Details

Field of Interest

Classical Music

Composer

Elliott Carter, 1908-2012

Content Type

Music recording

Duration

1 hour 4 mins

Recording Engineer

David Merrill, fl. 1972

Ensemble

Speculum Musicae

Format

Audio

Sub Genre

Miniatures, Divertimenti, Quartet, Piece, Duo, Song-Cycle

Label

Bridge

Performer

Charles Rosen, Fred Sherry, Maureen Gallagher, Peter Kolkay, Tony Arnold, Jacob Greenberg, Charles Neidich, Ayako Oshima, Virgil Blackwell, fl. 1993-1996

Producer

David Starobin, 1951-

Date Recorded

2002

Review

Active and acute in his nineties, Elliott Carter has maintained his position as the leading American modernist, and his creative powers are undiminished. The fifth volume in Bridge's series brings together seven intimate miniatures and two substantial works. The Oboe Quartet is as fluid and rhythmically varied as any of the String Quartets, and the oboe's athletic part strongly recalls Carter's Sonata for flute, oboe, cello, and harpsichord, perhaps pointedly. Carter's inclination to reminisce should not be overlooked as an important aspect of his late works. Of Challenge and of Love, a song cycle for soprano and piano, is a major accomplishment, the composer's first foray in this medium since his Three Poems of Robert Frost. The full range of Carter's expression is employed in these five songs, though Quatrains From Harp Lake is the most effective and moving. The remaining pieces are short but not slight, and each shows Carter's care with small forms. Perhaps most significant of these are the Two Diversions, in which Carter's language is simplified in a manageable form for young pianists. Their transparency may serve newcomers as a good place to start with this composer. Excellent performances from Speculum, Tony Arnold, and Charles Rosen, among others, make this album stimulating and enjoyable. ~ Blair Sanderson, All Music Guide

Subject

Classical Music, Music & Performing Arts, 20th Century, 21st Century, Siglo XX, Século XX, Siglo XXI, Século XXI

Series / Program

Music of Elliott Carter

Keywords and Translated Subjects

Siglo XX, Século XX, Siglo XXI, Século XXI