This retrospective disc presents music composed by the late Elliott Carter over a period of more than 70 years. Unquestionably, the major work presented here is the late Charles Rosen's performance of Carter's Piano Concerto. Rosen, a great advocate of Carter's music, had recorded most of Carter's solo piano music over the course of his long career, though he never made a studio recording of Carter's brilliant concerto. The release of this radio recording, featuring the superb Basel Sinfonietta, conducted by Joel Smirnoff, was one of Rosen's last wishes. Volume 9 of Bridge's ongoing Carter series opens with vocal works of Carter's from the 30s and 40s, and proceeds to Steven Beck's electrifying accounts of late solo piano music, and the Slowind Quintet's performance of Carter's quintet, Nine by Five, completed during the composer's 101st year.
Reviews:
“Carter collectors will of course want this without reservation. Performances are uniformly excellent.” - American Record Guide
“The thrill of this record as a whole is that these earlier and later works do us the service of informing each other, creating context. But if a lesson is not what you seek, this disc can be listened to for the sheer glory of the sound — from the concerto’s delicious dissonances to the raw emotion of the earlier songs.” - eMusic
“A fine continuation of a valuable series.” - International Record Review
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Tell Me Where is Fancy Bred (1938)
Rosalind Rees, soprano
David Starobin, guitar
Voyage (1943, orch. 1979) & Warble for Lilac Time (1943, orch. 1979)
Tony Arnold, soprano
Colorado College Festival Orchestra
Scott Yoo, conductor
Piano Concerto (1964-65)
Charles Rosen, piano
Basel Sinfonietta
Joel Smirnoff, conductor
Two Thoughts about the Piano (2007) & Tri-Tribute (2007-8)
Steven Beck, piano
Nine by Five (2009)
Slowind Wind Quintet
BRIDGE 9396
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