Tabakova String Paths

[Barbirollians]

Anyone else bought this CD ? Highly recommended by both IRR and BBCMM - a young British educated Bulgarian composer who evidently writes for a number of very fine performers who appear on the disc .

I am completely blown away by it - stunningly beautiful and interesting music - watch out though - it's tonal !

[amateur51]

This the one, Barbs?

http://www.prestoclassical.co.uk/search.php?searchString=Tabakova+String+Paths

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

Some youTube clips(of other works by the composer) for anyone who missed the broadcast.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Dqicw6QhJI

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VCklkRwZ0aI

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fxe_G7Y73Co

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5p7vLJh1Qls

[Barbirollians]

Yes - absolutely mesmeric and fascinating . It is also quite plainly influenced by folk music and she writes wonderful melodies !

The opening piece Insight for string trio and the last piece Such different paths for string sextet are particularly stunning.

[Barbirollians]

Some youTube clips(of other works by the composer) for anyone who missed the broadcast.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Dqicw6QhJI

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VCklkRwZ0aI

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fxe_G7Y73Co

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5p7vLJh1Qls

What broadcast was this fhgl?

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

What "broadcast" was this fhgl?

Oops! I skimmed over your OP and "read" a reference to Summer CD Review there. Correct caption to my #3 should read "Some youTube clips of other works by the composer for anyone interested in investigating her work".

[Barbirollians]

You skimmed over one of my posts! What an outrage

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

You skimmed over one of my posts! What an outrage

Indeed; I do apologise.

[Barbirollians]

What do you think of her music fhgl ?

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

I was neither "bowled over" nor repulsed by the youTube clips: I tend to prefer a little more lemon with my meringues, if that makes sense. I prefered the first three pieces to the last (Origami) which was rather sub-minimalist doodling, and sounded like an earlier/"student" piece. I'd be interesting to hear how she copes with an Allegro con brio - what are the pieces on the ECM disc like in this respect?

[amateur51]

You skimmed over one of my posts! What an outrage

[Barbirollians]

They are rather more substantial than the pieces on YT - especially than Whispering Lullaby and Origami and significantly more interesting. Though I have not listened to Dawn yet.

[Barbirollians]

You can get an idea as to whether you are likely to warm to the music from the extracts on the Amazon page

http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00AWXZA0K/ref=oh_details_o02_s00_i00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

I knew I'd read this composer's name recently, before Barbi's OP. In the current issue of Tempo, Martin Anderson reviews a work of hers that featured in the recent(-ish: from last November) Second London Festival of Bulgarian Culture. He writes of her Moreni for Clarinet, Piano & S4tet from 2007:

[The work], which lasts 14-15mins, opens with exquisite slides over a rocking piano accompaniment before presenting an achingly beautiful open-air Clarinet solo - it was one of those rare moments that somehow catches something inside you, and tears were rolling down my cheeks before the Clarinet's second entry. The strings pass material between them before the 'cello launches a little folk tune, which the Clarinet picks up. In the Second Movement, Debussian "waterfall" figures, falling and rising in the Piano over long string chords, point to the underlying conceit of the work, and a hesitant Clarinet line slowly builds in intensity. The Third [movement] is a vigorous folk-dance launched by the Piano; it also has a slight hint of Jazz. The 'cello then launches a calmer folk-dance before the first one resumes. With more waterfall Music from the Piano, it becomes clear that we are retracing our footsteps and as the end approaches, one senses the Music settling into something comfortable, as you would sink gratefully into an armchair after a journey. Throughout, Tabakova treats the Clarinet as another strand in the texture, although she allows it the occasional solo flourish; even-handedly, she now supplies the Strings with little flourishes of their own in the closing pages.

[Black Swan]

Yes - absolutely mesmeric and fascinating . It is also quite plainly influenced by folk music and she writes wonderful melodies !

The opening piece Insight for string trio and the last piece Such different paths for string sextet are particularly stunning.

Thanks for the endorsement, I've ordered the CD. BBC Music Magazine gave it 5 Stars.