Customer Reviews

Moonchild's Dream

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4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
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Although a disc covering nearly eighty minutes of "World Premiere Recordings" for recorder might seem to deter sustained interest, with the ever-lustrous Michala Petri as soloist and the English Chamber Orchestra, under Okko Kamu's sympathetic leadership, this compilation is surprisingly captivating. The works span the last thirty years, as well as an eclectic group of composers, the youngest being Thomas Koppel (b. 1944), whose hauntingly lyrical Concerto for Recorder and Orchestra ("Moonchild's Dream"), the absolute highlight of this collection, is dedicated to Ms. Petri, and the eldest, Vagn Holmboe (1909-1996), whose evocative Concerto for Recorder, String Orchestra, Celeste and Vibraphone, Op. 122, also written for her, is a very close second best.

The three other compositions, all written for Petri, are varied and colorful, fully showcasing the artist's incredible virtuosity and emotional scope. Gary Kulesha (b. 1954) brings to his Concerto for Recorder and Small Orchestra an appealing frisson of sensuality, mystery and tense, brooding darkness. By comparison, the Dance Suite, Op. 29, for Soprano Recorder and String Orchestra of Asger Lund Christiansen (1927-1998) is congenial, light-hearted and beguiling, with a particularly beautiful duet between recorder and violin in the third movement Moderato. The concluding Concerto for Recorder and Orchestra, Op. 133 by Malcolm Arnold (b. 1921), as one might expect, is expertly crafted and displays all the jocular earmarks of the composer.

No caveats at all about this exceptionally rare and rewarding CD, about Michala Petri's amazing, fluid talent, or about the brilliant, realistic sound.

[Running time: 77:53]

I received this CD today. Simply put - I own hundreds of classical CDs and this recording has excited me more than I have been for a long time. The artistry of Ms Petri must be heard to be believed. The compositions, most notably "Moonchild's Dream," give one hope regarding the language of 20th-21st century music. For decades of experimentation we seem with composers such as Mr Koppel to now have direction. I will definitely purchase additional recordings of these two artists.

And now for something completely different. No, not a naked organist, but a refreshing set of contemporary concertos for the recorder played by the foremost international exponent of that instrument, Michala Petri. I approached this CD with some hesitation, thinking that I would soon burn out on the sound of the recorder, but the musicianship of Michala Petri and the excellent variety of the compositions, all of them accessible but all of them interesting, soon won me over. This is a delightful disk that works well both for casual and serious listening, meaning that it should appeal to a wide spectrum of listeners.

Este cd es simplemente maravilloso. Contiene las primeras interpretaciones de conciertos para flauta dulce escritos e inspirados para que lo interprete una de las mejores solistas de la flauta dulce en el mundo: Michala Petri.
Conciertos donde se pone de manifiesto el virtuosismo maravilloso de esta interprete danesa que nos llena de emoción por su brillante y perfecta técnica y hace que apreciemos de una manera superior a este sencillo instrumento musical.
Muy hermoso el concierto de Thomas Koppel "Moonchild's Dream" que abre el cd y es una obra bucólica y pastoral que encanta por su bella armonía.
Interesante también los trabajos de Vagn Holmboe que incluye como solistas a instrumentos de percusión como la celesta y el vibráfono dando la impresión de ser música compuesta para un soundtrack y el concierto de Gary Kalesha de corte casi dodecafónico pero de una belleza sublime y llena de artilugios técnicos para la interprete.
La English Chamber Orquesta simplemente impecable de mano de uno de los directores actuales más interesantes como es Okko Kamu. Un cd imperdible