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Ars Acustica

Deutscher Musikrat / Edition Zeitgenössische Musik

edition musikFabrik

Edition ZKM

Digital Music Digital / Computer Music

composer: Conlon Nancarrow - Paul Usher
interpreter: Amy Williams - Amy Briggs - Helena Bugallo - Ingrid Karlen - Rex Lawson
conductor: Kasper de Roo - Stefan Asbury
orchestra/ensemble: Ensemble Modern - WDR Sinfonieorchester Köln

Publisher: Wergo
Edition: CD
Order number: WER 67332

Price: 18.50 €
including VAT and plus delivery

Studies No. 6 & 7

Vox Amoris

Aristaeus / Orpheus behind the Wire

Quartets & Studies

Silent Walls

The composer Conlon Nancarrow, who died in 1997 at the age of 84, is regarded as an exceptional figure in the field of contemporary music. It is especially his compositions for player piano that made Nancarrow go down in history.

Apart from his central work "Studies for Player Piano", Nancarrow's œuvre can be classified in three groups of live instrumental compositions: the early works (ca. 1930-1947) – this period covers compositions such as "Septet" (1939) which was rediscovered only in 1990 and is now presented on this CD, or the cycle "Suite for Orchestra" composed in 1940 which is contained on the present CD as well.

Other instrumental works, written in parallel with further pieces for player piano, can be ascribed to the creative period from 1984 to ca. 1993, among them being, for example, "Three Movements for Chamber Orchestra" (1993). A handwritten note in the scores indicates that some of them are transcriptions which were created with the collaboration of Nancarrow's assistant. This practice signifies the transition to the composer's late creative period which is characterized by transcriptions of both his own works and works by other composers, compositions which were written primarily for the purpose of concert performances.

How far transcriptions can deviate from the original source is shown by the piece "Nancarrow Concerto" by Paul Usher who was guided by the 'spirit' of Nancarrow. It appears at the end of the CD programme as a shining example of the further creative development of Nancarrow's music.

production WDR 2004/2005 | coproduction with WDR and Ensemble Modern

Conlon Nancarrow
Suite for Orchestra
Studies for Player Piano No. 16, 20, 26, 32 and 44

Three Movements for Chamber Orchestra
Septet. Fragment

Paul Usher
Nancarrow Concerto for Pianola and Chamber Orchestra

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