I thought [Silvestrov] was a contemporary of post-romantic composers such as Ravel and Debussy, but I was surprised to learn he is alive today.
Waterbury Center, Vermont (PRWEB) October 18, 2013
Without previous knowledge of the piano music of Valentin Silvestrov and sacred choral music Frank La Rocca, listeners who generally steer clear of contemporary classical music CDs might miss out on the world premiere recordings of this lovely music. Expedition Audio has reviewed these two CDs in hopes of expanding their audiences and helping put to rest the assumption that all contemporary classical music is difficult to listen to.
Listening to the tracks provided with Expedition Audio's reviews, many would not have been able to guess when this music was written. "I remember the first time I heard Silvestrov's piano music," said Philip Ballyk, reviewer on Expedition Audio. "I thought he was a contemporary of post-romantic composers such as Ravel and Debussy, but I was surprised to learn he is alive today."
Many associate contemporary and modern classical music with the dissonant sounds of 20th century serialism, championed by Stockhausen, Boulez, Nono and others. This was undoubtedly an important and influential period of experimentation, marked by a radical shift away from previous concepts in music, impacting tonality dynamics and rhythm. Due to its academic nature, music born of this period is often difficult to listen to.
Yet there are countless examples of extraordinary beautiful, lyrical pieces of music that were composed during this time, and in the following decades right up until today. Here are two CDs of contemporary classical music that Expedition Audio highly recommends:
1.) Valentin Silvestrov: Piano Works
Silvestrov wrote of his compositions, "I do not write new music. My music is a response to and an echo of what already exists." Roughly half of the music on this CD appears as world premiere recordings. The performances are by Russian pianist Elisaveta Blumina and are released by the Grand Piano record label.
2.) Frank La Rocca: "In This Place" - Sacred Choral Music
"Frank La Rocca's music sounds as though it is simultaneously from two vastly different periods of music history," writes Paul Ballyk in his review. La Rocca's music is recorded here largely for the first time by the Artists’ Vocal Ensemble.
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Expedition Audio is a sister site of HBDirect.com and both are Waterbury-Center, Vermont based companies that provide music CDs, SACDs, DVDs and Blu-Rays to customers interested in all genres of music. Since 1985, HBDirect.com has consistently delivered product to customers with exemplary customer service as a small, family-owned Vermont company. For more information on HBDirect or Expedition Audio, please call 1-800-222-6872 or visit http://www.hbdirect.com.