The Knights – the ground beneath our feet (2015)
FLAC (tracks) 24 bit/96 kHz | Time – 1:15:21 minutes | 1,45 GB | Genre: Classical
Studio Master, Official Digital Download | Source: highresaudio.com | Digital Booklet | @ Warner Classics
Recorded live at Dumbarton Oaks, Washington, DC, October 7-8, 2013.
Recorded live in concert at Dumbarton Oaks in DC, to commemorate the 75th anniversary of Stravinsky’s chamber concerto at the Washington estate for which it was originally named, ‘the ground beneath our feet’ brings together radically divergent examples of the concerto grosso, by composers ranging from Bach and Haydn to those of the present day, by way of modern masters Stravinsky and Steve Reich. True to their collegial creed, The Knights’ own contribution to the form – the title track, …the ground beneath our feet, recorded here for the first time – is a genuine group composition, collaborative from inception to interpretation. Also receiving its world premiere recording is the Concerto for Santur, Violin, and Orchestra, which represents the third collaboration between longtime friends and musical partners Colin Jacobsen and Siamak Aghaei, leading exponent of the Iranian santur, or hammered dulcimer. The Knights juxtapose these two original concerto grossi with four earlier examples of the form. Representing its apotheosis in the Baroque is the Concerto for Violin and Oboe by J.S. Bach, whose third Brandenburg Concerto provided the model for Stravinsky’s neoclassical masterpiece “Dumbarton Oaks.” Steve Reich’s Duet for Two Violins and Strings is dedicated to Yehudi Menuhin and “the ideals of international understanding which he practiced throughout his life.”
The concerto grosso is a Baroque concept and form, wherein a small group of soloists (the concertino) is pitted against a larger ensemble (the ripieno), and the alternations of material between these groups give the music its feeling of virtuosity and mounting excitement. This 2015 album by the Knights presents five pieces styled on the concerto grosso scheme, and the most authentic example is J.S. Bach’s Concerto for violin and oboe, a model for many composers exploring concertante ideas. Two works that take Bach as a jumping off point are Steve Reich’s minimalist Duet for two violins and strings, and Igor Stravinsky’s neo-classical “Dumbarton Oaks” Concerto, which invokes Bach’s Brandenburg Concertos. Taking the concerto grosso idea further afield, Colin Jacobsen and Siamak Aghei present their Concerto for santur (a trapezoidal hammered dulcimer), violin, and orchestra, and the group-composed work, …the ground beneath our feet, which includes the song, “Fade Away,” sung by vocalist Christina Courtin. The program has an eclectic feeling, due to its even mix of classical, modern, international, and folk elements, and this may be an attraction or a hindrance. Fans of crossover music will enjoy the Knights’ fluidity between different kinds of music, and the ease of their exchanges gives the album a feeling of spontaneity and freshness. However, strictly classical listeners may appreciate the Bach and Stravinsky more readily than the other less predictably structured pieces. –AllMusic Review by Blair Sanderson
Tracklist:
Steve Reich (b. 1936)
1. Duet for Two Violins and Strings 06:03
Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750)
Concerto for violin & oboe in C minor, BWV 1060R
2. I. Allegro 04:42
3. II. Adagio 04:31
4. III. Allegro 03:22
Igor Stravinsky (1882-1971)
Concerto in E flat major “Dumbarton Oaks”
5. I. Tempo giusto 04:49
6. II. Allegretto 04:22
7. III. Con moto 06:05
Colin Jacobsen (b. 1978) / Siamak Aghaei (b. 1974)
Concerto for santur, violin & orchestra
8. I. Prelude – Invocation of a Bakhshi 03:31
9. II. Part 1 – Twisting, the Vine is Strengthened 03:56
10. III. Part 2 – The Circle tends Inwards… 07:12
11. IV. Part 3 – And Outwards… 11:40
The Knights
12. the ground beneath our feet 15:08
The Knights:
Violin – Colin Jacobsen (concertmaster), Christina Courtin, Johnny Gandelsman, Ariana Kim, Guillaume Pirard, Amie Weiss
Viola – Kyle Armbrust, Max Mandel, Miranda Sielaff
Cello – Alex Greenbaum, Eric Jacobsen
Bass – Shawn Conley, Grey Fulmer
Flute – Alex Sopp
Oboe – Michelle Farah, Adam Hollander
Clarinet – Agnes Marchione
Bassoon – Edward A. Burns
Horn – Michael P. Atkinson, Jason Sugata
Harpsichord – Paolo Bordignon
Percussion – Shane Shanahan
Download:
TheKnightsthegrundbeneathurfeet20159624.part1.rar
TheKnightsthegrundbeneathurfeet20159624.part2.rar