Suzanne Teng & Gilbert Levy's Autumn Monsoon features 10 tracks of ethereal and evocative instrumental music played on Native American flutes and drums, percussion, and stringed instruments from around the world. These pieces take the listeners on a mystical musical journey to India, the American Southwest, West Africa, the Saharan desert and even to the galaxy Andromeda, all the while honoring the distinct voice of the Native American flute.
Peaceful, healing, exotic and atmospheric, this album is perfect for relaxing, dreaming of exotic lands, and inspiring creativity.
The resources of the early 19th Century piano provide a refreshing viewpoint on these well-known works. Broadwood's design allowed the dampers to be divided for the upper and lower part of the keyboard, allowing them to be used independently, a feature which Beethoven actually notated in his music. The use of this "split sostenuto" pedal provides a veil of resonance without obscuring the piano's clarity.
Haydn's Sonata No. 60 exhibits a wide range of sonority, from just a few notes to full orchestral texture. It is easy to picture almost any section being played in the strings or on the horn, bassoon or oboe. One passage especially brings a smile as Haydn clearly indicates that the pedal should simply be held down as the tinkling sound of a wind-up music box resonates in the whole instrument. As he often did, Haydn wrote the closing rondo in the style of a village dance, with surprising shifts of register and contrasts between loud and soft. It is a good-humoured and original work, as Haydn makes complex structures from only a few notes.
When Beethoven's first biographer, Schindler, asked him what he intended to convey in the Sonata Op. 31, No. 2, Beethoven replied that Schindler should read Shakespeare's play, "The Tempest". Rather than rendering a literal interpretation, Beethoven stages opposing forces - a magical atmosphere, driving rhythms, and powerful chordal architecture. The sonata echoes more than a few Baroque characteristics, with its arpeggiated chords, dramatic tempo changes, cross-rhythms and recitatives. It is worth remembering that according to Czerny, Beethoven used to start his days by playing from Bach's "Well-Tempered Clavier".
Though born in Ireland, John Field spent much of his life outside of his country. While in England he developed a close association with the piano virtuoso and entrepreneur Clementi, and this in turn led him to St. Petersburg where he lived for many years. Near the end of his life, he returned to Britain, and after his departure he wrote the Nocturne in D, perhaps knowing that he would not see his homeland again. The ethereal Nocturne in B flat is exemplary of Field's poetic approach to the piano.
Two arrangements of anonymous Scottish folk songs conclude this recording. The antique mandolin, restored and played by Clive Titmuss, provides a striking complement to the sound of the antique Broadwood pianoforte.
More period instrument recordings played by Susan Adams and Clive Titmuss on the lute, theorbo, mandora, vihuela, harpsichord and Viennese piano are available on CD Baby and other providers. More information, photos and edited music scores are offered on www.earlymusicstudio.com.
"Flowing Tangles" is a self-produced album, for which NODAL collaborated with musicians
from jazz and from folk and acoustic rock, who each brought in their specific style and experience.
The listener's ear is led to perceive not the single colors but the
totality of the eclectic and instrumental sound painting.
Description:
Dub, reggae, electronica, downtempo, chill out, trip hop
This album is inspired by the Hip Hop from the 90ies, which was characterized by an old-school beat style and by genuine urban vibes. The warm sound and the rhythmic structures of the tracks give this album its distinctive character. They were produced by the beat maker and producer of the Hinterland Milano Crew, Dubmaster Conte, between 2004 and 2008. In 2020, the tracks were remastered at the Magic Garden Studio, using new hardware and vinyl techniques. Since then, the album has has inspired several free-style performances and the scratching and cuttings of several turntablists. Even better, the albums is also perfect for listening while chilling and grooving to the sound.
