Martyn Brabbins - Pickard:Symphony No.2&6 / Verlaine Songs - Import SACD

Credits:

Martyn Brabbins

Description:

Symphonies and vocal works by John Picard, one of the leading contemporary British composers!!!SACD hybrid disc. English composer John Picard is best known for his orchestral and instrumental works with their uniquely powerful, boldly expanded tonal diction. Following the Nash Ensemble's performance of his chamber works in "The Gardener of Aleppo" (BIS SA-2461), two symphonies and a collection of songs with chamber orchestra are now available. Symphony No. 2 was written in 1987, when Picard was 23 years old. It was inspired by the book "Hiroshima," written by American journalist and author John Hersey, which tells the story of a city burned to the ground by an atomic bomb and the vegetation that reasserted itself from the ashes of the bomb. The BBC Philharmonic Orchestra, conducted by Odaline de la Martinez, gave the first performance. It was the first time Picard's work was performed by a professional orchestra. The "Verlaine Lieder" was composed from poems by the French poet Paul Verlaine.It begins with "Chandon d'automne (Song of Autumn)," known for its translation by Satoshi Ueda as "The Vieux Violon's Motto on an Autumn Day..." and ends with "Le soleil d'or (The Golden Sun)," said to be the poet's dreaming of the person he is in love with. Six poems with a wide range of expression are connected along with dramatic contrasts and mood transitions. Soprano Emma Tring Emma Tring studied at the University of Bristol and the Guildhall School of Music and Drama, and is active as a soloist and ensemble singer in repertoire centered on today's music. Symphony No. 6 was composed in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. The first movement begins calmly, moving into a mood of dark "anxiety. The second movement, which brings relief from the darkness, was dedicated to Robert von Bahr, president of the BIS label, and is performed for the first time in this recording. The BBC National Orchestra of Wales, conducted by Martin Brabbins (BIS SA-2261), recorded the Fifth Symphony and the "Concerto Variations". King International