Kuniko - Tribute to Miyoshi - COMPACT DISCS [CD]

Silke Avenhaus had wanted to record Schubert's Trout Quintet for a long time. Now five European composers were additionally asked to quasi-casually prolong Schubert's ambivalences into the present by supplying their own variations. The commission called for works that were to be limited in length, and each composer was asked to focus his attention on a particular instrument. Although all of their pieces are based on the Trout theme, the resulting works vary utterly in terms of character and tempo. As Avenhaus puts it, this is a Inchgodsend.Inch The new compositions can be grasped as individual movements of a contemporary Trout quintet, but one can also combine them in several different ways. The double bass and the cello form a strong bass section in this particular piano quintet. The line-up may have been unusual and difficult to score in terms of timbre, but Schubert skillfully made best of the situation by expanding the range of different sonorities to the maximum. The low strings fathom the underground. Conversely, the piano, often playing in octaves for long stretches in the upper range, carries out the assigned role of shining brightly on the mountain peaks. The middle range is tenderly filled out by the other strings. The resulting musical texture seems to float in midair.

Wihan Quartet - Works for String Quartet [COMPACT DISCS] date 08/05/2022

Kuniko's fifth studio recording sees the hugely talented percussionist return to the music of Steve Reich, a composer she has championed since her debut recording in 2011. In Drumming Kuniko delivers a tour-de-force performance of the work which is widely considered minimalism's first masterpiece. Performing all thirteen parts herself, and adopting the same multi-track approach which was so successful on kuniko plays reich, Kuniko once again displays the technical virtuosity and flawless musicianship for which she is renowned. This seminal work employs Reich's trademark phasing technique; subtle changes in timing and timbre cause the soundscape to build through a series of rhythmic loops which gradually evolve to create a wholly immersive experience. After hearing her performance on Drumming Reich commented InchThe result is like a microscopic close up of the piece where all the finest details are heard with amazing clarity.Inch Drumming sees the award-winning percussionist once again demonstrate the musical intelligence and flair which makes such a captivating performer.