It never fails that every year January seems to last 10,000 years and then the month of May feels about 5 minutes long. But no less of a collection of new classical music recordings lands in my inbox in that time. Here’s some standouts from May’s classical tracks.
Prefontaine
I’m a runner, so I immediately had some interest in this album thanks to the cover art. Steve Prefontaine is a name all American runners should know, given his historic talent and tragic death in a car accident. The running boom of the 1970s has a few names attached, and Prefontaine’s is one of them. So the trajectory of his career being memorialized in a symphonic piece by the Eugene Symphony and composer David Schiff feels entirely appropriate. Commissioned to premiere just before the World Athletics Championships in Eugene in 2022, I’m glad it’s widely available now.
Shostakovich Discoveries
Commemorations of Dmitri Shostakovich’s death (50 years ago) continue with this collection from Deutsche Grammophon. This set is considered rarities - with a large share of world premieres thanks to the work of musicologist Dr. Olga Digonskaya.
While it isn’t among the premieres, In the Forest is always a delight among Shostakovich’s repertoire. It’s nice to think of the composer, so often being rightly fearful or outraged, just enjoying something so gentle and lovely.
But on the other side of that coin comes an oratorio (for one singer in this rendition) that Shostakovich wrote after his second condemnation by the Soviet Government. It sat in a drawer until it was premiered only after the composer’s death. For text, Shostakovich used two speeches - one of Andrei Zhdanov of the Zhdanov Decree, and one in which propaganda head Dmitri Shepilov famously mispronounced the name of Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov. Antiformalist Rayok is the title now, but it was originally Learner’s Manual - As an aid to students: the struggle of the realistic and formalistic directions in music.
The Four Elements
There is also some Shostakovich on this album by string quartet Brooklyn Rider. The overarching theme of the work is, in their words, “a call to attention.” Works from between 1960 and 2023 reflect a time of accelerated climate change, and they’ve grouped the pieces by their elements - earth, air, fire, and water. They can create, or destroy. That dichotomy is best heard in Dan Trueman’s Under My Feet & Up There. Inspired by earthy things like tectonic plates and molten rocks, the short but complex piece is energizing as can be.
My Days
More death anniversary commemoration comes from the viol consort Fretwork. And somehow, celebrating 400 years of Orlando Gibbons sounds fresh. This is mostly, but not all thanks to the new work by Nico Muhly, which sets Gibbons’ autopsy report alongside Gibbons’ anthem Behold, thou hast made my days. The Hilliard Ensemble joins the consort for this piece.
It was in June of 1625 that Gibbons died while accompanying King Charles on the way to Canterbury, and an autopsy had to be done in case his death was of the plague (it wasn’t). It’s occasionally delightfully crunchy, while always sounding utterly timeless.
16 Sri Lankan Piano Isles
There will always be a niche for composers of short, expressive piano solos. And Sri Lankan composer Tanya Ekanayaka excels in that area. Of her latest album, eight of the 16 presented pieces were composed in advance, and the others were done in the moment right there in the recording studio. She labels each of these “extempore” so you don’t have to guess which was which, though listening and wondering can be part of the enjoyment.
Firedove
Organist Anna Lapwood is creating a new path for herself in this world of “gig” musicians. If you’re not following her on social media, you’re missing out. Her late night practice sessions often include celebrity guests - everyone from Benedict Cumberbatch to Tom Cruise has been so intrigued by what she’s playing.
Lapwood recently left her role on faculty at Pembroke College, Cambridge, and was named the official organist for the Royal Albert Hall. What better way to celebrate the transition than with an album that includes every aspect of her career so far? Firedove is themed around the artist spreading her wings.
Music from the soundtracks has become a bit of a signature for her. Fans will be glad to have her Interstellar transcription that frequently makes recital appearances. But I’m a fan of the Disney inclusion - The Bells of Notre Dame.
That’s not to say it’s the entirety of the album. Several shorter works from the “greats” of organ composition are also included, like Naïades (Water Nymphs) by Louis Vierne.
All of this music is available for streaming now. Look for more selections in June.
-Colleen
Listen to music with Colleen hosting on weekday mornings on SiriusXM Symphony Hall (Channel 78), and evenings on 90.5FM Classical Louisville.
She's quite amazing.