Sweetness and elegance are the hallmarks of this season’s modern composition releases. Whether playing a mother’s old piano or returning home to reconnect to the history of a nation, these artists find inspiration in the past while charting a path to the future. We may start with solo piano and work our way to full ensemble, but there are some detours in-between, notably a mandolin and accordion album, an electronic album with no electronics and a vocal album whose utterances are determined by game mechanics. This category is never as simple as it appears to be at first glance.
Our cover image is taken from Rune Blevik’s All the Difference, which is covered below.
Want to appear on the top of our article? Release a beautiful album about the season, with lovely, evocative cover art and a few public samples. Winter Moonlight is that album, released in the heart of the coldest season. We’re already enamored with the music of Evgeny Grinko, which we’re playing while waiting for those first flakes to fall (Nettwerk, February 7). Hot (or perhaps cold) on the heels of the compilation Winter, Vol. 2, Bigo & Twigetti is set to release Wilson Trouvé‘s One Life, a plea for understanding and reconciliation in a tumultuous world (January 10).
Ludovico Einaudi recently landed a 5-concert stint at the Royal Albert Hall, the longest ever for a pianist. The fact that these concerts will take place this summer may have something to do with the title of The Summer Portraits. Whether looking forward to the concerts, looking forward to the summer, or looking back on the halcyon summers of childhood, listeners should be enchanted when Decca releases the album on January 31. Yann Tiersen‘s Rathlin from a Distance | The Liquid Hour won’t be released until April 4, so technically it belongs in our Spring Music Preview, but we like to reward proactivity. The album is split into two parts, one piano and the other rhythmic and electronic. Tiersen contrasts the quietude of storm-free sailing with the chaos of political unrest, making the set more than the sum of its parts (Mute).
Ten countries worth of collaborators, a huge orchestral ensemble, and the planting of a tree for every purchase makes Guy Buttery‘s Orchestrations a news story as well as an announcement. The South African artist is seeing his compositions take flight while attempting to plant an entire forest. Needless to say, we’re supporting him in this endeavor (February 20). The Niu album from Rauelsson (see what we did there?) is a return to Sonic Pieces’ color template releases, although we’re not quite sure how to define the color ~ neither lilac nor lavender nor mauve, but somewhere in-between, which befits the release. Niu includes orchestral works as well as synth miniatures, flute and brass, and even a poem. Perhaps the color matters less than the emotional residue (February 7).
Two of our favorite artists, harpist Lara Somogyi and pianist Jean Michel Blais, join forces on desert, a languid and peaceful set that vibrates with the tones of vast expanses. The album is preceded by the single escaliers (Mercury KX, February 28). We’re also excited about the pairing of Brueder Selke & Midori Hirano, whose Split Scale will be released on January 24. The music is as colorful as the cover, following the equal tempered scale from beginning to end (Thrill Jockey). Continuing the collaborative theme, Kate Shortt and Alcyona Mick merge disciplines on Convergence & Variations, the title indicative of the contents. Is it jazz or modern composition? One has played in multiple big bands, the other in Spandau Ballet. Forget definitions; we’re in for a treat (Caliban Sounds, January 31).
While the heart of Après coup may be improvised piano, Laurie Torres‘ music sounds incredibly composed, in both senses of the word. The album blends ambient, modern composition and jazz, with clarinet, synthesizer, organ and field recordings fleshing out the sound, while never sounding busy or rushed (Tonal Union, February 21). Loiste is the first taste of A Blomqvist‘s Pohjola, a piano-based set that traces the history of Finland through times of war and peace, reflecting on the lessons learned and unlearned (Sony/XXIM, January 17). In a similar fashion and on the same label, Federico Albanese uses Blackbirds and the Sun of October to reflect on home and heritage as he reconnects with Monferrato in Northern Italy (February 7).
If the title of Runar Blesvik‘s All the Difference sounds familiar, it’s because the album is inspired by Robert Frost’s “The Road Not Taken.” The pianist adds nuance to these compositions through additional ambience, a string quartet and touches of jazz (Fluttery, January 10). As might be expected from the title, At My Mother’s Piano is an intensely personal release. Returning to her childhood home, Yama Warashi captured field recordings to accompany her compositions, creating a nostalgic tribute to person and place, time and love (Ipecac, February 14).
Britta Byström‘s Ink-Wash on Paper debuts January 24 on OUR Recordings. The strings are sumptuous, and the brief listening time passes oh-too-quickly, sending one back to the start. Multiple violinists tackle the work of Reiko Füting on distantViolinSound, released February 28 on New Focus. For an early sample, check out Miranda Cuckson on passage: time (copy). Gallantries: The Solo Piano Music of William C. White is released January 24 on Navona, with pieces placed by Joseph Vaz.
Do you like mandolins? Jean Claude Vannier et son orchestre de mandolines is released on Valentine’s Day and would love to find a place in your heart. When paired with accordion, Vannier’s music rings with particularity (Ipecac). We almost put Prepared‘s Module in our electronic department, until we realized that there were no electronics! Instead, the rhythmic tapping and repetitions of the Munich trio imitate the forms of electronic music, creating an aural illusion (Compost, January 17).
Following the success of The Undreampt-of Centre, Laurence Pike will be releasing a live album this January, replete with choir. The percussive Orpheus in the Underworld is the first taste (Leaf). One of the seasons’ most unusual releases is Game Mechanics for Voices: The Place of Landscape, in which Aske Zidore directs members of Trondheim Voices. One is never sure just what one is hearing, which adds to the intrigue of the libretto (Anyines, January 13).
We’ve been waiting a year and a half for Anna Thorvaldsdottir‘s Ubique to be released following its debut at Carnegie Hall. Fortunately the same musicians were all available for the recording, which is part of Claire Chase’s 24-year Density 2036 project. Intensely atmospheric, the album showcases flute, cello and piano and will be followed by a summer tour (Sono Luminus, February 28). The artist’s work is also found on Mystery Sonata‘s Aequora, released the same day. This tribute to Icelandic composers also contains new works from Maria Huld Markan Sigfusdottir, Daniel Bjarnason and Pall Ragnar Palsson (Sono Luminus). The label rounds out the season with Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind, a solo piano work inspired by the book of the same name, composed by Sean Hickey and played by Vladimir Rumyantsev (March 14).
ECM will release three albums in rapid succession this January. Benjamin Lackner leads a quintet on Spindrift (January 17), while François Couturier and Dominique Pifarély (piano and violin) team up for Preludes and Songs (January 24). The label finishes the month with Julia Hülsmann Quartet‘s Under the Surface, although it turns into a quintet with a bonus player on trumpet and goat horn (January 31).
JACK Quartet honors John Zorn with the release of The Complete String Quartets, a double-disc set on Tzadik. The two-hour set stretches from 1988 to 2017, and will make its debut in a Brooklyn concert on release day, January 17. Lei Liang‘s Dui, 對 (to face), combines multiple instruments and styles, providing a showcase for the diverse music of the Chinese-American composer. Perhaps the most telling title: “Where Is Home?” (Islandia Music, February 14). James McVinnie tackles the work of Dessner, Monk, Muhly and more on Dreamcatcher, using a variety of instrumentation and tone (Pentatone, January 17).
Richard Allen