Creative Light Issue 26 2018

One of the most celebrated singer/songwriters of her generation, Nanci Griffith had a gift for writing songs that were literate and emotionally complex while also sounding thoroughly universal, even when they most often reflected small-town Texas life. A proud daughter of the Lone Star State, Griffith liked to call her music "folkabilly," reflecting her influences in folk, country, early rock & roll, and the Texas songwriting community that for her was both an inspiration and a home base. Though her music was steeped in tales of ordinary lives, she wasn't afraid to speak her mind about social and political matters, and injected a progressive sound and feeling into music that embraced traditionalism. 1984's Once in a Very Blue Moon, her third album, was the creative breakthrough where she hit her stride as a songwriter and performer, 1993's Other Voices, Other Rooms was a celebration of her influences and was a critical and commercial success, and 2004's Hearts in Mind was an ambitious collection of politically oriented songs. Collection includes: There's A Light Beyond These Woods (1978), Poet In My Window (1982), The Last of the True Believers (1986), Other Voices, Other Rooms (1993), Flyer (1994).

On February 27, 2001, nearly a year after the first soundtrack's release, Universal/Decca released Gladiator: More Music From the Motion Picture. This CD contained an additional 18 cuts from the film (including remixes of earlier scores, such as "Now We Are Free"). Many tracks also use dialogue from the movie, such as Maximus Decimus Meridius' quote "Father to a murdered son, husband to a murdered wife… and I will have my vengeance."

The composer and musician Giovanni Francesco Giuliani (c.1760-1818) lived and worked in Florence during an immense flourishing of creativity during the late 18th and early 19th centuries; this era witnessed, among other events, the founding of Pietro Nardini’s prestigious music school, premiere performances of important new works, and a choir and new instrumental ensembles, all influenced by the creation of a small state court with close links to Vienna. Within this climate, Giuliani worked as an orchestral and operatic violinist and music teacher, and was known for his instrumental compositions. Not only is this recording of interest because of its focus on a composer whose work is rarely performed, yet who lived within a time of great musical creativity, harp sonatas were rare during Giuliani’s era, and the repertoire heard here is part of just a few examples of this type of work. While the early sonatas tend to feature the standard instrumental sonata form, later pieces often contain prelude or interlude movements of a freer or improvisatory nature. All, however, are similar in their use of the Galant style, with predictable harmonic and tonal structures, chordal accompaniments, and simple, flowing melodies. The repertoire featured in this recording is complemented by the use of an Erard harp from 1818, performed by Lisetta Rossi.

Deutsche Grammophon to issue world premiere recording of 12 Conversations with Thilo Heinzmann – a twelve-movement string quartet by Jóhann Jóhannsson performed by Echo Collective.