David Bruce: The North Wind Was a Woman Dover Quartet, Avi Avital, The North Wind Ensemble, Nora Fischer, Camerata Pacifica

• David Bruce (b. 1970): Cymbeline:
• 1 Cymbeline: I. Sunrise 07:10
• 2 Cymbeline: II. Noon 06:25
• 3 Cymbeline: III. Sunset 07:35
• The North Wind was a Woman:
• 4 The North Wind was a Woman: I. The Snow is Completely Without Hope 04:24
• 5 The North Wind was a Woman: II. The North Wind is a Woman 03:42
• 6 The North Wind was a Woman: III. The Night Wants You to Forget 05:04
• 7 The North Wind was a Woman: IV. The Crescent Moon is a Dangerous Lunatic 03:10
• 8 The North Wind was a Woman: V. The Mountain Shares her Solitary Dreams 05:30
• The Consolation of Rain:
• 9 The Consolation of Rain: I 04:48
• 10 The Consolation of Rain: II 03:16
• 11 The Consolation of Rain: III 06:18
• 12 The Consolation of Rain: IV 03:49
• 13 The Consolation of Rain: V 04:50
• Total Runtime 01:06:01

Info for David Bruce: The North Wind Was a Woman

Its title song-cycle, scored for folk-imbued ensemble and recorded with the acclaimed Nora Fischer, treats various aspects of the natural world as human characteristics. The Consolation of Rain is a moving reflection on loss and the restorative power of nature, while Cymbeline draws on ancient religious attitudes to the sun. Written for mandolin virtuoso Avi Avital, the work takes its name from an old Celtic word meaning ‘Lord of the Sun.’

Bruce has achieved global recognition as a composer, celebrated for his richly colourful, poetic, and joyful music. Recent commissions include the BBC Proms, Carnegie Hall, Covent Garden, and Glyndebourne.

I have been lucky enough to spend some time recently collaborating with the writer Aimee Bender. By chance I came across Aimee's extraordinary collection of short stories 'Willful Creatures' and I instantly felt we shared many artistic goals and ideals. Aimee's stories are often described as 'modern fairytales', they have something of the tone of a fairytale (a generalised sense of place and time, a willingness to incorporate the magical or supernatural, and often, a rather savage streak), but are unmistakably modern in tone, and a million miles from the Victorian sensibilities and morals of Hans Andersen or the Brothers Grimm. Aimee creates unique and extraordinary worlds, full of color and magic, tangential to our own, but somehow, in an often witty and understated way, reflecting back on our own world, returning us to it with fresh eyes. It is an approach to art which I find highly invigorating and inspiring.

Aimee showed me the libretto to an opera she had written for the composer John B Hedges and I was captivated as soon as I realized it was the Sea itself singing the opening lines - it was saying sorry to all the ships it had to let sink because its shoulders were too heavy and not meant for carrying boats. I loved the idea of an 'element' singing, and some time later the idea occurred to me that it could make for an interesting song-cycle to have a series of different elements, each singing in the first person. I approached Alasdair Middleton (the librettist for my opera A Bird in Your Ear) with this idea. Alasdair latched on to the concept immediately - the first poem he produced was Wind who, marvellously, was in unrequited love; followed by a rather melancholy and mysterious Night, anda crazed Moon who 'wants to kill'. I later added two of my own poems to the collection, a rather bleak Snow that sees itself as 'frozen tears', and a Mountain that contemplates its only friendship over the years - with the night sky.

It is my fantastic privilege to be writing this piece for Dawn Upshaw, whom I have got to know over the past couple of years and who has been tremendously supportive of my work as a composer. Dawn sang my Piosenki last year on a number of occasions, and in thosesame concerts I was particularly taken with her performances of some lyrical and melancholy songs by John Dowland.It was this side to her voice that I decided I wanted to bring out in these songs, which are also inspired to some extent by Medieval French song, and more distantly, by the Strauss's elegaic Four Last Songs. Aside from Dawn herself, inspiration also came from knowing the fantastic array of players who will be performing, several of whom I am lucky enough to count among my friends. These include harpist Bridget Kibbey, who premiered my solo harp piece Caja de Musica at Carnegie Hall in April; clarinetist Todd Palmer, who premiered my Clarinet Quintet, Gumboots (also at Carnegie) last autumn; leading Mandolinist Avi Avital with whom I have worked on a number of projects; and violinist Arnaud Sussman who premiered my piece Groanbox with Metropolis Ensemble earlier this year. (David Bruce)

Dover Quartet
Avi Avital, mandolin
The North Wind Ensemble
Nora Fischer, soprano
Camerata Pacifica

David Bruce
Born in Stamford, Connecticut in 1970, David Bruce grew up in England and now enjoys a growing reputation on both sides of the Atlantic. Bruce's music draws on the wild dances and heart-felt laments of gypsy music, flamenco, klezmer and other folk traditions, as well as having a direct connection to composers like Stravinsky, Janacek, Berio and Bartok who shared similar passions. Often witty and always colourful, pulsing with earthy rhythms, Bruce's music has a directness rarely heard in contemporary music, but also contains an emotional core of striking intimacy and sensitivity.

Since the premiere of Piosenki (2006) in Carnegie Hall, Bruce's career in the US has flourished. Carnegie Hall itself has been a huge supporter of Bruce's music, going on to commission Gumboots (2008), Steampunk (2011) and most recently That Time with You for mezzo-soprano Kelley O'Connor which premiered at the hall in October 2013. In 2009, Dawn Upshaw premiered the song-cycle The North Wind was a Woman commissioned for the gala opening of the Chamber Music Society of the Lincoln Center's 2009 season. For 2013-14 Bruce was Associate Composer with the San Diego Symphony Orchestra, for whom he wrote three pieces : Night Parade for the orchestra's Carnegie Hall debut in October 2013; the Violin Concerto Fragile Light for Gil Shaham; and Cymbeline featuring mandolinist Avi Avital. Future US commissions include from Camerata Pacifica for a new work for oboe, harp, cello and percussion.

In the UK, recent commissions include Prince Zal and the Simorgh (2012) for the London Philharmonic Orchestra for their BrightSparks series; Fire (2012), one of 20 '20x12' commissions celebrating the Cultural Olympiad; Saudades for long-time collaborators Chroma; the chamber opera The Firework Maker's Daughter (2012) co-commissioned by The Opera Group and ROH2 ; and Nothing, a full length opera co-commissioned by Glyndebourne and ROH.

Other notable recent commissions include a 35 minute chamber work The Given Note (2011) for violinist Daniel Hope together with the David Orlowsky Trio and cellist Vincent Segal, co-commissioned by the Mecklenburg-Vorpommern Festival, Germany and the Savannah Festival USA; and in 2012, Cut the Rug for Yo-Yo Ma & the Silk Road Ensemble. The piece received it's official premiere at Carnegie Hall in October 2013 as part of the ensemble's 15th anniversary celebrations and was toured to numerous high-profile venues around the world, including the Concertgebouw, Amsterdam.

Cut the Rug was recorded for the Sony Classical label and released in December 2013. Other recordings include The Eye of Night, commissioned by Art of Elan in San Diego and recorded by the Myriad Trio; and Gumboots, recorded by Julian Bliss and the Carducci Quartet, released on Signum Records in April 2016

Bruce's work in opera has attracted particular attention. A series of short operas for Tete a Tete in London culminated in the Genesis Foundation commission Push! (2006) which was Critic's Choice for 2006 in both The Telegraph and Classical Music Magazine and received universal critical acclaim. In 2008, Dawn Upshaw instigated the commission for his one-act opera A Bird in Your Ear (2008) for Bard College, NY. 2013 brought Bruce's chamber opera The Firework Maker's Daughter which toured the UK and New York in Spring 2013. The piece was also shortlisted for both the British Composer Awards, and the 2014 Olivier Awards for Best New Opera Production. The Firework Maker's Daughter returned to the ROH Lindbury Studios only two years later, for a 27-performance run in December 2015. The premiere of Bruce's largest operatic work to date - Nothing, based on the award-winning novel by Janne Teller, and co-commissioned by Glyndebourne and the Royal Opera House premiered at Glyndebourne in Feb 2016. It brought the most intense response yet, with the Independent calling it "a pretty well flawless piece" and The Stage saying " It's as moving, authentic and thought-provoking an opera you're likely to see for some time." The original prodution of Nothing is scheduled for repeat performances in Denmark in Feb 2017 as part of the Aarhus European Capital of Culture celebrations.

Bruce's music has attracted numerous awards and prizes, including the Lili Boulanger Memorial Prize (2008) and the Royal Philharmonic Society Composition Competition (1994). He studied at Nottingham University, the Royal College of Music, London, (with Tim Salter and George Benjamin); and completed a PhD in Composition at King's College, London (1995-9), under the supervision of Sir Harrison Birtwistle.

Complementing his work as a composer, Bruce runs the music and technology company Red Balloon Technology Ltd whose sites include the popular sheet music site 8notes.com and the composers' site CompositionToday.

This album contains no booklet.