How come I hadn't heard of this before?

[Darren Pepper]

Hello Radio 3 Forum!

I'm sure you guys are all a lot more knowledgeable than me, but I thought I'd ask if anyone has come across this recording that I discovered just last night. It's a piece called Hunshigo by an Irish composer, Simon Mawhinney, played by Darragh Morgan on violin. It was released on CD by Altarus Records in 2008, but I don't think you can buy copies any more. My friend Parker left it on my doorstep last night along with a bottle of Hennessy. He has a real eye for obscure music LOL. I thought I'd humour him so I lit my woodburner, got out a snifter, and fired up this CD on my Rega Aethos and Kef R11s. Candlelight as well and some nice retro Christmas lights.

Well, the first few pieces on the CD I could take or leave, but when it got to the main item, I have to say I was completely blown away. By then the cognac was taking hold and I was ready for something different. The piece is called Hunshigo. It's a 45 minute piece for violin and piano and I have to say I was completely gobsmacked. It's very contemporary, and it reminded me a bit of 2nd Viennese, or Messiaen, or Feldman and all that. Not my normal scene, but the piece took me on a very, very deep journey, like a spiral. I almost had an out of body experience by the end. How come I'd not heard of this composer before? Seriously, I'd say this is one of the most amazing compositions for violin and piano that I've heard in many years.

I started looking for more stuff by this composer. I found a few bits and pieces, including an even longer piano piece that's online - nearly an hour long! Although I've not heard it yet. Sadly, Hunshigo is not on Apple Music, or even YouTube, so you'd have to get a CD of it...

I'm planning on listening to it again tonight.

Cheers

Darren

[Bryn]

Hello Radio 3 Forum!

I'm sure you guys are all a lot more knowledgeable than me, but I thought I'd ask if anyone has come across this recording that I discovered just last night. It's a piece called Hunshigo by an Irish composer, Simon Mawhinney, played by Darragh Morgan on violin. It was released on CD by Altarus Records in 2008, but I don't think you can buy copies any more. My friend Parker left it on my doorstep last night along with a bottle of Hennessy. He has a real eye for obscure music LOL. I thought I'd humour him so I lit my woodburner, got out a snifter, and fired up this CD on my Rega Aethos and Kef R11s. Candlelight as well and some nice retro Christmas lights.

Well, the first few pieces on the CD I could take or leave, but when it got to the main item, I have to say I was completely blown away. By then the cognac was taking hold and I was ready for something different. The piece is called Hunshigo. It's a 45 minute piece for violin and piano and I have to say I was completely gobsmacked. It's very contemporary, and it reminded me a bit of 2nd Viennese, or Messiaen, or Feldman and all that. Not my normal scene, but the piece took me on a very, very deep journey, like a spiral. I almost had an out of body experience by the end. How come I'd not heard of this composer before? Seriously, I'd say this is one of the most amazing compositions for violin and piano that I've heard in many years.

I started looking for more stuff by this composer. I found a few bits and pieces, including an even longer piano piece that's online - nearly an hour long! Although I've not heard it yet. Sadly, Hunshigo is not on Apple Music, or even YouTube, so you'd have to get a CD of it...

I'm planning on listening to it again tonight.

Cheers

Darren

Simon's a fine composer, and pianist too. I heard and (with his permission) recorded him playing Messiaen's Vingt Regards . . . a few years ago. Very impressed. Darragh is also a very fine violinist. I would particularly recommend his recording, on the Dublin-based, Diatribe Records of Morton Feldman's For John Cage, released at the start of this year. There are plenty of his recordings available from Bandcamp. Ther disc you refer to can be ordered from Records International, over the Pond.

See https://www.cmc.ie/features/interview-simon-mawhinney

[kernelbogey]

Welcome, Darren!

[Darren Pepper]

Thanks everyone! And thank you for the link as well.

So I listened to the piece again last night, this time without cognac and entirely in the dark, apart from a little glow from the embers in the stove. To be quite honest, the 2nd listen was even more vivid. When I got to the shattering climax at the end I again felt as if I was flying. The best comparison I can think of would be the effect of listening to the Ashkenazy recordings of Scriabin. The heavenward coda has something of the Szymanowski concerto with all those impossibly high notes. I think this is a masterful composition and I had no idea that work of this standard was being written and not more widely celebrated! Do you remember the days back in the late 80s and early 90s when Radio 3 would be broadcasting stuff like this in the early or mid evening? There was all sorts of weird and wonderful stuff. That was how I first heard Feldman (Three Voices) and Stockhausen etc.

Tonight I'm going to stream the even longer piece I mentioned, called Marlacoo. It's played by the same pianist on the Hunshigo CD - Mary Dullea.

Cheers

Darren