Piccoli Suicidi Tra Amici

An eclectic mix of musical gems which capture the spirit of Canada, including songs by Leonard Cohen, and Joni Mitchell. Amici Chamber Ensemble celebrates 30 years as one of Canada's finest and most distinguished chamber music ensembles. Amici Chamber Ensemble, one of Canada's leading chamber ensembles with guest soprano Mireille Asselin performing an eclectic mix of musical gems which capture the spirit of our great country, including hits by the best ambassadors of Canadian song such as Leonard Cohen, Joni Mitchell and Claude Léveillée, in new arrangements by Serouj Kradjian Artistic Directors clarinetist Joaquin Valdepeas, cellist David Hetherington and pianist Serouj Kradjian invite some of the finest musicians to join them in innovative and eclectic programming, celebrating friendship through music.

Whilst flutes, oboes and bassoons were often employed in music performed in the open air, as we have already documented in Les Fastes de la Grande Écurie, they also made contributed greatly to the introduction of wind instruments into the other musical institutions of Louis XIV’s court. This, however, was only possible thanks to the many changes and alterations made to these instruments so that they might better blend with the violins and viols. Here they appear in the Chambre du Roi.

Joachim Raff (1822–1882) was regarded by his contemporaries as one of the foremost symphonists of his age, but in his extensive oeuvre of 329 compositions over half of them are for the piano. This selection of 21 works offers a cross section of the best of this large catalogue for the instrument, chosen by acclaimed Raff interpreter Tra Nguyen to showcase the varied aspects of his art. Raff’s melodic generosity, his piquant harmonic sensibility and ravishing textures are all on display in these pieces which span the whole of his career, from the exuberant Douze Romances to the majestic Grande Sonate.

Fans of Joachim Raff should be interested in this disc, which includes four overtures and his Suite for piano and orchestra, all of which are recorded here for the first time. The orchestral performances with Roland Kluttig leading the Symphony Orchestra of Norrlands Opera are easily as fine as those of the complete symphonies by Stadlmair and the Bamberg Symphony, and pianist Tra Nguyen's performance of the suite is impressive both for its virtuosity and sensitivity.