Customer Reviews

Giannini: Psalm 130; Carbon: Endangered Species; McKinley: Passacaglia

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The bass is not known for its vast repertoire, but one of the most effective showcases is featured on this CD, the Giannini Psalm 130, for bass and orchestra. Richard Fredrickson plays with assurance and bravura, with a rich, splendidly full and soulful sound. The sound quality is excellent and the SLO sounds magnificent (as they continue to do so for the last 5 years). John Carbon's new concerto for double bass, "Endangered Species" reveals a composer with an original voice, surprisingly lyrical and coherent, with a narrative quality that is fresh and much welcomed in today's new music wasteland. William Thomas McKinley continues to create excellently crafted orchestral music and is becoming one of the most recorded living composers. Bravo!

Richard Fredrickson's new recording of three seldom if ever heard bass concertos displays his astonishing ability to "sing" with a uniquely personal sound. Most impressive is his performance in the Giannini, which should stand as the focal point of any bass player's concerto repertoire. The John Carbon work is a broadly lyrical tone poem expressing both longing and hope. Fredrickson charges this new work with drama and purpose. Mckinley's jazzy and whimsical tidbit is a great finale to a welcome addition to the bass player's repertoire. Slovak Radio Orchestra is at their finest in this release. Higly recommended. A must for every bass player, and a find for the average listener.

Although I'm not usually a fan of "new music" this CD piqued my interest and I took a chance. I'm glad I did. All three things on it are very good, in fact excellent. Just goes to show you, that it pays to try something new. The bass player, Richard Fredrickson, is truly awesome and the Carbon "Endangered Species" is one of the most interesting things I've heard for bass and orchestra. Mckinley's piece is jazz influenced and I like his music in general.

Richard Fredrickson can't be lauded enough for bringing forth this adventuresome and challenging new premiere recording of doublebass concerti. The Giannini work deserves to be better known, and Fredrickson's dulcet, rich sound does it more than justice in my opinion. The Slovak Radio Orchestra sounds fabulous in all three of these works. McKinley's new piece for bass and orchestra is fun and full of good humor and wit. The Carbon is what we have come to expect of this composer's orchestral works. Lyrical, imaginative and riveting come to mind, and this is the showcase Fredrickson really plumbs to the depths. I think both the McKinley and Carbon deserve to be heard in the concert hall. Fredrickson is clearly the bass player of his generation. Kirk Trevor's command of contemporary music is clear as usual and the balance and clarity of sound is the usual high standard we've come to expect from MMC. A must for every classical music collector and library.