NEW RELEASE
In ABLAZE Records first release of new wind ensemble music diverse and dramatic works by Jeff Vitucci, Allen Moline, and American Prize winner Andres Luz are given exacting and brilliant performances by the CCM Wind Symphony under the direction of internationally acclaimed conductor Kevin Michael Holzman. Joined by veteran soloists Michael Morgan (trumpet, and Timothy Anderson (trombone), this disc is one to savor over and again!
RECENT RELEASES
In ABLAZE Records ninth volume of classical electronic music we hear music from the USA, South Africa, Canada, Italy, and Norway on this brilliant and varied disc.
In an expansive disc covering works by THIRTEEN composers from around the world ABLAZE releases it’s SIXTH Volume of superbly rendered recordings of choral music by living composers.
With a huge variety of compositional voices from the USA, Lithuania, Canada, China, Singapore, Ukraine, Australia, Vietnam and Austria, this disc paints a vivid picture of choral music across the world today.
Deus et Machina, the second commercial recording release for the CCM Chorale, is (as reflected in its title—God and the Machine) a collection of sacred texts for choir, electronics, and additional instruments. With one exception, these are all world premiere commercial recordings.
The texts these composers chose to set draw from four different religious traditions. In the Beginning of Creation, Two Anthems (Yeow/Pax), and The Blessing of Aaron set texts from the Hebrew Scriptures, the first two in English, the last in Hebrew. Seven Last Words of Jesus Christ from the Cross uses texts from the Gospels in the original Aramaic. From the Tibetan Book of the Dead and Heart Sutra set texts from the Buddhist tradition, from Tibet and from Japan respectively. Shavad sets a text by Rumi, the great medieval Sufi mystic and poet.
AVAILABLE NOW exclusively on ABLAZE!
Ablaze Records releases the tenth album of its innovative Orchestral Masters series worldwide on 17 March 2023. Performed by the Royal Scottish National Orchestra conducted by Mikel Toms, it features music by composers from the USA (Edward Smaldone, Jeffrey Holmes, Jason Phillips), Cem Güven (Turkey/UK), Fang Ke and Zou Hao (China/USA) and Hojin Lee (South Korea/USA).
American violinist and viola player Davis Brooks records all the parts in the music on album Lines from Poetry, released by US label Ablaze Records on 10 March 2023, featuring composers Filipe Leitão (Brazil), Richard Einhorn, Ronald Caltabiano, Frank Felice (USA), Balee Pongklad (Thailand/USA). Digital distribution by Ulysses Arts.
Davis Brooks comments:
'It become commonplace for many artists to produce a “covid project,” - this is mine. The Pandemic gave me the opportunity to collaborate personally with five composers in recording their music, resulting in a wide assortment of musical styles.
Two works, String Samba and Two by Four, were projects enabling me to explore performing and recording all the parts, enabling me to control every interpretive and technical variable. String Samba originally was intended to be performed by a traditional string quartet, but Filipe and I were intrigued by the possibility of a three violin and viola format. In addition to the original scored notation, I recorded additional ponticello and pizzicato effects and the piece was reinvented anew.
The recording of Two by Four, like String Samba, became a late-night home studio project. Having been part of the première of Two by Four in 2004, I simply wanted to record a version where I played all of the parts, and to see where my own interpretation might go.'
(Davis Brooks)
Ablaze Records releases the ninth album of its innovative Orchestral Masters series worldwide. Performed by the Brno Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Mikel Toms, it features music by composers Jacob Beranek, Miho Sasaki, Randa Kirshbaum, Micahel Schelle, James Ricci, Steven Stanke, and Kristian Schembi in a disc that ranges from intimate to dramatic, lyrical to humorous. Seven highly individual voices available only on ABLAZE Records.
A tour de force set of performances by Australian bassist extraordinaire Robert Nairn. Through his collaborations with composers Barsom, Balliett, Askim, Knehans, Gershon and Millet, Nairn ranges across repertoire from concerto to sonata, from duo to work with electronics.
This is a remarkable journey for any listener wishing to hear how brilliant an acoustic double bass can be in all of these varies guises.
Another stunning volume of works from composers from around the world.
Martins Vortex Cantabilis is a powerful and colorful setting of a chant written by Alfonso X, the king of Castile in the 13th century.
Following this is the gorgeously colored and atmospheric Blue Fire of Wav Leung William So.
Nardi’s Upon An Ocean is an expressive and tender depiction of the sea coming into storm.
Geng Li’s work A Slow Piece for String Orchestra “January 2020” is a darkly passionate rumination on the world and the manner in which humans impose upon and fight against nature.
Marshall Jones’ Paramnesis is about distorted and lost memories and this becomes a compositional approach for this spectacularly colored and dramatic orchestral essay.
Richard E Brown’s Serenata for Strings is cast in five movements: Prologue, Scherzo, Nocturne, Tarantella and Epilogue. Inward and emotional this multi movement work is powerful statement from composer of depth and substance.
Ivana Vojnović’s Sinfonietta is a four movement work striking a lighter, more ebullient tone and full of energy, optimism and delightful color.
Listen to these tremendously diverse and talented composers for their remarkably resourceful and inventive use of the tremendous orchestral resource that is the Brno Philharmonic.
“...an impressive work by Douglas Knehans, an ever-challenging, ever-surprising musical artist.”
An evocative journey into the delicate and emotional world of composer Douglas Knehans and writer Katarina Knehans.
This disc explodes with electric performances by the Brno Philharmonic, violin soloist Pavel Wallinger and stunning young soprano Judith Weusten under the propulsive and imaginative baton of conductor Mikel Toms.
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED
EXCITING AND PASSIONATE NEWEST RELEASES
In our second volume of works for sinfonietta, we feature four tremendously contrasted composers: Andriy Igorovich Sovetov’s On the Lighter Side for sinfonietta and solo piano which, true to it’s title is a breezy short essay for piano and sinfonia; Andrew Lewinter’s Neo-classical Nonet for flute, oboe, clarinet, bassoon, horn, violin, viola, cello and double bass—a tremendously effective and engaging new work; Alan Jones’ Three Times Five a rhythmically propulsive romp for fifteen instruments; and the disc concludes with an unusual concerto for piccolo and chamber orchestra by Edward Smaldone, Life Imagined, Life Engaged, here given a wondrous interpretation by piccoloist Frantisek Kantor in a gleaming new recording.
In this eighth volume of groundbreaking electronic and electroacoustic music we feature four new works from the studios of composers Chun Eun Kim (Korea)—PianoForte; Spiros Mazis (Greece)—Beings on the Rocks; Jacob Elkin (USA)—Feedback Study 2; and Sarah Kierle (UK)—Okypete and Aello; in addition to new works with instruments and interactive electronics Zhixin XU (China)—La Nuit Bleu for harpsichord and interactive electronics and Adrian Borza (Romania)—If for oboe and interactive electronics.
Discover these pioneering and effective new works using electronics in inspiring new ways.
ABLAZE Records seventh volume of unique contemporary works for orchestra features Derek M. Jenkins fanciful takes on his snapshot memories of his childhood in Of Vigils and Storms; Jeremy Piper’s colorful and evocative suite on the legend of Yasparia in his Gated Mountains of Yasparia; Hong Kong composer Roger Fong’s beautiful and imagistic Rhapsody on a Night by the Maple Bridge; Heather Niemi Savage’s folk tune inspired Daughter of the Stars; Australian Sally Greenaway’s powerful and lyrically melodic Worlds Within Worlds and Marco Muilwijk’s inventively scored and gorgeously colored Fantasy for Orchestra.
As usual, the tremendously artful and skillfully precise maestro Mikel Toms leads the virtuosic Brno Philharmonic Orchestra in this wonderful disc of premier recordings. Highly recommended!
“Unthemed anthologies of new music can be a difficult sell, but Brett Scott's Coro Volante set about these recent pieces with such enthusiasm and confidence that it's hard not to be beguiled. It doesn't hurt that there's some real talent on show among the composers as well. It's important to make clear that these aren't all very young composers. Ellen Harrison has been making remarkable music since the 1970's and her 'Music Is', which ends the set, represents a most welcome addition to her list. Likewise, the veteran Alan Goldspiel with 'Soldier of Mine' and Tim Knight's moving 'Requiem Aeternam'. There isn't a piece one wouldn't want to hear again. Crisply recorded in generous acoustics.”
—Brian Morton, Choir and Organ (on New Choral Voices Vol. 4)
OTHER NEW RELEASES
Simon Clarke
SONGS FOR THE LAST ACT
A powerful and intimate collection of song sets by British composer Symon Clarke. To texts by Lervatov, Celan and others Clarke portrays a dimming world of autumnal beauty and stark nostalgia brought to life by superb soprano Natalie Raybould and the gifted musicians of the Brno Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Mikel Toms. HIGHLY Recommended.
Knehans Smaldone
DOUBLE PORTRAIT
Two ‘mini-portraits’ of composers Douglas Knehans and Edward Smaldone featuring the virtuoso young ensemble ALL OF THE ABOVE in performances of a really wide ranging set of works demonstrating the artistic power and sweep of these two American composers.
Douglas Knehans
BACKWARDS FROM WINTER
“Backwards from Winter had its premier as part of the the New York Opera Fest. All parts that make up the opera create an enormously satisfying theatrical experience..”— Berkshire Fine Arts
ORCHESTRAL MASTERS
VOL. 6
A brilliant collection of highly varied new orchestral music from SIXTEEN Composers from around the world
Click on the audio link below to hear Kyle Wernke’s superb and dramatic BURST in a brilliant and exacting performance by the Brno Philharmonic and new music specialist maestro Mikel Toms.
This is a disc of new orchestral music to explore, enjoy and share.
A nice review of our first Pierrot Ensemble Series disc!