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Phil Haynes:

RETURN TO ELECTRIC

If there’s a single characteristic that could describe the diverse paths that Phil Haynes' artistry has traversed, it’s a sense of forward movement. Interestingly, in his latest release, Return to Electric, Haynes reconnects with one of his earliest musical passions, the electric guitar, delving into fusion classics and exhilarating originals with longtime collaborators guitarist Steve Salerno and bassist Drew Gress (the late/great Paul Smoker Notet rhythm section). Return To Electric fulfills Haynes’ long-held dream of releasing a fusion album. “I had always been attracted to early, edgy fusion, when it still had the concepts of experimentation, evolution and revolution, beginning with Miles, Tony, Mahavishnu, and the rest. After hearing their music for decades, it's easier to have something to say than at the time first inspired by them. Hopefully, this trio shines a fresh light on these classics, framed by my own tunes, illuminating how we’ve been enriched by - and cultivated - the music ever since. We hope the masters might even get a kick out this set.”

PRESS SECURED BY Ann Braithwaite

Nicola Benedetti:

Beethoven Violin Concerto w/Aurora Orch, Collon

Benedetti further comments, “The solo line of this concerto was born out of an improvisatory spirit, with a lightness of touch soon to be out of fashion, with a virtuosity of integrity and poise. Many of us violinists grew up with such unhealthy reverence towards Beethoven, which soon turns into fear and an unnatural approach to his music. It can damage our ability to notice and embrace his humour, his wildness, and perhaps more importantly, the depth and power of his relationship to improvisation.”  

Beethoven’s original piano version of the first movement cadenza was rearranged and adapted by Petr Limonov. In the first movement, the music is based on the cadenza that Beethoven wrote for his own arrangement of this Violin Concerto as a Piano Concerto. Beethoven approached it in a truly revolutionary way by incorporating a timpani part into the texture, turning his cadenza into a dialogue between the pianist and the timpanist. Benedetti and Limonov felt that attempts to transcribe Beethoven’s bravura broken octaves and chromatic scales for violin in a literal way sounded too forceful for the otherwise lyrical and inward-looking nature of the piece. It gradually became clear that the cadenza needed re-writing, being true to Beethoven’s spirit, but not necessarily the letter. Usage of the timpani in a solo cadenza was as unusual at that time as it is now, so the harmonic progression leading up to it had to be unusual as well. Beethoven went around the full circle of fifths in a daring brush-stroke, employing highly sophisticated enharmonic techniques in a very subtle way as if to deliberately confuse the listener, leading him or her away from the established classical sense of tonality and preparing the ground for the timpani entry. Having started the cadenza with the same B-flat major chord as in Beethoven’s version, Benedetti and Limonov then emulated that unusual harmonic progression on the violin, albeit with a texture very different from Beethoven’s piano writing, allowing them to emphasise the element of surprise at the point of timpani entry, played on this recording by Henry Baldwin. It ensured that Beethoven’s original proportions stayed intact without making the violin writing resemble a transcription of a piano piece.  

aron!:

cozy you (and other nice songs)

aron!, the 21 year old singer, songwriter, guitarist and pianist, announces his debut EP cozy you (and other nice songs), which will release June 6 on Verve Records. It's an intimate six-track introduction to aron!’s world of cozy music. Along with the EP announcement, aron! shares the title track “cozy you,” tailor-made to soundtrack a promising first date or an evening at home snuggled up in a blanket with the fire crackling.

It’s important to know that when you listen to aron!, you’ll hear his virtuosity, but you’ll also hear his authenticity. When he isn’t making music, he’s either on a long walk outside, eating pho and ramen (his diet almost exclusively), or watching an episode of Gilmore Girls.

aron! has amassed millions of streams and built a loyal, dedicated following as he gears up to make his Verve Records debut. This EP is all about how everyone wants to get “cozy” sometimes — “My songs are little vignettes from my life,” he observes. “To me, ‘cozy’ is the perfect word for the vibe of this project. Hopefully, you’ll think so too!

Federico Albanese:

Blackbirds And The Sun Of October

XXIM Records is thrilled to announce the launch of Blackbirds And The Sun Of October, the latest album from renowned Italian artist, producer, pianist, and composer FEDERICO ALBANESE. This album is Albanese's fifth studio effort and his first full-length release under XXIM Records, following the success of his 7-track EP, Days Of Passage. Crafted entirely in Albanese's homeland of Monferrato in Northern Italy, Blackbirds And The Sun Of October explores themes of heritage, reconnection, and the natural beauty of the Italian countryside. “This album is about coming home and rediscovering connections,” Albanese says. “At its core, it’s about heritage.”

Returning to Monferrato in the autumn of 2020 deeply influenced Albanese, inspiring compositions that reflect the region’s natural beauty, history, and legends. This change of scenery brought a sense of freedom that permeated everything, including his music. Notably, the historical and romantic essence of the region played a crucial role in shaping the album's themes. Reflecting this inspiration, Blackbirds And The Sun Of October represents a major evolution in Albanese’s artistic journey. Known for his genre-blending compositions and thematic albums, Albanese has seamlessly combined classical traditions with contemporary sounds in this new work, resulting in a rich, timeless musical tapestry. “There’s a new sense of freedom in this music,” he says. “It’s more positive, and I can feel it’s different from my earlier work.”

The album features a variety of compositions inspired by the physical world around Albanese. From the serene piano and strings of “The Prince and the Emperor,” based on a 10th Century AD tale, to the uplifting “Adelasia,” inspired by a charming princess, each track captures the essence of Montferrat's heritage and beauty. Other standout pieces include the delicate “A Story Yet To Be Told” and “Song For the Village,” as well as the soothing “Wallpaper Of Dreams.” The title track, “Blackbirds And The Sun Of October,” with its ascending piano line and steady drums, encapsulates the spirit of autumn in Northern Italy.

Sharon Isbin:

Karen LeFrak - Romantico

With influences from Africa, Europe, and the indigenous peoples of Latin America, ROMÁNTICO features Karen LeFrak’s dazzling ‘Miami Concerto for Guitar and Orchestra.’ Sharon Isbin is joined by the Orchestra of St. Luke's, led by conductor Enrico Lopez-Yañez. Recorded October 7 and 8, 2024 at the DiMenna Center, Cary Hall, NYC, ‘ROMANTICO ‘ was Produced by Elaine Martone, in collaboration with engineers Gintas Norvila and Jennifer Nulsen. The album will be released on May 30, 2025 via LeFrak's ‘KL2’ label, distributed by Naxos. LeFrak’s ‘Peaceful Piano’ series also on Naxos, has reached over 41 million global streams over the last three years

ROMANTICO includes:
Miami Concerto for Guitar and Orchestra

1) Bailamos (4'58")
2) Romántico (8'16")
3) Festivo (4'36")

Chamber pieces:
4) Habanera Nights (3'31")
5) Urban Tango (4'10")

PRESS SECURED BY Genevieve Spielberg

Doug Wyatt:

Days of Gypsy Nights

Composer and pianist Doug Wyatt explores and transcends the boundaries of jazz and classical music, revealing a “third thing”, anchored in his piano playing, contrasting fiery improvisation with saxophone, bass and drums with soaring arrangements for string quartet. This beautifully expansive music emerged from the darkness of the 2020 pandemic, developed with inspiration from the natural beauty and vibrant music scene of Doug’s home town of Ithaca, New York. It was recorded in Silicon Valley (California), Ithaca, Boston, Nashville, and Italy.

Doug Wyatt: Compositions, piano, synthesizer
Michael Rosen: Tenor and soprano saxophones (1 2 3 5 7)
Marcello Pellitteri: Drums (1 2 3)
Tim Reppert: Electric and double basses (1 3 5) Giuseppe Bassi: Double bass (2)
Francesco Ponticelli: Double bass (7) Michael Waldrop: Drums, marimba (5)
Little Big Sound Strings feat. David Davison (1 2 3 4 6 8 9) New Zealand String Quartet (5)

Roberto Prosseda:

LUDWIG VAN BEETHOVEN - Sonatas Opus 2

Like most pianists, I have been playing Beethoven’s Sonatas since my earliest years of study, and have regularly performed many of them in concert over the past 30 years. However, I had not so far dared to approach the recording of Beethoven’s Sonatas, not least because of the huge number of recordings already made by many of the greatest performers.

Now, at the age of 50, and after having tackled and systematically recorded all of Mozart’s piano music, I have decided to approach the recording of Beethoven’s first sonatas. I consider them, from a certain point of view,
to be a natural continuation of the in-depth work I have already done with Mozart’s music.

Can something new, interesting and ‘true’ still be said about the interpretation of Beethoven’s sonatas? I believe so, provided we break out of the conventions created by the tradition of interpretation and discography, where a modern piano is used in 98% of cases. Therefore, I thought that the choice to record Beethoven on a historical instrument could also be a way of embarking on
a more individual interpretative investigation, free from the models we risk becoming accustomed to from listening to famous recordings on modern pianos. Having become more and more familiar with historical instruments in recent years, I have gradually come to realise that Beethoven’s music, and especially that of the early period, can sound much more meaningful and ‘sincere’ on the fortepiano than on the modern piano. It is not, of course, a question of having to recreate the sound Beethoven had in mind at any cost. After all, today, more than 200 years after the composition of Beethoven’s

Sonatas, our perception of sound has also changed: the same sound of a fortepiano certainly had a different effect on a Viennese listener in 1795, compared to a listener today.

Various:

LAZARUS - 3 single EP

Milan Records unveils three lead singles from the new anime series LAZARUS including the show’s main theme by KAMASI WASHINGTON as well as tracks from BONOBO and FLOATING POINTS. Furthermore, each artist has contributed a full-length soundtrack to the show, with all three albums set for release Friday, April 11. Known for his eclectic and innovative musical choices, Lazarus director Shinichiro Watanabe tasked the three acclaimed artists with composing distinct soundtracks for his latest series, the resulting albums providing a truly expansive and dynamic soundscape to the thrilling sci-fi narrative.

Multi-instrumentalist, composer and bandleader KAMASI WASHINGTON unveils the series’ theme song, “VORTEX,” an ambitious multi-suite jazz number that shifts between choral-punctuated ensemble movements, virtuosic saxophone solos and a searing electric guitar climax – listen here. Hand-selected by Watanabe-san as Lazarus’ main theme, “Vortex” features in a new clip from the series unveiled today – watch here.  

British musician, producer and DJ BONOBO debuts original vocal track “DARK WILL FALL,” a Western-meets-gospel slowburn led by acoustic guitar and soulful vocals by JACOB LUSK that gradually intensifies into a choral-led vocal crescendo – listen here. Producer and composer FLOATING POINTS, meanwhile, contributes a 9-minute masterpiece of pulsating electronic rhythms and synths with “DEXION,” its intricately layered textures and instrumentation culminating into a hypnotically upbeat groove – listen here.

Talon Smith:

Debut

Navona Records' newest release, TALON SMITH: DEBUT from virtuoso pianist Talon Smith, set for May 23rd

24 PRELUDES, OP. 1; SONATA IN C MINOR, OP. 2
Talon Smith composer, pianist

TALON SMITH: DEBUT showcases the extraordinary artistry of 23-year-old pianist and composer Talon Smith through two masterful original works. His 24 Preludes, Op. 1 spans a vast emotional landscape with intricate melodies, rich harmonies, and exhilarating rhythms, demanding both technical brilliance and deep expressiveness. His Sonata in C minor, Op. 2 unfolds across three movements: a bold sonata-allegro with recurring themes, a profoundly tender second movement, and a fiery rondo finale. These works not only highlight Smith’s virtuosic skill and compositional depth but also offer a captivating and unforgettable listening experience.

A rising force in the classical world, Smith has enchanted audiences across America, Europe, and Asia with his emotionally powerful performances and original compositions. Launched onto the international stage at just 14, he has since earned over 40 top prizes for both performance and composition. Critics have hailed his poetic phrasing, masterful technique, and rare sensitivity, drawing comparisons to legendary pianists. With a deep passion for both performing and composing, Smith continues to push the boundaries of classical music, leaving a lasting impact on audiences and the future of the art form.

TALON SMITH: DEBUT showcases the remarkable artistry of the young pianist and composer through two compelling original works. 24 Preludes, Op. 1 explores a vast emotional spectrum with intricate melodies, consonant harmonies, and exhilarating rhythms, demanding both technical mastery and expressive depth. Smith’s Sonata in C minor, Op. 2 follows a three-movement structure, opening with a dynamic sonata-allegro featuring recurring themes; transitioning to a profoundly tender second movement; and concluding with a gritty, energetic rondo. Together, these works highlight Smith’s virtuosic skill and compositional prowess, offering listeners an evocative and memorable musical experience.
 

David Murray Quartet:

'Capistrano Swallow' from Birdly Serenade

David Murray shares “Capistrano Swallow,” the second single from his upcoming album Birdly Serenade, due April 25 on Impulse! Records. Inspired by time spent in Upstate New York and various birds he’s encountered, David Murray and his lauded quartet improvised “Capistrano Swallow,” a highlight from the upcoming album. 

The fantastically prolific and endlessly ambitious Berkeley-born jazz star David Murray announces his new album. Nearly five decades into his storied career in jazz and improvised music, the saxophonist, bass clarinetist, composer and bandleader is making his Impulse! Records debut with Birdly Serenade, a collection of new compositions inspired by the original improvisors: birds. If the outdoorsy inspiration is new for the veteran player, the sound is in keeping with his massive, diverse body of recorded work, bold and innovative while remaining steeped in tradition. While he has appeared on hundreds of records as a leader and sideman, Birdly Serenade proves Murray is overdue for his moment of acclaim as an influential composer and saxophonist, and belongs in the pantheon of truly bold masters of jazz. 

Birdly Serenade will be available on April 25, 2025 on all formats and, to celebrate the announcement, Murray shares “Birdly Serenade,” the title track featuring vocalist Ekep Nkwelle.

 

Andris Nelsons - Boston Symphony:

Shostakovich Symphonies, Concertos, Lady McBeth

In 2015 the Boston Symphony Orchestra and its newly appointed Music Director Andris Nelsons teamed up with Deutsche Grammophon to record Shostakovich’s fifteen symphonies. Ten years, four GRAMMY Awards®, and scores of rave reviews later, DG is issuing the full cycle as part of a towering anthology of Shostakovich’s major works. These recordings will enable listeners to immerse themselves in a dramatic and endlessly fascinating sound-world, thanks to performances that reflect the intimate bond between orchestra and conductor, and the profound insight they have gained into a composer whose music has been central to their first decade together.

The anthology’s release in 2025 coincides with the 50th anniversary of Shostakovich’s death. As well as the symphonies and incidental works already issued, it also includes new recordings of the composer’s complete piano, violin, and cello concertos, and the first commercial audio release in nearly 20 years of his only full-length opera, Lady Macbeth of the Mtsensk District. Nelsons and the BSO are joined by pianist Yuja Wang, violinist Baiba Skride, and cellist Yo-Yo Ma in the concertos, while the Lady Macbeth cast is headed by Kristine Opolais, Brenden Gunnell, Peter Hoare, and Günther Groissböck. Benefiting from the superb audio quality achieved in the exceptional acoustic of Boston’s Symphony Hall – by a team led by legendary Hollywood producer Shawn Murphy and BSO lead recording engineer Nick Squire – the anthology is available digitally and as a 19 CD set today! 

Vijay Iyer - Wadada Leo Smith:

Defiant Life

Defiant Life, Vijay Iyer and Wadada Leo Smith’s second duo recording for ECM after 2016’s A Cosmic Rhythm With Each Stroke, is a profound meditation on the human condition, reflecting both the hardships and acts of resilience it entails. But at the same time, it also proves a testament to the duo’s unique artistic relationship and the boundless forms of musical expression it yields. For when Vijay and Wadada meet in music, they simultaneously connect on multiple levels:

“Our time together, from the moment we meet right until the moment we play, is most often spent talking about the state of the world, studying histories of liberation, and sharing readings and historical references, as a means of grounding ourselves purposefully in our present.” In his liner note, Iyer has transcribed such a conversation between himself and Smith at length, revealing a closer glimpse at the individual themes that inspired the album and the term “defiant” in particular.

Muireann Bradley:

I Kept These Old Blues

Muireann Bradley is a once-in-a-generation talent. Aged just 17, this prodigious musician is rapidly garnering a devout fanbase – as well as the admiration of veteran artists – thanks to her unique style, which blends traditional guitar playing with personal and mature interpretations of classic blues songs. From playing music alone in her childhood bedroom, she has since become a choice favourite on international TV spots including Jools Holland and The Late Late Show, not to mention signing with Decca Records, itself a mark of industry recognition for her rare and authentic gift.

Raised just outside the small town of Ballybofey in County Donegal, Ireland, Bradley inherited a passion for music from her father, a keen guitar player and blues fan himself. Growing up in a home filled with guitars, she began to learn to play when she was just nine years old, only taking a brief break to win a series of national titles in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and regional titles in amateur boxing reaching two national finals.

 By this point, she’d badgered her parents into getting her a guitar of her own for her birthday; she developed her own playing style that lends the instrument a personality – a depth of character all of its own.

Bradley’s debut album, I Kept These Old Blues, is an astonishing first glimpse at the breadth of her talent – both as a guitar virtuoso and a singer. The first pressing has sold out everywhere and is already regarded as a collectible among in-the-know music fans – truly remarkable given Bradley was just 15 years old when she recorded it. Now remixed and mastered, I Kept These Old Blues demonstrates the kind of assuredness and skill to be expected of a musician five times her age, on blues standards such as Blind Blake’s “Police Dog Blues” and Rev Gary Davis’s “Candyman”. 

McGwyer Mortimer - Tom Basden and Carey Mulligan:

The Ballad of Wallis Island OMPS

 ORIGINAL MOTION PICTURE SOUNDTRACK
"ONE OF THE BEST SOUNDTRACKS IN YEARS" Saulo Ferreira (ReviewsOnReels)

SYNOPSIS
The Ballad of Wallis Island follows Charles (Tim Key), an eccentric lottery winner who lives alone on a remote island and dreams of getting his favourite musicians, McGwyer Mortimer (Tom Basden and Carey Mulligan) back together. His fantasy quickly turns into reality when the bandmates and former lovers accept his invitation to play a private show at his home on Wallis Island. Old tensions resurface as Charles tries desperately to salvage his dream gig.

Director - James Griffiths
Screenplay - Tom Basden, Tim Key
Producer - Rupert Majendie
Cast - Tim Key, Tom Basden, Sian Clifford, Akemnji Ndifornyen, Carey Mulligan

Jisu Jung:

Baroque in Blue

Multifaceted pianist and composer Jisu Jung releases her new album Baroque In Blue. Seamlessly merging classical and jazz, this album follows her debut crossover project Who am I and marks her second exploration of classical-jazz fusion. This time, she introduces a unique quartet featuring piano, saxophone, cello, and viola, making it her debut release under the Korean independent label Wowsan Records. Originally recognized as a promising classical pianist, Jung later made a bold transition into jazz, shaping a distinctive artistic identity. Baroque In Blue continues her journey of breaking genre boundaries and redefining musical expression. “This project is about pushing limits and discovering new sonic textures,” Jung explains. “As the name suggests, I wanted to reimagine the spirit of ‘blue’ in jazz and the intricate nature of Baroque music in a modern setting, creating a new experience."

Joining Jung on this sonic exploration are longtime collaborator and saxophonist Soojung Lee, along with cellist Kanghyun Lee, and violist Hyeonjin Jung — each an emerging artist gaining recognition across Korea and Europe. Together, they weave jazz improvisation and classical structure into a seamless musical dialogue. The album opens with two bold reinterpretations of jazz classics by Charlie Parker. Who is ‘Donna Lee’ infuses Parker’s Donna Lee with Romantic, Impressionist, and Shostakovich-inspired elements, showcasing Jung’s distinctive approach. “So many jazz musicians have reshaped Donna Lee in their own styles, which made me wonder—who exactly is Donna Lee that has inspired countless reinterpretations?” This curiosity fuels her intricate and daring arrangement. The following track, Billie’s Bounce, weaves the organic warmth of strings with Soojung Lee’s dynamic saxophone, while Jung’s piano anchors the harmonic progression.

Kevin Olusola:

'Smile' from Dawn Of A Misfit

Kevin Olusola, the dynamic singer, cellist, and beatboxer best known for his work with the 3x-GRAMMY® Award-winning a cappella group Pentatonix, unveils “Smile,” the latest track from his forthcoming album DAWN OF A MISFIT, out on May 9 via Sony Music Masterworks and available for preorder and presave HERE. The 2-song bundle includes both vocal and instrumental versions of the track.

Olusola continues to uplift others with “Smile.” Originally demoed in 2016, the song remains relevant to this day and provides hope through the purity of Olusola’s vocals and his signature beatboxing, along with the soothing sample of Bach’s “Cello Suites.” Listen to “Smile” HERE.

“‘Smile’ is one of my absolute favorite songs on the album,” shares Olusola. “It was the second song I ever wrote for my project back in 2016, when I was just experimenting with my sound, and its message still resonates deeply with me today. To me, it’s a song that explores two realities of life. Life will inevitably have its hardships, whether they’re anticipated or unexpected. However, we can choose to make joy our guide as we take ownership of our lives, and it can start with a simple smile. I hope this song helps you believe that regardless of your struggles or circumstances, you can still ‘fill your lungs and laugh out loud,’ because ‘life is what you make it.’”

The multi-faceted artist first previewed his new LP with the electrifying lead single “DARK WINTER," blending Vivaldi's Four Seasons and symphonic strings with Olusola's potent beatbox percussion, 808s & elastic R&B hooks. He followed with the spoken word and deeply personal “I Feel Misunderstood” and “Crazy,” an instrumental reimagining of Gnarls Barkley’s 2006 mega-hit that showcases Olusola’s powerful talents as a cellist.

DAWN OF A MISFIT follows two EPs: The Renegade, which explored classical music and celloboxing, and Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood, which delved more into pop influences. This new LP seamlessly blends elements from both projects while continuing to expand his already-vast musical canvas.  DAWN OF A MISFIT draws on his classical virtuosity and the graceful soulfulness of his vocals, partly fueled by his Nigerian and Grenadian heritage. While recording the new album, he was influenced by a diverse range of artists, including Sting, multi-hyphenate artist Jon Batiste, Nigerian musician Fela Kuti, American singer and actor Harry Belafonte, country-rap artist Shaboozey, cellist Jacqueline du Pré, pianist Harvey Lavan "Van" Cliburn Jr., and Russian composer Sergei Rachmaninoff.

The wide-ranging album touches on spirituality, fatherhood, and being a first-generation person in a Western country, all while fusing classical, pop, R&B, and hip-hop. It even includes a nod to Pentatonix with “Kevin’s Fifth,” a fan-favorite expansion on Beethoven’s 5th that he often performs during their live shows.  The beloved quintet—who broke out after winning NBC’s The Sing-Off in 2011—have released 12 albums in total, including 2022’s Grammy-nominated Holidays Around the World. More recently, they starred in the #1 Netflix rom-com Meet Me Next Christmas.

Joe Lovano:

Homage

Joe Lovano and his Polish conspirators from the Marcin Wasilewski trio are in an especially adventurous spirit on their second joint endeavour for ECM. Building on the lyrical strengths that inhabited the group’s previous recording (Arctic Riff, 2020), on Homage the quartet moreover investigates the type of free-flowing interplay and expansive passages of improvisation that have become a staple in Lovano’s ventures with his trio tapestry group and elsewhere. The album was recorded at a studio session in the midst of the group’s Village Vanguard residency in late Autumn 2023, revealing fluent structures as they’re being developed. A rare sense of expressivity and spiritual affinity grace the session.

Clocking in at over ten minutes each, two long-form compositions and the title track “Homage” – all Lovano originals – make up the bedrock of the album and find the players at their most exploratory, with Joe frequently swapping out his tenor and tárogató for a variety of percussion instruments - “Just a handful of gongs and some light percussion sounds,” notes Lovano. “It’s so nice to communicate with Michael [Miskiewicz] on drums – in the studio it felt like we were one!”

Savina Yannatou:

Watersong w/Primavera en Salonico, Lamia Bedioui

Greek singer Savina Yannatou’s fifth ECM album revolves around the theme of water in its many manifestations. Water as a blessing, and a curse. A life-sustaining source, the medium of baptism and spiritual rebirth, and a mortal threat in the elemental fury of the storm.  Shakespeare’s play The Tempest with the spirit Ariel’s song, “Full Fathom Five”, provided an inspirational starting point for this project, its imagery conveying the sea’s power to effect startling metamorphosis: “Full fathom five thy father lies/Of his bones are coral made/Those are pearls that were his eyes/Nothing of him that doth fade/But doth suffer a sea change/Into something rich and strange.” The richness and the strangeness are embodied in the playing here, with percussionist Dine Doneff drawing ghostly harmonics from a bowed waterphone, while Savina freely interprets the 17th century melody of English composer and lutenist Robert Johnson.

Sean Imboden Large Ensemble:

Communal Heart

While he cites the possibilities for “compositional power” and “orchestrational ideas” inherent to the big band, the main reason that Indianapolis-based saxophonist/composer Sean Imboden formed his own 17-piece orchestra is captured in the title of the ensemble’s brilliant debut album. Communal Heart vibrantly captures the community spirit that Imboden has fostered not only within the ranks of his Sean Imboden Large Ensemble, but between the band and its fervent, ever-growing audience of loyal fans. “There's an old adage among musicians,” Imboden explains. “It says, ‘To make it a great gig, you have to have two out of three elements: you want the money to be good, you want the music to be good, and you want the hang to be good.’ I realized maybe there's a fourth: if the audience is amazing, that raises up the experience for everyone.”

Due out April 18, 2025, Communal Heart is not only the result of Imboden’s journey towards gathering and nurturing both his band and his audience, but in a way tells that personal story in musical form. Though unintentional, Imboden’s multi-hued compositions are autobiographical in giving voice to the ambitious drive and imagination that led the saxophonist from a comfortable career as a journeyman musician to take a leap of faith into the daunting big band arena.

Kaija Saariaho:

Adriana Mater w/San Francisco Symphony, Salonen

Deutsche Grammophon announces the world premiere recording of Kaija Saariaho’s Adriana Mater, performed by the San Francisco Symphony and conducted by Saariaho’s lifelong friend Esa-Pekka Salonen. The composer’s second opera – and second collaboration with Lebanese-born French writer Amin Maalouf – Adriana Mater is an intensely moving work exploring the relationship between a mother and her son in a war-torn country as they navigate the violence that defines their past and present, and threatens to claim their future. This recording captures a June 2023 performance of a staged production directed by Peter Sellars, delivered mere days after the composer’s passing; mezzo-soprano Fleur Barron sings the title role, in a cast that also includes Axelle Fanyo (Refka), Nicholas Phan (Yonas) and Christopher Purves (Tsargo). Adriana Mater is available digitally worldwide; a physical edition will follow in 2025.

In an unnamed country on the brink of war, a young woman, Adriana, spurns the aggressive drunkard Tsargo with the support of her sister Refka. Some time later, Tsargo – now a soldier – returns and threatens Adriana at gunpoint; after an unseen assault, she is revealed to be pregnant with his child. Despite Refka’s efforts to convince her otherwise, Adriana chooses to continue with the pregnancy; both are anxious about the kind of man the child may grow up to be. Seventeen years later, Adriana’s son Yonas uncovers the truth of his conception. Furious at this discovery, he sets off to confront and kill Tsargo but is overcome by pity when he discovers that the man is now blind and flees the scene. In the aftermath, he confesses to Adriana that he was unable to avenge her and begs for her forgiveness. But in place of weakness, Adriana sees salvation: Yonas is truly her son.

Both the premise of the opera and its musical material find inspiration in Saariaho’s and Maalouf’s respective life experiences: Saariaho’s motherhood, and Maalouf’s firsthand experience of the Lebanese Civil War. “As a starting point for our second collaboration, I told Amin Maalouf about the powerful experience I’d had when I was pregnant with my first child, the sensation of two hearts beating in my body,” Saariaho wrote in her composer’s note. “Amin contributed a subject that was also essential to him on a personal level: war and violence. As the idea of two hearts and their rhythmic polyphony was one of the first thoughts we had about the opera, it also naturally became a musically omnipresent element. The different rhythms and tempos of the characters were always present in my compositional work: I had sketched them out in advance and used them as matrices for the music.”
 

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