Rhymes with Silver

Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com
Lou Harrison isn't your typical New Music composer. For starters, he's remarkably consistent, churning out impressive compositions over several decades that vary in style, but are never inaccessible. His music is richly melodic, percussive, culture-melding, and, more often than not, beautiful. This description applies to Rhymes with Silver, a commission Harrison wrote for the Mark Morris Dance Group. The highlights here are the rich lyrical passages performed by cellist Joan Jeanrenaud (formerly of the Kronos Quartet), which are contemplative but also playful. Joining the cello are parts for violin, viola, piano, vibraphone, and percussion. Though this sounds like a twist on a typical chamber music quintet, there's little typical in this work's 12 movements. From the driving rhythms of "Gigue & Musette" to the sentimental "Romantic Waltz" to the pounding chords of "Fox Trot," this CD is a joy to listen to--humorous, exotic, and inquisitive. --Jason Verlinde

Tracks:

Syrba - Moldavian Dance
Syrba - Moldavian Dance
Beraber Taksim - Collective Improvisation
Zhok de Nante - Moldavian Dance
Ostropesul - Moldavian Dance
Syrba with Taksim - Moldavian Dance
Bestenigar Taksim - Improvisation
Pesrev in makam Bestenigar - Dimitrie Cantemir
Tanbur Taksimi - Improvisation (tanbur solo)
Saz Semaisi in makam Neva / usul aksak semai (10/8) - Dimitrie Cantemir
Saz Semaisi in makam Rast / usul aksak semai - Dimitrie Cantemir
Syrbas - Moldavian Dances
KemenTaksimi - Improvisation (kemensolo)
In Honor of Prince Kantemir - Lou Harrison
Beraber Taksim - Collective Improvisation
Andante (from Concertino per Kemance, Violino Picolo 5 Instruments, 'In Honor of Kantemiro, 2000) - Yalcin Tura
A Turkish Air (Travels and Observations, 1738) Thomas Shaw (1694-1751)
Marche a la Turque (Pis de viole, Book V, 1725) Marin Marais (1656 - 1728)
Marche pour la cmonie des Turcs (Le Bourgeois Gentilhomme, 1670) J-B. Lully (1632 - 1687)
The Turks' dance (Augurs, 1622) Ben Jonson (1572/3 - 1637)
New metar (The Dancing Master, 1665) John Playford (1623 - 1686)
Rast Taksim - Collective Improvisation
Pesrev in makam Rast / usul berefsan (16/8) Dimitrie Cantemir
Zhok de Nante - Moldavian Dance
Penh Taksim - Improvisation (kemensolo)
Saz semaisi in makam Penh / usul aksak semai (10/8) - yemai (6/8) - Bulgariaska (Floria 16) - yemai (6/8) - aksak semai (10/8) Dimitrie Cantemir and Moldavian Dance
H Taksim - Collective Improvisation (kemen baroque flute)
Pesrev in makam H - Dimitrie Cantemir
Buselik Taksim - Collective Improvisation
Pesrev in makam Buselik / usul devr-i-revan (14/16) Dimitrie Cantemir

Album Description

CANTEMIR honors the amazingly rich life of Prince Dimitrie Cantemir (Kantemiroglu, 1673-1723), born in Moldavia (now Romania) but educated in Istanbul, becoming during his many years at the heart of Ottoman culture a master musician, composer, linguist, and lexicographer. Sent home eventually to rule Moldavia as the representative of the Ottoman Empire, Cantemir betrayed the Sultan by attempting unsuccessfully with the aid of Tsar Peter the Great to liberate his people. In defeat, he fled with his court into exile in Russia.

Featured on the disc is Ihsan Ozgen, Linda Burman-Hall and the ensemble Lux Musica, in compositions in Ottoman classical style by Prince Cantemir, first recordings of new music honoring Kantemiroglu by Lou Harrison and Yalcin Tura, traditional and experimental improvisations, and Moldavian dance music. Ihsan Ozgen plays kemence (Turkish fiddle) and tanbur (Turkish lute). Linda Burman-Hall is playing early keyboards and bendir (frame drum).

Customer Reviews:

Cantemir, Great Sultan, Louis XIV and Peter the Great.......2006-07-30

Firstly, I want to thank Lux Musica and Ihsan Ozgen for recording such a beautiful exquisite album.
Moldavian prince Dmitrie Cantemir stood on cross-roads between the West, Russia and the Orient on the turning point of history - end of the 17th - beginning of 18th centuries. Philosopher, musician and musicologist, orientalist and politician - charismatic and interesting person.
Ihsan Ozgen and Lux Musica decided not to re-create authentic Turkish folk sound of Kantemir`s music, but to incorporate fantastic sound of Turkish string instrument kemence, which reminds crying human voice, and other Turkish instruments into the European ensemble Lux Musica (flute, violin, viola, lute, early guitar, percussion, harpsichord, virginal). Idea is to present the music by Kantemir as synthesis of European and Oriental cultural traditions, to imagine real concerts of his daughter Maria (who played harpsichord) in the court of Peter the Great in Russia, and to describe the cultural context of Kantemir`s music.
You would hear music by Kantemir himself, European "Turkish" style melodies of the 17th century by Lully (melody for famous play by Moliere "Le Bourgeois Gentilhomme"), Marin Marais, Ben Johnson, Moldavian folk dances - so this programme wouldn`t be boring for you. I don`t agree with the previous reviewer - to listen to whole CD of authentic Turkish material - it`s a real hard work for European, Russian or American lover of classical music. That`s why I think that Ihsan Ozgen and Lux Musica were right.
So listen to this beautiful music and read a good novels by modern writers devoted to problems of relationships between Orient and Occident - try works by Amin Maalouf, Orhan Pamuk, Milorad Pavic.

Very beautiful album!

P.S. Addition to the text in the booklet. There stated that "Kantemir betrayed Sultan". Let`s be objective - history was more sophisticated. Don`t forget that Kantemir lived in Istanbul as the hostage to guarantee the loyalty of his native Moldavia to the Ottoman Empire. As he wrote in his memoirs, when he was selected by the Sultan to be a ruler of Moldavia, he was informed that he should make a "gift" to the Court - to pay a sum of money. And the sum of this "gift" was very high. Kantemir understood that he should raise the taxes in Moldavia to collect this money. So the choice was - to betray Sultan or to betray his native people. Ruler of Vallachia (modern Romania) sent a letter to Kantemir and invited him to join the revolt of the Orthodox Christians against the Ottoman rule. They secretly asked Tzar Peter the Great to help them. But when the Russian troops started their expedition, Vallachian ruler, who provoked Kantemir, informed Sultan about this revolt and of course rejected to participate in it. So Kantemir in 1711 had no other choice than to join Russian troops and after the unglorious end of this expedition (there were no any revolt) - Kantemir with his family fled to Russia. His life was saved by Peter the Great, because Ottoman powers demanded to return Kantemir to them (of course he would be killed) as condition of peace treaty with Russia.
His son Antoich became Russian poet and diplomate. In Paris he was close to writers and poets of the French Enlightenment.

Worth exploring, but..........2004-08-07

If you're coming to this out of curiosity, rather than as an Ottoman music fan, you may be more pleased with this disk than I was.

The best compositions here are those of Cantemir, the master himself. The folk dances are interesting, but they aren't on the same level of refinement. Cantemir was at the peak of a learned tradition. The juxtaposition with folk material might be justified if Cantemir had drawn on it for his compositions, but that's not the case; we're simply told that the peasants back near Cantemir's home in what is now Romania were playing these dances while Cantemir was off in Constantinople playing his stuff for the sultan. And the point is...? I would have preferred a disk purely of Cantemir pieces.

The music is well played, but I'm not totally sold on the mixture of eastern and western instruments. Obviously, it isn't authentic, but that isn't the problem; sometimes the mixture of instruments just doesn't work. One glowing exception is the neva saz semai, where the tanbur and harpsichord blend quite nicely.

Don't get me wrong; it's worth a listen. But if you already know the Ottoman classical tradition and some of Cantemir's works, be sure you know that you're getting an experimental "fusion" disk, not something traditional.

Excellent.......2004-03-27

This CD finally opens the long forgotten bridge to the early Ottoman music. Although in recent albums (for example, in "Dream of the Orient" by Concerto Koln and Sarband) there are some fine examples of Cantemir's work, this single album is fully dedicated to him.

The examples are carefully chosen to present early Ottoman and Cantemir's own music. The addition of the music from the composers of the West (some are recent, in honor of Cantemir), showing the influence of the Turkish music, is very nice and complementary.

Cantemir, as might be known, is the first musician/traveler/diplomat (and later a trouble maker) from Romania, who recorded the Ottoman music while he was living in the Ottoman lands for near twenty years.

Followed by composers such as Fux, Mozart, J. and M. Haydn brothers, Beethoven, Gluck, Rossini and many others, the Turkish music, its musical instruments (drums, cymbals and triangle, etc.) and themes became the most influential regional effect on the Western classical music for a few centuries.

Tracks:

Hendrix / Haimovitz : Anthem (recorded live at CBGB October 11, 2002-first recording)
Lou Harrison: Prelude (from Rhymes With Silver)
David Sanford: Seventh Avenue Kaddish (first recording)
Osvaldo Golijov: Omaramor (first recording)
Luna Pearl Woolf: Impromptu (first recording)
Robert Stern: Recitative (Yom Teruah) (first recording)
Steven Mackey: Rhondo Variations
Augusta Read Thomas: Bells Ring Summer (first recording)
Tod Machover: With Dadaji in Paradise (first recording)
Toby Twining: 9:11 Blues (first recording)
Matt Haimovitz: Truth from Above (improvisation on a Vespers melody--first recording)

Amazon.com

In the age of sterile, hopelessly unimaginative "crossover" projects, cellist Matt Haimovitz earned a solid reputation with his passionate, earnestly invigorating advocay of the Bach Cello Suites in non-traditional venues for classical music. But his exciting project here on Anthem goes even several steps further: rather than rely on a safe brand-name composer, Haimovitz has put together a program of mostly unfamiliar music celebrating both American composers and the unfettered capacity of his instrument. Lou Harrison's prelude from "Rhymes with Silver" is spiked with a taste of baroque linearity but commands with its uncontrived, openhearted melancholy. A sense of musical playfulness dominates in Golijov's Omaramar, a Gardel-inspired fantasia, while one of the disc's most stunning showpieces is Haimovitz's take on a pioneering early piece by Tod Machover, With Dadaji in Paradise, which seemingly explores every inch of the instrument's landscape (Haimovitz can also be heard playing "hypercello" on the latter's intriguing recording the Hyperstring Triology). Two of the pieces were inspired by the atrocity of 9/11: David Sanford's effective Seventh Avenue Kaddish--where the soloist functions, as Haimovitz sees it, as a kind of "professional mourner"--and Toby Twining's microtonally obsessed 9:11 Blues. For all of the in-your-face, upfront emotional directness that is becoming Haimovitz's signature, he clearly also relishes the mind games of Steve Mackey's labyrinth of variations in Rhondo Variations. The title track, meanwhile, stands as a brilliant tribute not only to one of his musical heroes but succeeds in undoing what Haimovtiz has referred to as the electric guitar's "testosterone monopoly." Anthem is not only for fans of the cello and new music but for anyone tired of stale, preformulated patterns. --Thomas May

Customer Reviews:

Passionate, challenging and brilliant.......2003-12-30

Matt Haimovitz has published many wonderful CDs, and goes to new dimensions with this eclectic and fascinating contemporary CD. Aimed at a crossover audience, he brings the cello to life for a new generation of music listeners. If you're looking for something fresh, different and interesting, pick up this CD and give it a careful listen.

Intriguing blend of cello skill & political comment.......2003-11-04

I went to Matt's concert here in Minneapolis supporting this CD with a friend, and we both had a delightful time. The concert including some of Matt's more traditional renderings, and both those and his newer music were wonderful. Everyone in the audience had an excellent experience.

I bought the CD, brought it home and played it for my 10-yr-old, who has been playing cello for 4 years. She didn't like it at all. I thought she might be interested in the wide range of sounds and effects that Matt is able to draw from his instrument. But her age outweighed her musical appreciation.

So it's for adults clearly, and that's fine. It's one of the most interesting things I've listed to in a long time. The Hendrix piece inventively moved ahead and was different from the original, yet retained all the power and impact of its predecessor.

The other political pieces were very evocative. This work gives me hope in a way that's hard to describe. It's exciting to hear another's response to what's been happening - the depth and intensity of which speaks to the resiliency of the human spirit.

Passionate and contemporary.......2003-10-05

Matt Haimovitz's new CD demonstrates that contemporary music is alive,well and filled with purpose and passion. Many listeners who dismiss most new music as too cerebral have a surprise waiting for them in these emotional anthems to America written by our own composers. The irony of Jimi Hendrix's Woodstock rendition of the"Star Spangled Banner"is the starting point for a musical reflection on the current conditions of our nation. The loss of life on 9/11 is beautifully recalled in a few pieces. For an Israeli born musician, the Jewish themes take on an extra poignancy in light of the recent events in Israel. Not since Peter Serkin's contemporary piano commissions has there been such a courageous effort to get this music out to well deserved public acclaim.

contemporary cello with political edge.......2003-09-09

This is a tough and courageous political statement that artistic passion and freedom is more expressive of American patriotism than the kinds of actions recently taken by our government.

It starts with Matt's own acoustic cello transcription of Jimi Hendrix's "Star Spangled Banner" just as Hendrix played it at Woodstock, and continues with a series of powerful contemporary pieces, several written in direct response to Sept. 11. After you hear this CD all the way through, you will have a new perspective and appreciation for contemporary classical music. The Hendrix piece cuts through the wall between rock and classical music that lately seems to have become impenetrable.

Rhymes with Silver
Average customer rating:

Gorgeous with a sense of humor

A mixture of classic and contemporary

Rhymes with Silver

Manufacturer: New Albion Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Similar Items:

Harrison: Piano Concerto/Suite For Violin, Piano And Small Orchestra

La Koro Sutro

Scelsi: Natura Renovatur

ASIN: B00004Y6PU
Release Date: 2000-10-24

Tracks:

Prld - Joan Jeanrenaud
Allegro - Julie Steinberg/William Winant
Scherzo - Joan Jeanrenaud
Ductia - Joan Jeanrenaud/Julie Steinberg/William Winant
Gigue & Musette
Chromatic Rhap - Joan Jeanrenaud
Romantic Waltz
Fox Trot
Threnody
In Honor Of Prince Kantemir
Five-Tone Kit - Joan Jeanrenaud/William Winant
Round Dance

Amazon.com

Lou Harrison isn't your typical New Music composer. For starters, he's remarkably consistent, churning out impressive compositions over several decades that vary in style, but are never inaccessible. His music is richly melodic, percussive, culture-melding, and, more often than not, beautiful. This description applies to Rhymes with Silver, a commission Harrison wrote for the Mark Morris Dance Group. The highlights here are the rich lyrical passages performed by cellist Joan Jeanrenaud (formerly of the Kronos Quartet), which are contemplative but also playful. Joining the cello are parts for violin, viola, piano, vibraphone, and percussion. Though this sounds like a twist on a typical chamber music quintet, there's little typical in this work's 12 movements. From the driving rhythms of "Gigue & Musette" to the sentimental "Romantic Waltz" to the pounding chords of "Fox Trot," this CD is a joy to listen to--humorous, exotic, and inquisitive. --Jason Verlinde

Customer Reviews:

Gorgeous with a sense of humor.......2001-06-04

Lou Harrison, who just turned 84 years old, continues to compose music filled with sensual colors and melodies, while keeping a sense of humor about things. (The Foxtrot on this CD is a wacky number filled with tone-clusters.) Silver happens to be the composer's middle name, and not an easy thing to rhyme, but it seems at times that Lou can do anything. Lou clearly deseres the title of Grand Man of American Music (who else is still around that can claim to have worked with Charles Ives, collaborated with John Cage, and was writing "World Music" in the 1940s?). The music of Lou Harrison is a delight for the ear and the heart, as this CD easily demonstrates. Cellist Joan Jeanrenaud gives a bang-up performance here.

A mixture of classic and contemporary.......2001-04-16