SKU: BT.MUSM570364985

English.

Νυξ – Nyx was expertly composed by Evis Sammoutis for Bassoon and Piano. The piece was completed in 2013 and performed at the 62 Internationaler Musikwettbewerb der ARD München. The Cypriote born composer, Sammoutis, Evis , has worked with some of the worlds leading composers including, among many others, Brian Ferneyhough, Georges Aperghis, George Benjamin, as well as studying under Thomas Simaku for his Phd in Musical Composition. Sammoutis ’ works have been commissioned by festivals and organisations such as Venice Biennale, Klangspuren, Royaumont and ARD, and performed at leading festivals and contemporary music series in more than 40 countriesacross the globe. Sammoutis has been awarded over 35 compositional awards including, among many others, the Royal Philharmonic Society Award and the Irino Prize.

SKU: ST.C389

ISBN 9790570813896.

An Album of Twenty French Songs arranged for Bassoon and Piano by Martin Gatt

Fauréâ??s poignant love song Après un rêve exists in many different transcriptions for various instruments (the most famous version perhaps being the one for cello and piano that Pablo Casals made in 1910), and provides the initial inspiration for this album of French songs transcribed for bassoon and piano. The bassoon is capable of a broad range of timbres and expression, and it is the lyrical, vocal quality of the instrument that Martin Gatt has always been attracted to. In both his performance and teaching, his emphasis is on the importance of what he calls â??vocalisingâ?? through the bassoon, and for him, music for the voice â?? especially art songs of the 19th and 20th centuries â?? has been a rich source of material for exploring the expressive tonal colours of the bassoon.

The treasure trove of French art song from composers ranging from Claude Arrieu to Louis Vierne, not to mention the greats like Berlioz or Debussy or Ravel, has made the task of choosing which songs to include in this album a difficult one. In the end, Martin has settled on eight composers who have produced some of the most appealing music in the genre â?? Camille Saint-Saëns (1835-1921), Georges Bizet (1838-1875), Emmanuel Chabrier (1841-1894), Jules Massenet (1842-1912), Gabriel Fauré (1845-1924), Henri Duparc (1848-1933), Cécile Chaminade (1857-1944), and Francis Poulenc (1899-1963). Rather than grouping by composer, the songs are set out in a way that contrasts different emotional worlds and sentiments, from the vibrant exuberance of Chabrierâ??s Lâ??île heureuse to the gentle melancholy of Poulencâ??s Mais mourir. These â??songs without wordsâ? for the bassoon, clearly demonstrate the instrumentâ??s cantabile qualities, varied nuances, and wide-ranging emotional possibilities.