Our Modern Composition preview starts with solo minimalist piano and ends in an orchestral flourish. Our selection channels the moods of winter weather, from soft flurries to untamable storms. And yet even in the maelstrom, there remains a sense of control; these composers are intentional about narrative, timbre and structure.
The season will see the release of some major works, including new albums from Daniel Bjarnason, Sarah Kirkland Synder and Vadim Nesolovski: music whose messages are just as important as their sound. In so doing, they continue to raise social awareness while underlining the importance of art as an essential voice that can reflect the time of its genesis.
Nao Kuroda‘s EP t o r o n i is inspired by the works of the Swiss painter by the same name. The tracks are an aural reflection of the painter’s craft, as sparse, minimalistic gestures create subtle variations in tone and note (January 15). Bing & Ruth’s David Moore shifts to the quieter realm on Graze the Bell, a series of intimate pieces for solo piano. The sea blue vinyl is a perfect match for the music’s placidity (RVNG Intl., January 30). A feeling of safety is conveyed in In Their Arms, one of the early singles released from Gabriele Baldocci‘s Faded Gardens. The pianist can also be playful; the album is dually inspired by childhood and fatherhood (MKMA, January 16).
If you like the music of Quebec pianist Simon Côté-Lapointe, you’re in luck, as the artist will be releasing six albums (or three double albums) on January 14. Hapax, Ataraxie and Animus / Anima offer a blend of improvised and composed, classic and modern pieces recorded over the course of five days (Hecto). Pianists Robert Gromotka & Jnnas Hain join forces on Between Us, an intimate album that reflects the companionship between the compositional partners. Amici Al Piano is the first single (Neue Meister Berlin, January 23). Marika Takeuchi will release the EP Iridescence on Bigo & Twigetti on February 20; the pianist scores the aftermath of a loss, surrounded by sumptuous strings. Weaving the story of Odysseus into her own narrative, Olivia Belli traces the arc of a lifetime journey. Daimon incorporates numerous guest appearances, including Canea Quartett on Pax Athenae (Sony Classical, February 20).
Pianist Joep Beving returns with Liminal, which was inspired by Guillaume Logé’s Wild Renaissance and encourages a more symbiotic relationship between nature and humanity. Released on the cusp of spring and a month before Earth Day, the album sends a message at the right time (Deutsche Grammophon, March 20). Kyle Preston captures feelings of loss on Music for Disappearing Coastlines . The tender piano and expressive strings tug at the heart, scoring more than the environmental loss of its title, but other, more personal tragedies as well (January 9).
In similar fashion, Kris Davis and the Lutosławski Quartet offer The Solastalgia Suite for piano and strings. The album is a meditation on climate crisis, infused with a strong undercurrent of melancholy (Pyroclastic, January 9). The following month, the label will release Hellbent Daydream, a lively album from Brendon Seabrook in which the banjoist and guitarist leads a fun quartet. Purposely whimsical, the album makes a fine counterpart to the one above (February 20). Piano and electric guitar grace Echoes, from Luke Marantz & Simon Jermyn. The music is upbeat and sprightly, as happy as returning birds (Chill Tone, January 9).
Violinist Magda Drozd creates folkloric landscapes on Divided by Dusk, a gothic-ethereal set decorated with incantatory vocals, taiko drums and a guest appearance from flutist Rai Tateishi (goat). The results range from dramatic (the title track) to sweet (“Piosenka Ludowa”), but remain mysterious throughout (Präsens Editionen, February 13). Christopher Hoffman‘s REX is a solo cello album recorded in the former home of watercolor painter Rex Brasher, known for creating over 1200 portraits of North American birds. The music simultaneously reflects two things: the temperament of the artist and the nature of his subjects (Out of Your Head, January 16).
Passepartout Duo has been traveling around the world, recording in different locations while translating regional timbres to monthly releases. The singles are collected on Pieces from Places, with two additional tracks available on a 7″ flexi-disc. In a linguistic twist, one might rename the Italian artists the Passport Duo for this release alone (February 12). Derek Hunter Wilson evokes seaside travel on Sculptures, with titles such as “Salish Sea,” “Cape Disappointment” and “Benson Beach.” The album is piano dominant, but also includes strings, pedal steel, and of course the sound of the sea (Beacon Sound, February 20).
Thrill Jockey has a number of releases this winter spread across different categories. The Soft Pink Truth‘s Can Such Delightful Times Go On Forever? explores “the limitations of pleasure” through classicism tinged with electronics. Drew Daniel (Matmos) keeps the spirits high while encouraging social engagement (January 30). Meanwhile, Marielle V Jakobsons uses violin, Fender Rhodes and Moog Matriarch to form a suite of songs that reflect solitude, disengagement and eventual return, just as “Warm Spring” is an invitation to a season that has not yet arrived. The Patterns Lost to Air is released February 20.
In perhaps his most ambitious work to date, Daníel Bjarnason leads the Icelandic Symphony Orchestra into The Grotesque and the Sublime, a dark, revelatory, 70-minute suite that includes works inspired by Dante and Edgar Allan Poe. At the heart of the album lies a tender counterpoint, a tribute to beloved composer Jóhann Jóhannsson. We can already tell you this album is fantastic (Sono Luminus, February 27).
Beginning with a tribute to the women’s suffrage movement and ending with a testament to resilience and hope, Sarah Kirkland Snyder and Metropolis Ensemble‘s Forward Into Light rings with authenticity and modern relevance. One may not always feel as if things are getting better, but this suite encourages listeners to believe that they can (Nonesuch/New Amsterdam, February 27).
Vadim Neselovskyi chronicles the experience of people fleeing Ukraine in Refugees, the first single from PERSEVERANTIA. The album is a love letter to the embittered nation, a suite for piano and strings featuring the Ysaÿe String Trio. The emotional impact is even larger than the already expressive sound (Tzadik, February 24). Michael Stephen Brown‘s Twelve Blocks is like a book of short stories in musical form. The album collects a wealth of artists, timbres and stories, forming a tapestry of experiences, dipped in love and perfect for Valentine’s Day (First Hand, February 13). Miako Klein & Jia Lim join forces on Nova Atlantis, which features baroque violin, harpsichord, recorder and light electronics, part improvised and part composed. The music conjures a court procession, updated for the 21st century (Challenge, January 23). And a 6-disc Morton Feldmann box set will be released by Another Timbre in January. Trios includes late works for flute, piano and percussion, a must-have for fans!
Richard Allen
a closer listen 