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Igor Raykhelson: Jazz Suite and other works
Catalogue Number: TOCC0055
Little Symphony for Strings in G minor
Igor Raykhelson, piano In the words of his friend the violist and conductor Yuri Bashmet, the composer-pianist Igor Raykhelson – born in Leningrad in 1961 and now resident in New York – ‘possesses a superb mastery of both classical and jazz idioms’. The highly individual fusion of styles that results, Bashmet continues, ‘elevates his music over that of many other composers creating in the genre often referred to as “crossover”’. The Jazz Suite on this CD exhibits Raykhelson’s popular style at its most infectiously catchy; the other three works here – in the Russian tradition of writing for strings initiated by Tchaikovsky – present the more classical side of his muse. Liner Notes (PDF) |
Track Listing, MP3 Downloads and Streaming Samples
| Track No. | Track Title / Details | Duration | Sample | Add to Cart | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DOWNLOAD COMPLETE ALBUM | 67:00 | ||||
| 1-4 | Little Symphony for Strings in G minor (2005) Igor Raykhelson, composer Moscow-Soloists, ensemble (first recording) |
19:31 | |||
| 1 | I. Alla Waltz | 7:26 |
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| 2 | II. Scherzando | 1:35 |
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| 3 | III. Adagio | 5:47 |
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| 4 | IV. Allegro | 4:43 |
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| 5 | Reflections for Violin, Viola and Strings (2005) Igor Raykhelson, composer Yuri Bashmet, conductor, viola Elena Revich, violin Moscow-Soloists, ensemble (first recording) |
9:54 |
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| 6 | Adagio for Viola and Strings (2005) Igor Raykhelson, composer Moscow-Soloists, ensemble Yuri Bashmet, conductor, viola (first recording) |
5:58 |
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| 7-13 | Jazz Suite for Viola, Saxophone and Orchestra (2005) Igor Butman, saxophone Igor Raykhelson, composer, piano Yuri Golubev, double-bass Eduard Zizak, drums Moscow-Soloists, ensemble Yuri Bashmet, conductor, viola (first recording) |
31:37 | |||
| 7 | I. Theme | 4:49 |
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| 8 | II. Fusion | 3:27 |
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| 9 | III. Jazz Waltz – "Take Three" | 5:06 |
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| 10 | IV. Fugue | 1:31 |
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| 11 | V. Swing | 2:54 |
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| 12 | VI. Consolation | 5:40 |
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| 13 | VII. Finale | 8:10 |
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Artists
Igor Raykhelson, composer, piano
Yuri Bashmet, viola, conductor
Elena Revich, violin
Igor Butman, saxophone
Yuri Golubev, double-bass
Eduard Zizak, drums
Moscow-Soloists, ensemble
Reviews
The Adagio for viola and strings is a beautiful work, with a strong sense of emotion. Bashmet plays with richness of tone and musical elegance....This was an interesting disc, with some lovely moments....[W]orthy of exploration.
Carla Rees MusicWeb International
Back in the 1920s, composers such as Gershwin, Antheil, Milhaud and Stravinsky were able to create a convincing fusion of so-called classical and jazz elements in their music. More recently, however, attempts to bridge these two musical idioms have been far less convincing, the results often sounding stiff or opportunistically commercial. Fortunately none of these criticisms can be leveled against the Russian-born pianist and composer Igor Raykhelson whose seven-movement Jazz Suite featuring the distinctive talents of saxophonist Igor Butman and charismatic violist Yuri Bashmet, must be regarded as one of the most exhilarating and inventive works of its kind.
The secret rests with Raykhelson’s striking harmonic language, owing something to Shostakovich but also permeated with jazz inflections, and strongly memorable melodic ideas. These gifts also stand him in particularly good stead in the more introspective Reflections for violin, viola and strings, both projected with evident affection by the work’s original performers. Structurally the Little Symphony for Strings may ramble in places, though once again the combination of Raykhelson’s natural fluency, the persuasive playing of the Moscow Soloists and fine engineering sweeps away and lingering doubts.
Erik Levi BBC Music Magazine
Beautifully Played
Patric Standford Music & Vision
COMPOSERS were big losers in the collapse of communism. Unwanted in the new Russia, they dispersed abroad, seeking a meagre livelihood.
Raykhelson, 46, born in Leningrad, plies jazz clubs and chamber halls in New York. His Little Symphony for Strings is a deceptively classical piece with lashings of ironic commentary, rather like the young Prokofiev visiting the Chernobyl disaster site. Even more captivating is a five-minute Adagio for viola and strings that Yuri Bashmet delivers tenderly and without virtuosic showiness as an internal meditation on dashed idylls — perfect for late-night listening.
The second half of the disc is a jazz suite for viola, saxophone and band, part scored, part improvised, a cross between New Orleans nostalgia and Soviet-era samizdat gatherings where musicians shook off the shackles of state and let it swing for a few hours of free expression.
Raykhelson is the latest discovery on Toccata Classics, a British label devoted to neglected composers. He won't be ignored much longer.
Evening Standard
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