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Christopher D. Lewis, John McMurtery, Kevin Mallon - Philip Glass, John Rutter & Jean Francaix - Harpsichord Concertos (2013)

Posted By: Designol
Christopher D. Lewis, John McMurtery, Kevin Mallon - Philip Glass, John Rutter & Jean Francaix - Harpsichord Concertos (2013)

Philip Glass, John Rutter & Jean Françaix: Harpsichord Concertos (2013)
Christopher D. Lewis, harpsichord; John McMurtery, flute
West Side Chamber Orchestra, conducted by Kevin Mallon

EAC | FLAC | Image (Cue&Log) ~ 325 Mb | Mp3 (CBR320) ~ 166 Mb | Scans included
Genre: Classical | Label: Naxos | # 8.573146 | Time: 01:04:00

Attracted by a delightful fusion of early music sonorities with modern expressiveness, the three composers in this amazingly rich and varied programme build on the magnificent harpsichord concerto legacy of JS Bach. John Rutter’s beautiful Suite Antique is full of rich and haunting themes, with a significant solo flute part and a jazzy Waltz which is as much Brubeck as Bach. Philip Glass delivers an exciting experience of virtuoso instrumental blending and solo expressiveness, and with typical wit and elegance. Jean Françaix’s Concerto is terrific fun throughout.

Christopher D. Lewis, John McMurtery, Kevin Mallon - Philip Glass, John Rutter & Jean Francaix - Harpsichord Concertos (2013)


What a great disc this is: three delightful contemporary works for harpsichord and orchestra, easy on the ear, but clever and consistently interesting. John Rutter’s Suite Antique might be English Poulenc. The tunes are captivating, and the “antique” element needs to be taken with a large grain of salt (the “waltz” is subtitled “A Jazz Waltz”). The writing for flute and strings is immaculate, graceful, and sounds like great fun to play, while the keyboard solo takes excellent advantage of the instrument’s sparkling timbres and ability to delineate rhythmic patterns with gentle persistence. The performance is also terrific, as fine as the composer’s own, with John McMurtery an excellent flute soloist with a firm, round tone.

Glass’ Harpsichord Concerto also has plenty of arresting harmonies and a wide range of textures. The outer movements chug along with unquenchable vitality, and even touches of humor in the finale, while the central slowish movement makes imaginative play with a variety of melodic shapes. It’s extremely visual: you can almost see the music as it unfolds. Glass takes full advantage of the harpsichord’s natural ability to act both as soloist and accompaniment, with the result that the music’s shifting layers consistently entertain through, and not despite, the usual abundance of repetition.

As for the Françaix, the Concerto begins with two contrasting toccatas, followed by a songful andantino, minuet, and finale. It’s a zesty romp that brings the disc to a wholly winning close. Christopher D. Lewis plays a bright, sweet-toned harpsichord with minimal mechanical clatter. His digital dexterity proves very satisfying, and he’s excellently balanced against the extremely capable West Side Chamber Orchestra under Kevin Mallon. This is one of those discs that you might overlook, but you’d be missing a real treat. I’ve already played it several times just for pleasure, and so will you.

Review by David Hurwitz, ClassicsToday.com



Take three concertos composed for the harpsichord and the stylistic range of post-war music would most likely be made evident. If this disc could have pushed the stylistic envelope even wider, it nevertheless results in a balanced and enjoyable collection. Best known for his choral music and carol arrangements, John Rutter essayed several orchestral pieces in his earlier years – of which Suite antique (1979) is among the most attractive in its judicious alternation of slower and faster numbers, while taking in a catchy ‘Jazz Waltz’ and no less insinuating ‘Chanson’. More subtle in its expressive contrasts, the Harpsichord Concerto (1959) of Jean Françaix looks to the economical neo-classicism of the inter-war period – opening with a brace of nimble toccatas before it continues with a whimsical Andantino, then on to a Ravelian minuet and capering finale.

The Harpsichord Concerto (2002) of Philip Glass might seem the odd one out in this context and yet its three movements – typically untitled though which might be characterised as ‘Fantasia, Aria and Toccata’ – bring a Baroque-like poise and restraint to bear on the composer’s customary range of minimalist procedures. It makes for an understated and appealing piece, and one to which Christopher D Lewis is as responsive as he is to the other works here – sensitively accompanied by the West Side Chamber Orchestra under the attentive direction of Kevin Mallon. The sound ensures due definition between soloist and orchestra, while the booklet-note is neatly succinct. If the programme appeals, then there is no need to hesitate.

Review by Richard Whitehouse, Gramophone



Christopher D. Lewis, John McMurtery, Kevin Mallon - Philip Glass, John Rutter & Jean Francaix - Harpsichord Concertos (2013)


Christopher D. Lewis, harpsichord
John McMurtery, flute
West Side Chamber Orchestra
Kevin Mallon, conductor

rec. American Academy of Arts and Letters, New York, 10-12 September 2012.

Tracklist:

John RUTTER (b.1945)
Suite Antique, for flute, harpsichord and strings (1979)
01. I. Prelude: Moderato con moto tranquillo (04:15)
02. II. Ostinato: Vivace (01:43)
03. III. Aria: Andante (03:33)
04. IV. Waltz: A Jazz waltz (03:37)
05. V. Chanson: Andante espressivo ma con moto (04:08)
06. VI. Rondeau: Vivace (02:55)

Philip GLASS (b.1937)
Concerto, for harpsichord and chamber orchestra (2002)
07. Movement I (08:26)
08. Movement II (10:50)
09. Movement III (04:53)

Jean FRANÇAIX (1912-1997)
Concerto, for harpsichord and ensemble (1959)
10. I. Toccata I (02:38)
11. II. Toccata II (02:44)
12. III. Andantino (04:14)
13. IV. Menuet (05:42)
14. V. Finale (04:16)


Exact Audio Copy V1.0 beta 1 from 15. November 2010

EAC extraction logfile from 3. September 2013, 22:43

Glass, Rutter & Francaix / Harpsichord Concertos

Used drive : Optiarc DVD RW AD-7203A Adapter: 4 ID: 1

Read mode : Secure
Utilize accurate stream : Yes
Defeat audio cache : Yes
Make use of C2 pointers : No

Read offset correction : 48
Overread into Lead-In and Lead-Out : No
Fill up missing offset samples with silence : Yes
Delete leading and trailing silent blocks : No
Null samples used in CRC calculations : Yes
Used interface : Native Win32 interface for Win NT & 2000

Used output format : User Defined Encoder
Selected bitrate : 128 kBit/s
Quality : High
Add ID3 tag : No
Command line compressor : C:\Program Files\FLAC\flac.exe
Additional command line options : -T "COMMENT=Ripped by GFox" -8 -V %s


TOC of the extracted CD

Track | Start | Length | Start sector | End sector
––––––––––––––––––––––––––––-
1 | 0:00.00 | 4:15.67 | 0 | 19191
2 | 4:15.67 | 1:43.03 | 19192 | 26919
3 | 5:58.70 | 3:33.11 | 26920 | 42905
4 | 9:32.06 | 3:37.27 | 42906 | 59207
5 | 13:09.33 | 4:08.00 | 59208 | 77807
6 | 17:17.33 | 2:55.29 | 77808 | 90961
7 | 20:12.62 | 8:26.15 | 90962 | 128926
8 | 28:39.02 | 10:50.48 | 128927 | 177724
9 | 39:29.50 | 4:53.65 | 177725 | 199764
10 | 44:23.40 | 2:38.54 | 199765 | 211668
11 | 47:02.19 | 2:44.02 | 211669 | 223970
12 | 49:46.21 | 4:14.56 | 223971 | 243076
13 | 54:01.02 | 5:42.05 | 243077 | 268731
14 | 59:43.07 | 4:16.68 | 268732 | 287999


Range status and errors

Selected range

Filename D:\EAC\Glass, Rutter & Francaix - Harpsichord Concertos.wav

Peak level 72.9 %
Extraction speed 0.2 X
Range quality 99.9 %
Test CRC 92A8690F
Copy CRC 92A8690F
Copy OK

No errors occurred


AccurateRip summary

Track 1 not present in database
Track 2 not present in database
Track 3 not present in database
Track 4 not present in database
Track 5 not present in database
Track 6 not present in database
Track 7 not present in database
Track 8 not present in database
Track 9 not present in database
Track 10 not present in database
Track 11 not present in database
Track 12 not present in database
Track 13 not present in database
Track 14 not present in database

None of the tracks are present in the AccurateRip database

End of status report

==== Log checksum BB8A3E7329D15F58E6B39A93FA80B2B37040A831A537D967330C3166712E47E0 ====

foobar2000 1.2 / Dynamic Range Meter 1.1.1
log date: 2016-12-19 14:00:15

––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
Analyzed: Glass, Rutter & Francaix / Harpsichord Concertos
––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––

DR Peak RMS Duration Track
––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
DR13 -5.56 dB -23.11 dB 4:16 01-Rutter - Suite Antique - I. Prelude: Moderato con moto tranquillo
DR13 -4.61 dB -20.87 dB 1:43 02-Rutter - Suite Antique - II. Ostinato: Vivace
DR10 -9.12 dB -25.05 dB 3:33 03-Rutter - Suite Antique - III. Aria: Andante
DR12 -3.86 dB -21.28 dB 3:37 04-Rutter - Suite Antique - IV. Waltz: A Jazz waltz
DR11 -7.97 dB -25.37 dB 4:08 05-Rutter - Suite Antique - V. Chanson: Andante espressivo ma con moto
DR14 -2.74 dB -22.00 dB 2:55 06-Rutter - Suite Antique - VI. Rondeau: Vivace
DR13 -3.18 dB -20.08 dB 8:26 07-Glass - Harpsichord Concerto - Movement I
DR13 -4.55 dB -23.81 dB 10:51 08-Glass - Harpsichord Concerto - Movement II
DR12 -4.04 dB -20.03 dB 4:54 09-Glass - Harpsichord Concerto - Movement III
DR12 -9.09 dB -25.53 dB 2:39 10-Francaix - Clavecin Concerto - I. Toccata I
DR13 -12.68 dB -30.73 dB 2:44 11-Francaix - Clavecin Concerto - II. Toccata II
DR12 -10.83 dB -26.90 dB 4:15 12-Francaix - Clavecin Concerto - III. Andantino
DR13 -14.05 dB -31.62 dB 5:42 13-Francaix - Clavecin Concerto - IV. Menuet
DR17 -4.59 dB -26.71 dB 4:17 14-Francaix - Clavecin Concerto - V. Finale
––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––

Number of tracks: 14
Official DR value: DR13

Samplerate: 44100 Hz
Channels: 2
Bits per sample: 16
Bitrate: 668 kbps
Codec: FLAC
================================================================================

Christopher D. Lewis, John McMurtery, Kevin Mallon - Philip Glass, John Rutter & Jean Francaix - Harpsichord Concertos (2013)

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