Contemporary Music

The concept that led to The Oberlin Concertos was initially hatched in a conversation between pianist and educator Xak Bjerken and a former student, Oberlin Conservatory composition professor Jesse Jones. It was Jones who suggested writing a chamber concerto to be premiered by his friend and mentor, and it was Bjerken-a former longtime member of the Los Angeles Piano Quartet and a veteran soloist with the L.A. Philharmonic and other ensembles-who was immediately hooked. Their plan gave rise to another commission-for the chair of Oberlin's Composition Department, Grammy Award-winner Stephen Hartke-and then another, for fellow composition faculty member Elizabeth Ogonek. The resulting works were recorded in three sessions over a two-year span, with Bjerken joining forces with Oberlin's Contemporary Music Ensemble and conductor Timothy Weiss in the conservatory's Clonick Hall studio, in addition to presenting the world- premiere performance of each piece on campus.

Long a center for the creation and performance of new music, Oberlin Conservatory showcases the composition faculty in the recording premieres of three works performed by the Oberlin Contemporary Music Ensemble and featuring alumni saxophone soloist Noah Getz '97 and soprano Olivia Boen '17.

Wiek Hijmans - Electric Solo! - Contemporary music for Electric guitar (2002) {X-OR CD 012}
XLD rip (secure mode) | FLAC (tracks)+CUE+LOG -> 157 Mb | MP3 @320 -> 108 Mb
Full Artwork @ 600 dpi (jpg) -> 51 Mb | 5% repair rar
© 2002 X-OR Records | CD 012
Classical / Contemporary / Experimental / Electric Guitar

Wiek Hijmans (1967) has played the electric guitar since the age of eleven. His interest in both classical and popular music instilled a lifelong passion in him for integrating the electric guitar in classical music. Hijmans has been featured at the Holland Festivals Night of the electric guitar, and at the Concertgebouw, Amsterdam, as ‘the specialist in contemporary composed music for electric guitar’. Hijmans holds a Performing Musician’s Diploma from the Sweelinck Conservatory of Amsterdam and a Professional Studies Certificate from the Manhattan School of Music in New York City where he studied with David Starobin.

Annelie de Man - Ladder of Escape 10: Contemporary Music for Harpsichord (2008) {Attacca 28120}
XLD rip (secure mode) | FLAC (tracks)+CUE+LOG -> 391 Mb | MP3 @320 -> 189 Mb
Full Artwork @ 600 dpi (jpg) -> 51 Mb | 5% repair rar
© 2008 Attacca | 28120
Classical / Contemporary Classical / Avant-Garde / Modern Composition / Harpsichord

Let's have a little musical bipolarity. Elegant music by Couperin and Royer followed by this disc of modern works for harpsichord and various instruments. Voormolen's "Suite de Clavecin" is the most accessible work here, and my other favorite is Louis Andriessen's "Dubblespoor" for vibraphone, glockenspiel, celesta, vibraphone and harpsichord, also quite approachable. Then, we have a piece such as JacobTV's "Doggie Steps" for violin, cello, harpsichord and tape - the tape portion includes barking dogs, a few cats (which I like, it recalls the music of P. Bimmstein) and a female voice (I assume the harpsichordist) speaking about "taking doggy steps".