Adams / Moore - The Stone People - COMPACT DISCS [CD]

Eatock is a composer, critic, and musicologist. The six works recorded on this disc were composed over the last quarter-century, which he has spent living in Toronto. This is intimate music, a mixture of vocal and instrumental works scored for one to four musicians. The pieces reflect Eatock's musical influences. Often, there is a historical aspect to his music, with stylistic ideas from past eras incorporated into his works. And there are also literary influences Williams Blake, Walt Whitman and Alfred Tennyson are all represented on this disc.

This new album features premiere recordings of contemporary works for solo violin composed by Canadian women and performed by Nova Scotia violinist Dr. Gillian Smith. Works include InchCinque Danze per Violino SoloInch by JUNO award winning composer Ana Sokolovic, InchVersprechenInch by Kati Agocs (now a composition professor at New England Conservatory) and InchInside the StoneInch from Canadian-Australian composer Veronika Krausas. Recorded at the beautiful stone sanctuary at First Baptist Church Halifax, these recordings show the intense, passionate and imaginative works of Canadian women composers for solo violin, very few of which have been previously recorded.

Omoiyari is Kishi Bashi's fourth album, following the acclaimed 151a (2012), Lighght (2014), and Sonderlust (2016). Channeling the hard-learned lessons of history, Omoiyari reflects the turbulent socio-political atmosphere of present day America. InchI was shocked when I saw white supremacy really starting to show it's teeth again in America,Inch Kishi Bashi says. InchMy parents are immigrants, they came to the United States from Japan post-World War II. As a minority I felt very insecure for the first time in my adult life in this country. I think that was the real trigger for this project.Inch Kishi Bashi recognized parallels between the current U.S. adminis- tration's constant talk of walls and bans, and the xenophobic anxieties that led to the forced internment of Japanese-Americans in the months following the attack on Pearl Harbor. So he immersed himself in that period, visiting former prison sites and listening to the stories of survivors, while developing musical concepts along the way. The unique creative process behind Omoiyari has been documented in a film scheduled for in early 2020. InchI didn't want this project to be about history, but rather the importance of history, and the lessons we can learn,Inch Kishi Bashi reflects. InchI gravitated toward themes of empathy, compassion, and understanding as a way to overcome fear and intolerance. But I had trouble finding an English title for the piece. Omoiyari is a Japanese word. It doesn't necessarily translate as empathy, but it refers to the idea of creating compassion towards other people by thinking about them. I think the idea of omoiyari is the single biggest thing that can help us overcome aggression and conflict.Inch The strong conceptual elements of Omoiyari are driven by Kishi Bashi's captivating musical score. Stepping away from his past loop-based production model, he embraced a more collaborati