Layla Ramezan - Layla Ramezan Plays 100 Years of Iranian Piano Music, Vol. 1 (2017) [Official Digital Download 24/96]

Over the years, Layla Ramezan has been in touch with Iranian composers all over the world, such as Hormoz Farhat, Behzad Ranjbaran, Alireza Mashaekhi, Ahmad Pejman, Nader Mashayekhi, Iradj Sahbaï, Fozié Majd and Reza Vali. As pianist of the Matka contemporary ensemble, she has been the instigator of several projects of inter-cultural musical contact with Iran: in 2013, she organised a four-month residency at the Maison Baron in Geneva for Karen Keyhani, following the Matka ensemble's commission of a work by this young Iranian composer. A concert was organised, entitled “A Contemporary Reading of Persian Music” and bringing together Iranian and French composers. In 2015 she set up a project comprising new works for small ensemble by Iranian, French, Swiss and American composers. These were premiered in February 2015 at the Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, United States, and performed again in Geneva.

In August 2014, she was invited to give a conference on contemporary piano notation at the Tehran University of Arts, as a prelude to two exceptional recitals in December 2014 which were entitled “100 Years of Iranian Piano Music”. For this event, she brought together almost twenty Iranian composers from all over the world, mixing styles and generations, and including many young creators from contemporary Iran.

The project „100 years of Iranian piano music“ continues all over the world, its scope ceaselessly expanding through the creation of new works by young composers or the study of pieces from the rich Iranian repertoire.

Tracklist:
01. Fantasy on a Note, Chord, Motif, Theme (Five Piano Pieces)
02. Nocturne (A Night In A Persian Garden)
03. Study
04. Three Folk Inventions 1
05. Three Folk Inventions 2
06. Three Folk Inventions 3
07. Dialogue 88: I.
08. Dialogue 88: II.
09. Dialogue 88: III.
10. Five Bagatelles For Piano: I. Allegro assai
11. Five Bagatelles For Piano: II. Lento assai
12. Five Bagatelles For Piano: III. Allegro molto
13. Five Bagatelles For Piano: IV. Adagio molto e tranquilo
14. Five Bagatelles For Piano: V. Allegro vivace
15. Reminiscences I
16. Reminiscences II
17. Reminiscences III
18. Reminiscences IV

Composers:
Darvishi, Mohammad-Reza (b.1955)
Farhat, Hormoz (b.1930)
Majd, Fozié (b.1983)
Mashayekhi, Nader (b.1958)
Ranjbaran, Behzad (b.1955)
Sahbai, Iradj (b.1945)
Vali, Reza (b.1952)

Personnel:
Layla Ramezan, piano