Sofja Gülbadamova - Concertos - COMPACT DISCS [CD]

Mozart / Chicago Sym Orch / - Syms No 39 & 40 [COMPACT DISCS] date 05/29/2008

Many of the works on this recording are declarations of love; for example the infinitely heartfelt SerenadeInch by Edward Elgar which was a gift from the composer to his wife on their third wedding anniversary, and had it's premiere in Antwerp in 1896. Likewise, the song InchJeg elsker digInch (I love you) was composed by Edvard Grieg for his beloved wife, the singer Nina Hagerup. I was, however, much more inspired by the all-embracing concept of love and with the contemplation and feelings that arise when listening to this music. The most sublime expression of this is probably InchDu bist die RuhInch (You are repose) by Franz Schubert - one of those works which, regardless of it's length, and with it's mood of almost religious contemplation, it's elevated gratitude and ensouled intimacy, is able to transfigure earthly existence into eternal bliss. It is among the most poignant works that a composer's pen has ever produced. Naturally the selected repertoire is, in a veiled form, also an exploration of - and immersion in - my own roots; a manifestation of my identity.Inch (Sofja Gülbadamova)

Early in 1870; a codex containing early Spanish vocal music had been discovered in the library of the Palacio Real in Madrid. The pieces which had been copied into the manuscript - entirely unknown up to that point - included compositions from the celebrated Juan del Encina and from many other; little-known; contemporaries of his. The first modern edition of the suitably entitled InchCancionero de PalacioInch was published in 1890; immediately becoming a cornerstone of Spanish historical musicology. Later editions and studies consolidated the status of the Cancionero as a landmark in Iberian music. The present recording contrasts music from this cancionero with that found in other codices containing similar or related repertory; whether it be Iberian in origin or from elsewhere in Europe. It offers a broader vision not only of the InchCancionero de PalacioInch but also of the musical atmosphere of the time and of the songbook repertory as a whole.