Finding a Voice: the Evolution of the American Sound, Walden Chamber Players (2016)

We have written before of the Walden Chamber Players, the Boston-based chamber group that has been garnering so much attention of late in the musical press.  The Players were founded in 1997, and it is composed of 12 artists in various combinations of string, piano and wind ensembles.  This provides great versatility in both approach and musical genre, and the Players happily mix both classical and contemporary composers.  The Players are currently under the artistic direction of Ashima Scripp. 

The Walden Chamber Players have just released a new CD, Finding a Voice: the Evolution of the American Sound, and it is an important event for enthusiasts of American music.  It brings together composers as disparate as Aaron Copland (1900-1990) and Marion Bauer (1882-1955), and encompasses many musical moods and approaches.  It is essential listening for any serious student of American classical music.

Bauer is represented with a spirited performance of the Trio Sonata No. 1, Op. 40.  Copland is in evidence with his thrilling Threnody 1: In Memoriam Igor Stravinsky, and also with Threnody 2: In Memoriam Beatrice Cunningham.  These are simply the best recordings of the Copland pieces I have ever heard, clear and emotionally exacting in their clarity and color.

Virgil Thomson (1896-1989) is on hand with the Serenade for Flute and Violin.  This is beautifully rendered by the Players, as are two pieces by composer Ned Rorem (born 1923), the Trio for Flute, Cello and Piano (1960), and the absolutely unique The Unquestioned Answer (2002).  We at The Jade Sphinx played The Unquestioned Answer several times in order to fully appreciate Rorem’s musical argument, and came away delighted with the dynamic playing that made it so come to life.

Also on hand are Canzone for Flute and Piano, by Samuel Barber (1910-1981) and Sonata for Flute and Piano, by Paul Bowles (1910-1999).  In short, this recording creates a generous mix of musical moods and types of composition, and all of them are fully realized by the Walden Chamber Players.

For this recording, the players included Marianne Gedigian (flute), Curtis Macomber (violin), Tatiana Dimitriades (violin), Christof Huebner (viola), Ashima Scripp (cello), and Jonathan Bass, (piano).  It was recorded in the Players own backyard, at the WGBH studios in Boston, and Huebner and Bass also served as producers.  You can find it on Amazon.com.

This wonderful recording gives lie to several misconceptions about classical music currently in favor.  To those who think that there are no younger people in the field of note, I refer them to the Walden Chamber Players.  To those who think America has no significant classical music tradition, I refer them to this champion album.  And to those who think that serious music is no longer relevant, I argue that the success of groups like the Players are a stunning refutation of that notion.  As more and more people hunger for substantive music, for works that challenge the mind and the heart, groups like The Walden Chamber Players will become increasingly important.  And for those who want to hear music infrequently played by their classical music radio station, look no farther than Finding a Voice: the Evolution of the American Sound.

Christmas CDs: Antonio Vivaldi: Six Sonatas for Cello, Ashima Scripp (cello) and Eleanor Perrone (piano)

As winter grabs hold, few things can be more warming than the beautiful music of Antonio Vivaldi (1678-1741).  Though often remembered solely for his delicious The Four Seasons, the Venetian-born composer was also responsible for works of great subtlety and charm. 

Vivaldi’s genius was marked in his ability to create instrumental works that fully exploit the range and richness of individual musical instruments.  Cases in point are Vivaldi’s masterful sonatas for cello, which bring the velvety resonance of this instrument to the forefront.  Vivaldi wrote a set of six sonatas for cello between 1720 and 1730, which were later published in Paris by Leclerc and Boivin.  They did not originally have an opus number, but many have grouped them together as op. 14.

These works have been brought to life in an indispensable new album, Antonio Vivaldi: Six Sonatas for Cello, with Ashima Scripp on the cello and Eleanor Perrone on the piano.  It ranks as our favorite classic music recording of the year, and is essential listening for fans of Vivaldi or cello music.

Cellist Scripp has previously appeared at Carnegie Hall, Tokyo’s Opera City and Boston’s Symphony Hall, among other world-class music venues.  Scripp was invited to join the critically-acclaimed Walden Chamber Players in 2014, and now serves as its artistic director.  She has crafted many of the ensemble’s successful chamber music residency programs, and Scripp remains dedicated to the mission of musical education.

Pianist Perrone has performed concerto engagements with the Boston Pops, Orquestra Sinfonica de Campinas, Billings Symphony, Merrimack Valley Symphony Orchestra and with the Brookline Symphony, where she played the Boston premiere of the Vaughan Williams Piano Concerto.  Perrone is currently on the piano faculty of the Rivers School Conservatory, Weston MA, and maintains a private studio in Watertown, MA.

Both players are evenly matched.  Scripp’s musicianship is masterful, and her control of the cello profound.  In her interpretation of Vivaldi, Scripp creates a tapestry of sound, warm and vital and across a dazzling musical range.  It is a terrific performance – sure, technically perfect and deeply emotional.  Perrone plays with energy and verve, and her technique combines charm and a lilting grace.

The music is alternately wistful, melancholy, joyful and upbeat.  Scripp and Perrone wrest the most and the best from the material, and it left this listener enthralled.  We can only hope for future collaborations.

Holiday shoppers – and music lovers – are encouraged to get a copy.  It can be ordered here:  http://www.cduniverse.com/productinfo.asp?pid=10025676 and is highly recommended.