Fanfare

Basil Athanasiadis (b. 1970) was born in Greece. After a first degree at the National Conservatoire in Athens, he moved to England where he pursued further study at the Trinity College of Music, the Royal Academy of Music, and Canterbury Christ Church University. He spent 2010-13 on several postdoctoral fellowships in Tokyo, Japan, where he focused on composing works for Western and Japanese instruments, especially the shō and the koto. Strong Japanese influence pervades the chamber works on this CD, including several pieces using the shō, several pieces that set haiku, a piece inspired by a nō dance (For the Ice II), a piece inspired by a novel of Ishiguro (Pale Views), and a piece inspired by the aesthetic of a Japanese tea ceremony (Soft Light). The composer writes: “[in these works] convergence can be pinpointed in an overall subdued character, quietness, lack of thematic development and a common aesthetic direction relating to various elements of Japanese culture.” These words describe well the sound and mood of the pieces; the harmony is loosely modal and the textures are spare, often with a focus on isolated gestures and the creation of evocative atmosphere.

After perusing Athanasiadis’s list of works, it appears that a large part of his output is dedicated to music of this sort and style, explicitly connected to his Japanese experiences. However it does seem that there are some works in his catalog that do not fall under this heading, and perhaps those will be featured in a future recording. That may serve to give a broader portrait of the composer’s work than this (intentionally) narrowly focused CD does.

The excellent performers are members of Shonorities, a collective/ensemble that specializes particularly in works that blend Japanese and Western influences. The CD’s booklet is very attractive and contains extensive notes for each piece as well an accompanying/matching color photo for each work.

—Carson Cooman