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File under: ContemporaryModern Chamber Music
Violinist, Hanna Hurwitz, is a musician who champions the very latest contemporary classical works – she is a member of Chicago’s cutting-edge Grossman Ensemble and Ensemble Dal Niente after all – but she is equally at home among solo and chamber works from past eras. For this album, she goes back one hundred years into neglected jewels of the repertoire from that time, bringing her fresh perspective to current ears. She writes, “I wanted to highlight my orientation toward collaboration through the presentation of intimate chamber works composed in the 1920s and 30s. This album is the first to showcase my performance of full-length works from past eras. I believe that staying active in both new and old music strengthens my overall musical approach and interpretation.”
Although all the works presented here were written during an especially rich musical period, the music of Clarke, Chávez, and Price has been historically underrepresented in live performances and recordings in the US and Europe. Conversely, the music of Messiaen and Martinů has long been established as part of the musical canon. Dr. Hurwitz writes, “By programming these composers side by side – underrepresented and well-known – I hope to stimulate the conversation about how complacency towards the cultural canons we inherit can impoverish our understanding of an era and the full enjoyment of its art treasures.” The works draw on a wide variety of influences, techniques, and traditions, ranging from African American and Mexican folksong to impressionism, idiosyncratic modalities, and expressive Post-Romanticism.
The album title, The Night Shall Break, is a quote from a William Blake poem which Rebecca Clarke set during the same time period that she composed her Piano Trio. It alludes to both the sense of despair and hope that pervaded the post WWI period, and is often thought to be reflected in her composition. The title also serves as a symbol in our current times of striving, renewal, and light even in the darkest of times. Joining Hanna Hurwitz are equally stellar musicians, Daniel Pesca, piano, and Colin Stokes, cello. Together they bring a dazzling array of colors to this meaningful and engaging program.
Although all the works presented here were written during an especially rich musical period, the music of Clarke, Chávez, and Price has been historically underrepresented in live performances and recordings in the US and Europe. Conversely, the music of Messiaen and Martinů has long been established as part of the musical canon. Dr. Hurwitz writes, “By programming these composers side by side – underrepresented and well-known – I hope to stimulate the conversation about how complacency towards the cultural canons we inherit can impoverish our understanding of an era and the full enjoyment of its art treasures.” The works draw on a wide variety of influences, techniques, and traditions, ranging from African American and Mexican folksong to impressionism, idiosyncratic modalities, and expressive Post-Romanticism.
The album title, The Night Shall Break, is a quote from a William Blake poem which Rebecca Clarke set during the same time period that she composed her Piano Trio. It alludes to both the sense of despair and hope that pervaded the post WWI period, and is often thought to be reflected in her composition. The title also serves as a symbol in our current times of striving, renewal, and light even in the darkest of times. Joining Hanna Hurwitz are equally stellar musicians, Daniel Pesca, piano, and Colin Stokes, cello. Together they bring a dazzling array of colors to this meaningful and engaging program.
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