Julius Eastman

New Releases: Contemporary Music (July 2018)

A round-up of new contemporary music releases

Featured below: Fidelio Trio, Heather Fetrow/Mila Henry, Kukuruz Quartet, John Adams, Anna Meredith and Seóirse Bodley.

Listen to the Journal of Music Contemporary Releases playlist on Spotify: http://ow.ly/P4UK30jzkC7.

Each week The Journal of Music will be compiling news on new and recent releases in contemporary, classical, jazz, indie, traditional music and more. Please send details of all releases to editor [at] journalofmusic.com.

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Fidelio Trio: Pendulum
Orange Mountain Music
29 March 2018

The Irish contemporary music ensemble Fidelio Trio were invited by Philip Glass to record his piano trio Pendulum in New York. The recording was produced by Michael Riesman, and released earlier this year on the composer’s own Orange Mountain Music label. An energetic and emotional work, Pendulum was written in 1989 to mark the 40th anniversary of the American Civil Liberties Union.

Visit www.orangemountainmusic.com.

Fidelio Trio violinist Darragh Morgan also released an album of works for violin and electronics on the Diatribe label last year. Visit shop.diatribe.ie.

Heather Fetrow/Mila Henry: Voices of Women
Affetto Recordings
6 July 2018

This album celebrating the vocal works of female composers such as Barbara Strozzi and Amy Beach was developed with Dr. Julianna Baird, coinciding with the 2017 Washington DC Women’s March. Though not consisting exclusively of contemporary works, at its centre is the premiere of a new work composed for the album, Still by Paola Prestini, as well as music by Iranian composer Gity Razaz and American composer Libby Larsen.

Visit www.affettorecordings.com.

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Kukuruz Quartet: Julius Eastman Piano Interpretations
Intakt Records
15 June 2018

The Swiss Kukuruz Quartet, known for their focus on contemporary music, jazz and improvisation, began exploring the works of the New York composer and pianist Julius Eastman in 2014. They recorded this selection of striking inventive works in versions for four pianos at the Radiostudio Zürich.

Visit www.intaktrec.ch.

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Anna Meredith: Concerto for Beatboxer and Orchestra
NMC Recordings
May 2018

British composer and electronica artist Anna Meredith was commissioned to write this work by the Southbank Centre in 2010 for soloist Shlomo. This recording is part of the New Music Biennial series from NMC featuring MaJiKer as beatboxer soloist with Southbank Sinfonia. The Concerto is a stunning example of Meredith’s combining of electronica and classical, marrying orchestral textures with vocal percussion.

Visit www.nmcrec.co.uk.

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John Adams: Doctor Atomic
Nonesuch Records
29 June 2018

This is the first recording of Adams’s 2005 opera Doctor Atomic, with a libretto by Peter Sellars, about the lead-up to the first atomic bomb test in New Mexico 1945. The recording is lead by the composer and performed by the BBC Symphony Orchestra, BBC Singers and leads Gerald Finley and Julia Bullock.

Visit www.nonesuch.com.

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Seóirse Bodley: Reservoir Voices

The Contemporary Music Centre has published a selection of songs from composer Seóirse Bodley’s new song cycle, Reservoir Voices, premiered by Sylvia O’Brien (soprano), Imelda Drumm (mezzo) and Dearbhla Brosnan (piano) in June.

Visit www.cmc.ie.