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Erkki-Sven Tuur: Symphony No. 7, Piano Concerto
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Track Listings
1 | Piano Concerto (2006), I |
2 | II |
3 | III |
4 | Symphony No. 7 (2009), I |
5 | II |
6 | III |
7 | IV |
Product description
Product Description
The sixth ECM New Series album by Estonian composer Erkki-Sven Tüür presents two major works, commissioned by the Hessische Rundfunk and given their premieres by the Frankfurt Radio Symphony Orchestra. Both works are powered by what Tüür calls his "vectorial writing method", a means of developing pieces from "a source code - a gene which, as it mutates and grows, connects the dots in the fabric of the whole composition".
Tüür's Seventh Symphony (2009), dedicated to the Dalai Lama "and his lifelong endeavours", is a choral symphony like no other. It is a potent work in which the orchestra only intermittently frames and supports the voices. The texts that the NDR Choir sings include words of the Buddha from the Dhammapada but also utterances of more contemporary visionaries, from Gandhi to Mother Theresa.
The earlier Piano Concerto was premiered at the Alte Oper in Frankfurt, where this album was recorded. As Paul Griffiths notes, "The concerto is also music on two planes, now orchestra and piano, though this time both are continuous and continually in the process of meeting." Finnish pianist Laura Mikkola gives an exceptional performance, responding to the surging waves of the orchestra and the inspired direction of Paavo Järvi.
The "vectorial" process, already reflected in works including Oxymoron, Strata and Noesis (all recorded on previous ECM albums), has led to a body of work quite distinct from Tüür's earlier, discursive 'metalinguistic' music in which diverse idioms - from serialism to minimalism - were contrasted, interwoven, reconciled. Tüür's 21st century music foregoes "unnecessary eclecticism", and manifests instead an organic coherence. These are pieces of determined, individual temperament.
Personnel: Frankfurt Radio Symphony Orchestra, NDR Choir, Laura Mikkola (piano), Paavo Järvi (conductor)
Review
(5 stars) Dense, complex, mysterious, passionate, spellbinding, sometimes strage and always original, Tüür's Piano Concerto and choral Symphony receive stunning performances enhanced by superb sound quality. --BBC Music Magazine, (Barry Witherden), June 2014
(4 stars) The appellation "Pietas" reflects the plurality of voices, a multi-faith ecumenism in the manner of Tavener..."Piano Concerto" opens with lone low tones of deep foreboding, before building to a tempestuous dialogue between piano and orchestra. --The Independent, (Andy Gill), March 29, 2014
The combination of logic and boldness is engrossing from first to last. --Gramophone, (David Fanning), May 2014
Tüür is at his most subversive in the works on this new recording...a work that is at the same time densely rich and full of subtleties. As usual, ECM's recording of these performances, which are surely the most committed one could imagine, is outstanding. --International Record Review, (Ivan Moody), May 2014
It's an impressive, if extravagant, symphonic argument, vivid and often violent, with a huge finale. --The Sunday Times, (Stephen Pettitt), March 23, 2014
Product details
- Product Dimensions : 14.1 x 12.6 x 1.19 cm; 115.95 g
- Manufacturer : ECM New Series
- Item model number : 12449857
- Original Release Date : 2014
- Label : ECM New Series
- ASIN : B00HEL73NU
- Number of discs : 1
- Best Sellers Rank: 232,723 in CDs & Vinyl (See Top 100 in CDs & Vinyl)
- 304 in Orchestral Suites
- Customer reviews:
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Erkki-Sven Tüür truly is a master composer, I would rate him possibly even higher than e.g. another of the same kind of stature and an ex-ECM New Series artist, Jörg Widmann. Unlike Widmann's most recent, dimmed un-ethical programmatic work [Violin Concerto et. al. / Ondine 2013], this work by Tüür is the exact opposite. In his 7th Symphony and Piano Concerto Tüür gives the listener a high moral uplift and life-affirmation in two cases of wholesome - intelligent _and_ ethical - genius.
The Piano Concerto can be described most concisely as being a work full of _natural atmosphere_. The notes from the piano sound like water droplets falling to a surface, or then, like a shimmering rays of sunshine through the mist of recently ceased rain; the [metallic] percussion and the strings create a feeling of rainbows and a late summer's storm with its after-effects, respectively. The piece ends with dramatic array of moods from Mahlerian and Sibelian tensions to something really mind-enwidening! If you could sense the same as I did when listening to this last building and resolution of musical drama, you'd be for a moment a very happy human being!
The Symphony - it sings! The choir is a bit tame, in many parts, but there _are_ beautiful melodic-harmonic moments to be found there, as well. The fitting of melody/harmony with text is sometimes unsuccesful [e.g. Hendrix' words], sometimes marvellous. After Gandhi's "an eye for an eye..." w/ tame chorus _the orchestra_ really duplicates the basic content of the powerful words!
The texts are a marvellous combination of supreme Indian ethical content ["Siddhartha" Gautama on the top], added with St. Augustine & Mother Theresa plus Jimi Hendrix, who's never been in this intelligent environment, and possibly has never said anything more wise than his highly contentuous words here.
There was no "modern jazz" at the ending of the Piano Concerto, but there sure is great 'progressive rock'-type of playing of the drum set at the end of the third and fourth movements of the 7th. Only the drum rolls are missing!
Summary: Both compositions are great, some lack of fire in the choral writing only. The orchestra, the conductor and Laura Mikkola are _so_ great. I can't find a single point of complain of their performances. The choir of NDR could've been a bit stronger in sound.
Recommended for friends of modern classical, Erkki-Sven Tüür, ECM or simply highly beautiful and meaningful-to-life music.
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