Porta Stoa

For today s audiences, Vivaldi s name exemplifies Venetian opera in the early 18th century but he was not the only composer to shape the distinctive musical aesthetic of the great trading city known as La Serenissima. In this release of arias by Vivaldi and his contemporaries, countertenor Max Emanuel Cencic further explores Venice s contribution to world s rich store of Baroque opera. Cencic recreates the Venetian ambiance with the support of Italian violinist/conductor Riccardo Minasi and his ensemble Il Pomo d Oro.

Even in an age of thrilling countertenors, Max Emanuel Cencic stands out for the heroic scale and brilliance of his voice, his expansive lyricism, and his imagination and enterprise in choice of repertoire. Cencic has excelled as both a soprano and a mezzo-soprano, and Fantastic Cencic showcases his extraordinary interpretative range – from the great and lesser-known masters of the Baroque to the bel canto of Rossini and composers of the Romantic era from Schubert to Strauss. The third of these three CDs comprises recordings from the early 1990s, shortly after Cencic left the Wiener Sängerknaben, which are released here for the first time.

The history of opera is inseparably linked with the biographies of singers; audiences have always been fascinated by both musical prowess and behind the scenes goings-on. The battle for prestige and fame was heated and passionate in the Baroque era, with legendary rivalries. Fiercely competitive, Cuzzoni and Bordoni were among the most acclaimed divas of the age, resorting to fisticuffs on stage. Present-day prima donnas Genaux, Prina, Nesi and Basso now follow in the footsteps of their fervid predecessors, presenting on disc a tongue-in-cheek survey of standout arias for mezzo soprano and contralto.

This disc is an invitation to explore one of the great attractions of Venice in the Baroque era, the famous ospedali. Among the inmates of the Pietà was a girl named ‘Pellegrina’, for whom Vivaldi wrote many of his oboe concertos. With her Berlin colleagues, Xenia Löffler breathes new life into these concerti soli, concerti ripieni and sinfonie by the ‘Red-haired Priest’ – but also by his emulators, among them a composer of today, no less fervent in his admiration: Uri Rom.

Nik Bärtsch's Ronin - Holon (2008) {ECM 2049}
EAC rip (secure mode) | FLAC (tracks)+CUE+LOG -> 279 Mb | MP3 @320 -> 130 Mb
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© 2008 ECM Records | ECM 2049
Jazz / Modern Creative / Mystical Minimalism / Post Minimalism / Piano

Pianist Nik Bärtsch's Zurich quintet Ronin has released a handful of recordings, but Holon is only the second released in the United States. When Stoa was issued in 2006, it was like this startling blast of air. Was it jazz? Was it minimalist classical music? Was it acoustic techno? Bärtsch calls it "zen funk." OK, fair enough, but in actuality, while it bears traces and borrows elements from all of the aforementioned genres, Ronin is its own animal, its own sound, its own complex yet utterly accessible musical identity or, better, brand. They have toured relentlessly all over the world, and as a result, this quintet is not only well seasoned, but also it has taken the music up the ladder a couple of rungs.

Back in the 50’s, John La Porta was the rare bird among the alto saxophonists. He played like no one else, and these 1956 recordings are a poignant signature of his stimulating profile. La Porta’s sound and phrasing were extremely distinct. His playing was emotionally striking, with a hard, plunging attack that underlines the solidity of his style, spiced with an occasional nod to Charlie Parker but without being overwhelmingly influenced by Bird.