Raymond Tuttle writes about “SYMMETRIĀ PARIO” in Fanfare.

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 Continue Reading →

Newsletter: Oct 22, 2017

Dear Friends, Happy Autumn! This is GRAMMY® Voting Season, and we’re proud to offer Sibelius Piano Trio and Obsidian in three categories this year: Best Contemporary Classical Composition for David Lefkowitz’ enchanting and ethereal Ruminations for piano trio, Sibelius Piano Trio itself for best chamber music (small ensemble) and Mika Sasaki’s homage to Clara Schumann in her debut album Obsidian, for best classical instrumental solo. NARAS members please download full albums from the Recording Academy web page. CONGRATULATIONS TO DIEGO SCHISSI FOR YOUR LATIN GRAMMY NOMINATION FOR NENE ON SIBELIUS PIANO TRIO! BRAVO! (Yes, I’m shouting! Yay!) More info on Sibelius Piano Trio and Obsidian. DSD HDTracks Yarlung SonoruS Series analog tape buffs please know that progress is afoot to release two reels of our most recent hit Yuko Mabuchi Trio on analog tape as well as two reels from Sibelius Piano Trio by early spring.  (One friend in Australia already pre-ordered Yuko Mabuchi Trio!) In the meantime, CDs and high res downloads have been making people happy. Thank you so much for your support, Continue Reading →

Newsletter: Oct. 5, 2017

Dear Friends, Happy Autumn! This is GRAMMY® Voting Season, and we’re proud to offer Sibelius Piano Trio and Obsidian in three categories this year: Best Contemporary Classical Composition for David Lefkowitz’ enchanting and ethereal Ruminations for piano trio, Sibelius Piano Trio itself for best chamber music (small ensemble) and Mika Sasaki’s homage to Clara Schumann in her debut album Obsidian, for best classical instrumental solo. NARAS members please download full albums from the Recording Academy web page. CONGRATULATIONS TO DIEGO SCHISSI FOR YOUR LATIN GRAMMY NOMINATION FOR NENE ON SIBELIUS PIANO TRIO! BRAVO! (Yes, I’m shouting! Yay!) More info on Sibelius Piano Trio and Obsidian. DSD HDTracks Yarlung SonoruS Series analog tape buffs please know that progress is afoot to release two reels of our most recent hit Yuko Mabuchi Trio on analog tape as well as two reels from Sibelius Piano Trio by early spring.  (One friend in Australia already pre-ordered Yuko Mabuchi Trio!) In the meantime, CDs and high res downloads have been making people happy. Thank you so much for your support, Continue Reading →

Pianist Sasaki Tackles Clara Schumann

… Mika Sasaki strikes a happy medium between sensitivity of phrasing and boldness of attack. Her tone is rich and full with a wide range of dynamics and a judicious use of pedal. [Max Grafe’s Obsidian Liturgy is] to my ears the highlight of this album. The adventurous quality of the composition has some affinity to Robert Schumann, who has always been noted for his unexpected turns of phrase and emotional outbursts, although Grafe definitely has his own style. One might best describe it as “modernistic Romanticism,” as it is filled with an almost explosive outpouring of emotion yet is contained in a vessel of bitonality. What impressed me most, however, was Grafe’s sense of structure: he never loses sight of where his music is going, mood shifts or no mood shifts, and his grasp of mood is equally outstanding. Lynn René Bayley reviews for The Art Music Lounge, October Continue Reading →

Obsidian CLARA SCHUMANN: KLAVIERWERKE

This new CD, Obsidian, pays homage to the piano music of Clara Schumann. Clara Schumann’s music has been neglected in recordings.  The album also pays homage to the two men in Clara Schumann’s life, Robert Schumann and Johannes Brahms, interwoven with her as they were into a close friendship and kind of love triangle. The album takes its name from Obsidian Liturgy, written by composer Max Grafe on the occasion of the 120th and 160th birthday of Clara and Robert Schumann in 2016 and in honor of Clara Schumann and Mika Sasaki, our piano soloist on this recording. Grafe’s 10-minute work includes several sections: “Invocation”, “Canticle”, “Incantation”, “Trance”, “Peal”, “Benedictus” and “Ite, missa est.” The intense musical language and the pianist genius of Clara Schumann are particularly evident in the Scherzo in C minor, op. 14, the Three Preludes and Fugues Op. 16, and the variations on a theme by Continue Reading →

Taku Kurosawa interviews Yarlung’s Bob Attiyeh for e-onkyo Music

Introducing one of the world’s leading high sound quality record labels: “Yarlung Records” Taku Kurosawa interviews Yarlung’s Bob Attiyeh for e-onkyo Music, April 1st, 2016 translated from the Japanese by Mika Sasaki Yarlung Records is a label based in Los Angeles (in the United States) which has received extremely high recognition for its producing and recording work, primarily in classical music. Cellist Antonio Lysy’s album, “Antonio Lysy at the Broad Music from Argentina,” – which included a commission from Lalo Schifrin, among others – received the 11th Latin Grammy Award in 2013. For this article, we interviewed Mr. Bob Attiyeh, who represents Yarlung Records as the executive director, producer and recording engineer. We asked him about the characteristics, goals, recording equipment, musical goals, and any recommendations for albums that might be of interest to our readers. − What are some characteristics of Yarlung products? Are there any policies and values which Continue Reading →