Get ready for the final Divine Art releases of 2020 with previews of five great recordings on our YouTube Channel:
Archive for Video
Critic Daniel Kepl interviews composer Dr. Liz Johnson about her Mètier release, Intricate Web:
Intricate Web: Music By Liz Johnson
Liz Johnson is a British composer with a very special gift and distinctive style, definitely in the avant-garde mold yet not totally alien to ‘traditional-music’ lovers. ‘Intricate Web’ is not only the title of one of the quartets here (there are four numbered String Quartets and two other works for the quartet) but also accurately describes her compositional technique which is complex and detailed, requiring top class performers. It may also describe the way in which the pieces here have been assembled, splitting cello solos and vocal pieces between the quartets to create a web of fascinating sounds and textures.
The Fitzwilliam String Quartet is undoubtedly one of today’s most celebrated ensembles with a fine reputation in the world of new music. Cellist Heather Tuach plays solo in the breathtaking Cello Suite. Soprano Loré Lixenberg deals with the immense difficulty of the writing in the Jo Shapcott Settings and Ronald Woodley provides a magical performance on several clarinets. In all, a superb introduction to a major composer deserving wide recognition. Over 157 minutes of music!
Found in Winter – Music by Helen Habershon
The music has been wonderfully arranged for small orchestra (most tracks) by John Lenehan and is unashamedly tuneful, though never simplistic; impressionistic and almost visual in its impact. This album follows two previous CDs which were Album of the Month and Album of the Week respectively on Classic FM.
Helen is principally a clarinettist with a distinguished international concert, radio and TV career; after a serious injury to both wrists, she turned to composition and has never looked back, though now once again able to perform – as she does on this album.
The performers on the album have all established themselves as leading lights; John Anderson is one of the most recorded oboists in the world and professor of oboe at the Royal College of Music; Andrew Fuller left the RPO to follow a very successful career in solo and chamber performances, and John Lenehan has appeared on over 70 albums including solo recordings for Sony, receiving many plaudits. The London Primavera was formed in 1986 and consists of the foremost chamber musicians in Britain. It has appeared at many international festivals, has made two TV series, and several recordings. Anthony Halstead has made over 50 CDs all around the world with leading ensembles and is one of Britain’s most sought-after and versatile conductors
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