John Harbison: String Trio - Four Songs of Solitude - Songs America Loves to Sing Camerata Pacifica

• John Harbison (1938): String Trio (2013)
• 1I. Allegro moderato06:27
• 2II. Adagio, appassionato05:03
• 3III. Intermezzo: Allegretto03:38
• 4IV. Variations: Molto moderato06:01
• 5V. Intermezzo: Allegro arieggiato04:36
• 6VI. Finale: Allegro moderato04:38
• Four Songs Of Solitude (1985)
• 7I.03:27
• 8II.02:50
• 9III.04:20
• 10IV.04:24
• Songs America Loves To Sing (2004)
• 11I. Amazing Grace02:08
• 12II. Careless Love02:18
• 13III. Will the Circle Be Unbroken01:24
• 14IV. Aura Lee01:31
• 15V. What a Friend We Have in Jesus03:21
• 16VI. St. Louis Blues02:04
• 17VII. Poor Butterfly04:45
• 18VIII. We Shall Overcome02:01
• 19IX. Ain't Goin' to Study War No Mo'02:40
• 20X. Anniversary Song02:29
• Total Runtime01:10:05

Info for John Harbison: String Trio - Four Songs of Solitude - Songs America Loves to Sing

American composer John Harbison’s String Trio, Four Songs of Solitude and Songs America Loves to Sing performed by members of Camerata Pacifica in its debut album recording. One of the most wide-ranging American composers of our time, John Harbison (b. 1938) has an abiding interest in American jazz, folksong, and hymns, and this new release includes his collection of solos and canons Songs America Loves to Sing (2004) alongside Four Songs of Solitude (1985) for solo violin. The album’s centerpiece is the world premiere recording of Harbison’s String Trio (2013) - the first he has ever composed - commissioned and performed by members of Camerata Pacifica under the leadership of Adrian Spence.

When director Adrian Spence decided to commission a string trio to celebrate Camerata Pacifica’s 25th anniversary, he felt that John Harbison’s “keen sense of form and structure would provide the work I sought and indeed that turned out to be the case. I'm exceptionally pleased with the work we received. It's a piece that bears, and rewards, repeated listening — as one gets to know the piece better, one hears more and more in the writing.”

In his program notes for the new release, Harbison writes that he first attempted a string trio at age fifteen and decided it was too difficult. “In the meantime I have performed string trios by Beethoven and Mozart, and studied others. I have no reason to believe the medium has gotten easier, but my music has become somewhat simpler and has fewer notes, which I imagine to be an advantage.'

Paul Huang, violin
Adrian Spence, flute
Jose Franch-Ballester, clarinet
Ani Aznavoorian, cello
Warren Jones, piano
Amy Schwartz Moretti, violin
Richard O’Neill, viola

Recorded in January and May, 2014 at the Recital Hall, SUNY Purchase, New York
Recording engineer, editor by Adam Abeshouse
Executive Producer: Robina G. Young

Camerata Pacifica
is one of the most notable chamber music organizations in the country, distinctive not only for its exceptional artistic quality, but also for its dynamic sense of community. The group's exceptional international artists have been drawn together over the course of many seasons, and provided with the rehearsal and performance environment necessary to form an ensemble unique in style and sensibility. The bond between the artists is clear, as is theirs’ with the audience. The Los Angeles Times recently highlighted the emphasis of Spence’s work: “What was out of the ordinary was the wildly enthusiastic response that each work received. Whatever it's doing, Camerata Pacifica seems to be cultivating a passionate audience – and that’s good news.”

The intellectual curiosity of the Camerata Pacifica audience is evident at every performance, where a broad range of programming is presented in a manner both welcoming and provocative. Over the course of 24 seasons, Camerata Pacifica has developed a loyal following and now presents resident series in Santa Barbara, Ventura, Pasadena & Los Angeles, in small, intimate venues maximizing the impact of the music.

Camerata Pacifica has a strong commissioning program which began prominently with “Winter Roses”, a song cycle by Jake Heggie and premiered with Frederica von Stade. In 2006 Spence announced an initiative, commissioning seven works from three composers: Ian Wilson, Huang Ruo and Lera Auerbach. The first commission, Wilson’s Messenger Concerto for Violin and Chamber Ensemble, received its premiere with 5 Southern Californian performances in May 2007 and a subsequent tour to The Library of Congress in Washington DC, New York’s Morgan Library & Museum, Dublin’s National Concert Hall, London’s Wigmore Hall, and venues in Northern Ireland. The Irish Times referred to the Camerata as a “miracle of modern artistic organisation” and London’s Daily Telegraph referred to the ensemble as, “a very serious group of fine artists, both innovative and intrepid.” The portfolio expanded to include works by MacArthur geniuses Bright Sheng, and John Harbison whose String Trio is to premier in September 2014 coincident with the release of a Camerata Pacifica recording of Harbison’s music by the Harmonia Mundi label.

Adrian Spence
Under the leadership of Adrian Spence, Camerata Pacifica has become one of the most notable chamber music organizations in the country, distinctive not only for its exceptional artistic quality, but also for its dynamic sense of community. Spence carefully selected the group’s exceptional international artists over the course of many seasons, giving them the rehearsal and performance environment necessary to form an ensemble unique in style and sensibility. The bond between the artists is clear, as is theirs with the audience. The Los Angeles Times recently highlighted the emphasis of Spence’s work: “What was out of the ordinary was the wildly enthusiastic response that each work received. Whatever it’s doing, Camerata Pacifica seems to be cultivating a passionate audience – and that’s good news.”

Spence’s conviction of this music’s viability and of the intellectual curiosity of the Camerata Pacifica audience is evident at every performance, where a broad range of programming is presented in a manner both welcoming and provocative. Over the course of 21 seasons Camerata Pacifica has developed a loyal following and now presents resident series in Santa Barbara, Ventura, San Marino & Los Angeles. As an administrator, Spence created a business model that permits the presentation of world class artists in small, intimate venues, thereby preserving the essence of ‘chamber music.’

Spence views classical music as an inviolable record of human emotional history, with distinctions such as period and style less critical to a vital performance than the communication of the expressive intent of the composer. The entire canon is part of that record and the creation of music of our time is essential. Camerata’s commissioning began prominently with “Winter Roses”, a song cycle by Jake Heggie and premiered with Frederica von Stade. In 2006 Spence announced a major commissioning initiative, commissioning seven works from three composers: Ian Wilson, Huang Ruo and Lera Auerbach. The first commission, Wilson’s Messenger Concerto for Violin and Chamber Ensemble, received its premiere with 5 Southern Californian performances in May 2007 and a subsequent tour to The Library of Congress in Washington DC, New York’s Morgan Library & Museum, Dublin’s National Concert Hall, London’s Wigmore Hall and venues in Northern Ireland. The Irish Times referred to the Camerata as a “miracle of modern artistic organisation” and London’s Daily Telegraph referred to the ensemble as, “a very serious group of fine artists, both innovative and intrepid.” The current season features premieres by Bright Sheng and Huang Ruo, and a multi-media work is under development with Thea Musgrave.

Spence comes from Newtownards in County Down, Northern Ireland. He has three children, Erin, Keiran and Kaeli, is a master-rated skydiver with 900 skydives, and most recently obtained his Advanced Scuba Certification.

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