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Dan Laurin - 21st-century music for recorder

 

Daniel Börtz A Joker´s Tales Concerto for Recorder and Large Orchestra
Ingvar Karkoff Concerto for Recorder and Wind Orchestra
Fredrik Österling Voices of Silence Six movements for recorder trio

 

Dan Laurin, recorder
Kgl. Stockholms Filharmoniska Orkester/Alan Gilbert
Östgöta Symphonic Wind Ensemble, orchestra/Petter Sundkvist
Trio Paradox, recorder trio


BIS-CD-1425 [TT: 58'35]

A notable sequel to the versatile recorder virtuoso Dan Laurin's exploration
of The Japanese Recorder [1993 BIS-CD-655] - an ear-opener into the possibilities of this, until fairly recently, humble school instrument - his new CD pits the recorder against a full symphony orchestra and a wind orchestra with unexpected success, and is a spectacular confirmation of its complete emancipation.

The recordings of these brand new works show that with skilled composers making all necessary allowances the recorder can adjust to different situations, despite its instrinsically modest dynamic level.

Börtz uses the piercing quality of the screeching sopranino to do the impossible; turning the full sonic weight of the orchestra upside-down. Throughout his clever composition he finds unusual and innovative solutions to the problems he sets himself. Karkoff sets himself the even greater challenge of using the delicate sounding tenor recorder. Obviously recording balance is not to be taken at face value, though it sounds convincing enough on this ground breaking CD.

The real test of it all would come in live performances, and I hope Laurin will have the opportunity to explore that in London, perhaps at one of the music colleges? More modest in its aspiration, but little less innovative, is the recorder trio which completes the CD; the liner note tells you which player has each part on the stereo spectrum - why don't recordings of two-piano music do that?

Full background information is instantly available at the click of your mouse, and from there you should also be able to "read more!", and "listen!" to 50% of each single-track concerto streamed on line, so I trust that the short note above will suffice to whet your appetite for a remarkable CD...?

See also review of Dan Laurin's recording of the 17 C Van Eyck's Pleasure Garden.


© Peter Grahame Woolf