Composers include J. S. Bach, Saariaho, Stucky, Ravel, Grafe, Debussy, Stravinsky and Prokofiev.
Available at Yarlung Records, HDTracks, Amazon, Spotify, Apple
This album “reflects on the nature of music itself—what is it, and what is its relationship to quantum mechanics? On Symmetriā Pario (literally, “I give birth to symmetry”), executive producer Russell Ward alternates recordings previously released on the Yarlung Records label with brief sonic representations of subatomic particle generation and decay. The latter are derived from files created at CERN, the European Organization for Nuclear Research.
“This is music in which human intention and human preference play no role, and, as such, I think that John Cage would have appreciated it.
“Apart from that, this CD is a sampler for what Yarlung Records has to offer, and what it has to offer is unusual and attractive. I particularly enjoyed the two movements from Robert Schumann’s arrangement, for violin and piano, of Bach’s Solo Violin Partita No. 1, eloquently played by Martin Chalifour and Joanne Pearce Martin. Schumann arranged all of BWV 1001-1006 for violin and piano, and I wish more musicians would play and record these arrangements. The same performers also are responsible for the “gently frantic” (I love Ward’s description of this movement) Perpetuum mobile from Ravel’s Sonata for Violin and Piano. Many a violinist plays this movement as an excuse to let listeners know how impressive his or her technique is. Chalifour’s edgier playing walks a tightrope, and both he and the pianist give us more by giving us less in this movement. There is not a performance here that I did not like.
“ Subatomic particle physics and classical music? Don’t get conCERNed!”
Musicians include Martin Chalifour, Joanne Pearce Martin, Bryan Pezzone, Mika Sasaki and Elinor Frey.
Many thanks to executive producer Russell Ward.
Symmetriā Pario is available at Yarlung Records, HDTracks, Amazon, Spotify, Apple