Julian Anderson
Alhambra Fantasy
BBC Symphony Orchestra
London Sinfonietta
Oliver Knussen, conductor
Track listing
6 tracks · 76:25Listen to samples on selected tracks.
Julian Anderson
- 1 Khorovod (1994) 13:00
- 2 The Stations of the Sun (1998) 18:15
- 3 The Crazed Moon (1997) 13:27
- 4 Alhambra Fantasy (2000) 11:18
- Diptych (1990) 9:14
- 5 Parades 9:14
- 6 Pavillons en l'Air 11:11
About this recording
This disc represents Julian Anderson's much-awaited recording début, featuring the première recordings of five of his most important works to date. Diptych (1990) was his first acknowledged work; it won the 1992 Royal Philharmonic Society Prize for Young Composers and was subsequently nominated as the BBC entry in the 1996 International Rostrum of Composers in Paris. Anderson's two commissions for the London Sinfonietta, Khorovod (1994) and Alhambra Fantasy (2000), have been widely performed by leading ensembles across Europe and the USA. His other most played works include the orchestral BBC Proms commission The Stations of the Sun (1998). A terrifying poem by W.B. Yeats, as well as the experience of a lunar eclipse in March 1996 gave the inspiration to The Crazed Moon (1997), commissioned by BBC Wales.
The recording was produced in association with the BBC Symphony Orchestra (tracks 2, 3, 5, 6) and the London Sinfonietta (1, 4). The composer himself was closely involved in the production process and as author of the booklet's liner notes.
Features
Booklet with liner notes written by the composer, in English, French and German
Press
Anderson has for some years now been touted as one of the leading figures in contemporary music, numbering figures like Oliver Knussen (the conductor on the winning disc) among his champions, and winning awards along the way.
James Jolly, 2007 Classic FM Gramophone Award, Best Contemporary
For more than a decade British composer Julian Anderson has been consolidating his reputation as a leading talent. This first CD shows that talent at full stretch. The music is always direct in its tone of voice and unfailingly approachable.
Arnold Whittal, Gramophone, September 2006, Editor's Choice
The big orchestral canvases show Anderson's priceless gift for making complex formal shapes totally lucid. Oliuver Knusson's beautifully integrated performances with both the BBC Symphony and the Sinfonietta help inestimably, too.
Andrew Clements, BBC Music Magazine, August 2006, Orchestral Choice
Anderson's stunning orchestral technique assures that the ear and mind are continually stimulated. Oliver Knussen (...) conducts (...) with passion and conviction, drawing virtuoso playing from the London Sinfonietta (...) and the BBC Symphony Orchestra.
Victor Carr Jr, ClassicsToday.com, August 2006, Artistic Quality 10 / Sound Quality 9
Oliver Knussen and the two British top ensembles are the best performers that Anderson could wish to interpret his works.
Hans-Christian v. Dadelsen, klassik-heute.com, August 14, 2006, 10 • 10 • 10
The artists
BBC Symphony Orchestra
The BBC Symphony Orchestra has played a central role at the heart of British musical life since it was founded in 1930. It provides the backbone of the BBC Proms, performing around a dozen concerts in the festival each year.
London Sinfonietta
The London Sinfonietta is one of the world’s leading contemporary music ensembles. Formed in 1968, the commitment to making new music has seen the orchestra commission over 400 works and premiere many hundreds more. Our ethos today is to constantly experiment with the art form, working with the best composers and performers and collaborating with artists from alternative genres and disciplines. We are committed to challenging perceptions, provoking new possibilities and stretching our audiences’ imaginations, often working closely with them as creators, performers and curators of the events we stage.
Oliver Knussen
One of the pre-eminent composer-conductors of his era, Oliver Knussen was born in Glasgow in 1952, grew up near London (where his father was principal Double Bass of the London Symphony Orchestra). Besides an Artist-in-Association with the Birmingham Contemporary Music Group and Richard Rodney Bennett he was Professor of Music at the Royal Academy of Music.