Sonia Shade

Cristian Carrara, born and educated in the Friuli region of north-east Italy, has earned critical admiration as one of the most creative composers of his generation. Clarity and directness inform much of his music, as does a sense of mystery, examples of which can be heard on this album. These recent works were composed during 2016–21 and focus on dialogues between a solo instrument and the orchestra. All are strongly narrative in character but as The Devil’s Bridge shows, they are also informed by rhythmic vivacity and a rich variety of instrumental colour.

Sonia, Love Train (The Philly Album) was scheduled for release but was suddenly pulled back and most copies were destroyed, leaving just a few CD's that had already gone to shops in circulation. The album has never been officially released on CD or download, until now and we are adding a superb “Clearly Collectable” 58 min 2 LP coloured vinyl set. Limited to 100 Copies.

“For me, whenever I play the Bach suites, all of a sudden I find myself visualising Giacometti’s hands incessantly moulding the earthen clay until a face appears. Getting to grips with the Bach suites is very closely related to that sense. You have to dig deeply into the string to give birth to the phrase, to make sure it breathes correctly: a phrase that is perpetually becoming, endlessly making and remaking itself. I waited a long time before recording these suites. Then one day, or rather one night, I began.Then there was my meeting with Sarah Moon. When I first felt my longing to record the Bach suites, I dreamt constantly of her images; because whenever I look at them I think of the creation of the world, the separation of the waters, the earth appearing, all before the beginning of history.”

During the years in which Bernard Foccroulle was successively director of the Théâtre de la Monnaie in Brussels and the Festival d’Aix-en-Provence, he never ceased to devote himself to his instrument, the organ, regularly making recordings, giving numerous concerts and several premieres.

Cristian Carrara, born and educated in the Friuli region of north-east Italy, has earned critical admiration as one of the most creative composers of his generation. Clarity and directness inform much of his music, as does a sense of mystery, examples of which can be heard on this album. These recent works were composed during 2016–21 and focus on dialogues between a solo instrument and the orchestra. All are strongly narrative in character but as The Devil’s Bridge shows, they are also informed by rhythmic vivacity and a rich variety of instrumental colour.

Cristian Carrara, born and educated in the Friuli region of north-east Italy, has earned critical admiration as one of the most creative composers of his generation. Clarity and directness inform much of his music, as does a sense of mystery, examples of which can be heard on this album. These recent works were composed during 2016–21 and focus on dialogues between a solo instrument and the orchestra. All are strongly narrative in character but as The Devil’s Bridge shows, they are also informed by rhythmic vivacity and a rich variety of instrumental colour.