Chamber Jazz

Conceived jointly by violinist Movses Pogossian and violist Kim Kashkashian on the occasion of Tigran Mansurian’s 80th birthday, the Con anima project brings together a dedicated cast of players to perform the Armenian composer’s chamber music. The emphasis is on newer pieces - only the Third String Quartet dates from the 20th century - but there is a timeless quality to Mansurian’s work, all of which resounds with the spirit of his homeland. “His works are full of signifiers that come from Armenian ornaments, paintings or stones, “ writes Elena Dubiunets in the CD notes. “His music itself feels as if it was carved out of stone.” Sonata da Chiesa is dedicated to the memory of priest-composer-folklorist Komitas, an enduring inspiration for Mansurian. Agnus Dei is influenced by Armenian sacred music, and Die Tänzerin is based upon an Armenian folk dance.

Iiro Rantala takes us through a kaleidoscope of different sound worlds, bringing a virtuoso sense of flow, melodic richness, drama and wide-screen technicolor emotion: "Veneziana" is an enlivening and highly distinctive portrait of a city. One might call it programme music, but it is of a kind that only Iiro Rantala can write…where the listener, as in the winding streets of Venice, will find a new surprise behind every musical corner.

It was the enthusiasm for the Latin, jazz and classical genres that led orchestra director Julia H. M. Diederich to create a new orchestra in 2017 and name it Latin-Jazz Sinfónica!

Although his previous albums were essentially for piano, Arômes de jazz (Jazz Aromas) consists of an orchestral suite of nine original compositions that blend in tango, bossa-nova and other modern rhythms. “I got the idea a few years ago, when I discovered Danzón No 2, composed for symphony orchestra, by Mexican composer, Arturo Marquez,’ explained Mr. Pépin. “The original take on classical music was a revelation. Arômes de jazz similarly builds on the classical concepts, but blends in modern rhythms, harmonies and sounds.” The recording was a long-distance collaboration with the Budapest Scoring Orchestra, known for its quality work, notably in film.