagio Sostenuto
11. String Quartet In A Major Op. 33 No. 2: IV. Rondo. Allegro Molto

flac/16-bit

Pain Nail - Magneettinen Kohtalo

Title meaning 'magnetic destiny'. Pain Nail is a collaborative effort between Finnish noise/P.E./metal kingpin Mikko Aspa and countryman/noise/metal artist Marko Kokkonen. This is a droning, ominous power electronics/death industrial album with supernatural/pagan themes, compiling material recorded over six years from 2006 to 2012. Issued twice as an LP by Aspa's Freak Animal label in 2013 and 2015, and once as a cassette in 2013.

1. 6th Sense
2. Sinetit Lohkeavat
3. Blissful Silence
4. Descension - Ascension
5. Church Of Ash
6. Miekan Valta
7. One Glance
8. Tyhjyyden Kammo

mp3/320kbps

Herbert Howells - Requiem

As a student in London he lost friends and contemporaries to the carnage of the First World War. His Elegy for viola, string quartet and string orchestra, perhaps the first of his works composed explicitly as a memorial, was written in memory of Frances Purcell Warren, a viol player killed at Mons in 1917. One of his closest boyhood friends, Ivor Gurney, whose inherent mental instability was almost certainly exacerbated by his experiences in the trenches, was a later, longer drawn-out loss. Howells himself was exempt from military service on medical grounds due to the onset of Graves Disease, a condition that forced him to give up his first salaried position as sub-organist of Salisbury Cathedral (with a loss of income and independence) and for a time threatened his life—the ultimate loss.
 
The loss of income, security, employment, and of friends in the trenches, was not unique to Howells. Many suffered such setbacks and came to terms with them. But the loss of a child is always uniquely poignant and tragic. The death from polio in 1935 of his nine year-old son Michael was, needless to say, the most traumatic and devastating of Howells’ personal experiences. It is natural enough to expect a deeply personal loss of this nature to be reflected in any artist’s work. On Howells, with his already deeply embedded sense of the elegiac and transient, Michael’s death had a profound effect. It is arguable that everything he subsequently wrote was coloured in some way by it. Three of the works recorded here, including the substantial Requiem for unaccompanied voices, are connected in some way to Michael. None of the remaining pieces was specifically composed as a memorial, but everything on this disc comes from a mind that constantly reflected on the passing pageant of life, and is coloured by that process of reflection.

Performers: Choir Of Trinity College, Cambridge, Stephen Layton

1. A Hymn For St. Cecilia
2. Salve Regina
3. Gloucester Service: Magnificat
4. Gloucester Service: Nunc Dimittis
5. Take Him, Earth, For Cherishing
6. St. Paul’s Service: Magnificat
7. St. Paul’s Service: Nunc Dimittis
8. Requiem: Salvator Mundi
9. Requiem: Psalm 23
10. Requiem: Requiem Aeternam I
11. Requiem: Psalm 121
12. Requiem: Requiem Aeternam II
13. Requiem: I Heard A Voice From Heaven
14. Michael: All My Hope On God Is Founded

mp3/320kbps