Mr McFall's Chamber - Solitudes: Baltic Reflections (2015)
Olli Mustonen, Zita Bruzaite, Aulis Sallinen, Erkki-Sven Tüür, Kalevi Aho
Arvo Pärt, Toivo Kärki, Jean Sibelius, Unto Mononen, Pēteris Vasks
EAC | FLAC | Image (Cue&Log) ~ 267 Mb | Mp3 (CBR320) ~ 154 Mb | Scans included
Genre: Classical, Contemporary | Label: Delphian | # DCD34156 | Time: 01:05:28
Olli Mustonen, Zita Bruzaite, Aulis Sallinen, Erkki-Sven Tüür, Kalevi Aho
Arvo Pärt, Toivo Kärki, Jean Sibelius, Unto Mononen, Pēteris Vasks
EAC | FLAC | Image (Cue&Log) ~ 267 Mb | Mp3 (CBR320) ~ 154 Mb | Scans included
Genre: Classical, Contemporary | Label: Delphian | # DCD34156 | Time: 01:05:28
No one knows quite when tango was established in Finland, but the style has a long history there – still little known to outsiders – and combines rhythmic interest and yearning melody with a distinctively Nordic melancholy. In this ingeniously curated programme, two Finnish tangos from the 1950s and a tango-based work by Finnish classical composer Aulis Sallinen are woven into a bold tapestry of music from the Eastern Baltic seaboard. Longing, sadness, and a heightened sense of nature infuse all of these works, which also reveal intriguing stylistic connections: the rocking accompaniment of Sibelius’ 'Einsames Lied' seems to prefigure the ‘Baltic minimalism’ of Vasks, Pärt and Zita Bružaité, while Olli Mustonen’s 'Toccata' alternates rhythmic verve with a rich vein of reflective memory. These original compositions are complemented by Robert McFall’s own sensitive arrangements, for a core McFall’s lineup of five strings and piano, and the programme culminates in a truly unique version of Sibelius’s famous 'Finlandia' Hymn.
Mr McFall’s Chamber has collaborated with a number of singer/songwriters, including Michael Marra and Valentina Montoya Martínez (both of whom have recorded CDs for Delphian with the group). It is also dedicated to commissioning new work from both well-known and unknown composers, and has premiered and toured pieces by James MacMillan, Gavin Bryars, Eddie McGuire, Kenneth Dempster, Cecilia MacDowall, Chick Lyall, Phil Bancroft, Fraser Fifield, Tim Garland and many more. Two McFall’s commissions, Martin Suckling’s 'What shall I give?' and Martin Kershaw’s 'Closing In', were both shortlisted as finalists for the 2011 BASCA British Composer Awards.
Not just another mood disc hung off Baltic longing, tragedy and melancholy, but one whose view of the Baltic encompasses Finland – a kindred spirit to Latvia, Luthiania and Estonia in its orthodox-tinged melancholy but also a country rather obsessed with tango. ‘Nobody quite knows when tango was established in Finland,’ says the blurb. When you hear Toivo Kärki’s Täysikuu spring out of the desolation that is Arvo Pärt’s Für Alina (wondrously played by Maria Martinova), you get a vivid picture of an oppressed people glimpsing the light relief of the Argentinian dance form that they went on to make their own (though with all minor keys, naturally).
At the centre of the disc is Pēteris Vasks’s fragile Little Summer Music, six short movements in which the joy of sunshine is hesitant, veiled – a summer whose revelry dare not speak its name (it was written while Latvia, that country of outdoor summer song, was still under Soviet occupation). That’s preceded by Kalevi Aho’s intricately weaved Lamento for two violas, Erkki-Sven Tüür’s brittle Dedication for cello and piano, Aulis Sallinen’s rhapsodic Introduction and Tango Overture and Zita Bružaitė’s haunting Bangos for solo piano, its repetition of one-bar units creating an unmistakably Baltic sound. The disc opens with Olli Mustonen’s Toccata, which has its own Baltic glances, and ends with a rendition of Sibelius’s Finlandia Hymn in which the tune is played on a musical saw – at once absurd, comic and saddening, like an Aki Kaurismäki film.
Full marks for originality of concept and for execution, which has all this ensemble’s trademark style and communicative nous, and for a fascinating booklet-note by Ivan Moody. But after a few listens, I’m all at sea when it comes to any sort of sonic thread or journey in a musical menu that enters the ear with wild and tenuous contrasts, for all its fascinating theoretic consistencies.Review by Andrew Mellor, Gramophone
Mr McFall's Chamber:
Violin - Robert McFall (tracks: 1, 3, 13 to 16)
Viola - Brian Schiele (tracks: 1, 3, 5 13 to 16), Robert McFall (tracks: 5)
Cello - Su-a Lee (tracks: 1, 3, 4 13 to 16)
Double Bass - Rick Standley (tracks: 1, 3, 13 to 16)
collaborators:
Violin - Cyril Garac (tracks: 1, 3, 6 to 11, 13 to 16)
Piano - Maria Martinova (tracks: 1 to 4, 6 to 16)
Recording venue(s): St Mary’s Parish Church, Whitekirk, East Lothian
Recording dates: 8-9 December 2014
Tracklist:
01. Olli Mustonen (b.1967): Toccata (12:01)
02. Zita Bružaitė (b.1966): Bangos (04:52)
03. Aulis Sallinen (b.1935): Introduction and Tango Overture (10:13)
04. Erkki-Sven Tüür (b.1959): Dedication (07:28)
05. Kalevi Aho (b.1949): Lamento (04:48)
Pēteris Vasks (b.1946): Little Summer Music
06. Broad, resonant (01:45)
07. Unhurried (01:29)
08. Energetic (01:22)
09. Sad (03:05)
10. Joyful (01:53)
11. Broad, resonant (02:30)
12. Arvo Pärt (b.1935): Für Alina (02:52)
13. Toivo Kärki (1915-1992): Täysikuu (03:11)
14. Jean Sibelius (1865-1957): Einsames Lied (02:34)
15. Unto Mononen (1930-1968): Satumaa (02:51)
16. Jean Sibelius: Finlandia Hymn (02:27)
Exact Audio Copy V1.1 from 23. June 2015
EAC extraction logfile from 14. February 2016, 17:10
Mr McFall's Chamber / Solitudes - Baltic Reflections
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==== Log checksum 9D13429BA3DB1D4ADC42D8C6C781190CD2B27059FC94DD0C27AD85997F2D4547 ====
EAC extraction logfile from 14. February 2016, 17:10
Mr McFall's Chamber / Solitudes - Baltic Reflections
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Utilize accurate stream : Yes
Defeat audio cache : Yes
Make use of C2 pointers : No
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Fill up missing offset samples with silence : Yes
Delete leading and trailing silent blocks : No
Null samples used in CRC calculations : Yes
Used interface : Native Win32 interface for Win NT & 2000
Used output format : User Defined Encoder
Selected bitrate : 128 kBit/s
Quality : High
Add ID3 tag : No
Command line compressor : C:\Program Files (x86)\Exact Audio Copy\Flac\flac.exe
Additional command line options : -V -8 -T "Date=%year%" -T "Genre=%genre%" %source%
TOC of the extracted CD
Track | Start | Length | Start sector | End sector
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1 | 0:00.00 | 12:01.01 | 0 | 54075
2 | 12:01.01 | 4:52.59 | 54076 | 76034
3 | 16:53.60 | 10:13.44 | 76035 | 122053
4 | 27:07.29 | 7:28.45 | 122054 | 155698
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6 | 39:24.40 | 1:45.13 | 177340 | 185227
7 | 41:09.53 | 1:29.07 | 185228 | 191909
8 | 42:38.60 | 1:22.40 | 191910 | 198099
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10 | 47:06.41 | 1:53.48 | 211991 | 220513
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==== Log checksum 9D13429BA3DB1D4ADC42D8C6C781190CD2B27059FC94DD0C27AD85997F2D4547 ====
foobar2000 1.2 / Dynamic Range Meter 1.1.1
log date: 2017-02-02 01:16:27
––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
Analyzed: Cyril Garac, Maria Martinova / Solitudes - Baltic Reflections
––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
DR Peak RMS Duration Track
––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
DR12 -9.50 dB -25.33 dB 1:45 06-Peteris Vasks: Little Summer Music - Broad, resonant
DR12 -6.69 dB -25.95 dB 1:29 07-Peteris Vasks: Little Summer Music - Unhurried
DR12 -0.36 dB -19.11 dB 1:23 08-Peteris Vasks: Little Summer Music - Energetic
DR14 -4.47 dB -26.21 dB 3:05 09-Peteris Vasks: Little Summer Music - Sad
DR12 -2.08 dB -18.53 dB 1:54 10-Peteris Vasks: Little Summer Music - Joyful
DR13 -3.42 dB -24.09 dB 2:31 11-Peteris Vasks: Little Summer Music - Broad, resonant
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Samplerate: 44100 Hz
Channels: 2
Bits per sample: 16
Bitrate: 562 kbps
Codec: FLAC
================================================================================
––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
Analyzed: Maria Martinova / Solitudes - Baltic Reflections
––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
DR Peak RMS Duration Track
––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
DR11 -6.88 dB -21.82 dB 4:53 02-Zita Bruzaite: Bangos
DR14 -25.04 dB -45.57 dB 2:52 12-Arvo Pärt: Für Alina
––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
Number of tracks: 2
Official DR value: DR12
Samplerate: 44100 Hz
Channels: 2
Bits per sample: 16
Bitrate: 562 kbps
Codec: FLAC
================================================================================
––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
Analyzed: Mr McFall's Chamber / Solitudes - Baltic Reflections
––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
DR Peak RMS Duration Track
––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
DR14 -0.38 dB -20.19 dB 12:01 01-Olli Mustonen: Toccata
DR14 -0.36 dB -19.10 dB 10:14 03-Aulis Sallinen: Introduction and Tango Overture
DR12 -6.57 dB -22.11 dB 3:12 13-Toivo Kärki: Täysikuu
DR13 -10.16 dB -29.03 dB 2:34 14-Jean Sibelius: Einsames Lied
DR12 -4.37 dB -18.82 dB 2:51 15-Unto Mononen: Satumaa
DR11 -4.40 dB -20.32 dB 2:28 16-Jean Sibelius: Finlandia Hymn
––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
Number of tracks: 6
Official DR value: DR13
Samplerate: 44100 Hz
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Bitrate: 562 kbps
Codec: FLAC
================================================================================
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Statistics for: 05-Kalevi Aho: Lamento
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Duration: 4:49
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Left Right
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Statistics for: 04-Erkki-Sven Tüür: Dedication
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Duration: 7:29
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Left Right
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Bitrate: 562 kbps
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================================================================================
log date: 2017-02-02 01:16:27
––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
Analyzed: Cyril Garac, Maria Martinova / Solitudes - Baltic Reflections
––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
DR Peak RMS Duration Track
––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
DR12 -9.50 dB -25.33 dB 1:45 06-Peteris Vasks: Little Summer Music - Broad, resonant
DR12 -6.69 dB -25.95 dB 1:29 07-Peteris Vasks: Little Summer Music - Unhurried
DR12 -0.36 dB -19.11 dB 1:23 08-Peteris Vasks: Little Summer Music - Energetic
DR14 -4.47 dB -26.21 dB 3:05 09-Peteris Vasks: Little Summer Music - Sad
DR12 -2.08 dB -18.53 dB 1:54 10-Peteris Vasks: Little Summer Music - Joyful
DR13 -3.42 dB -24.09 dB 2:31 11-Peteris Vasks: Little Summer Music - Broad, resonant
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Number of tracks: 6
Official DR value: DR13
Samplerate: 44100 Hz
Channels: 2
Bits per sample: 16
Bitrate: 562 kbps
Codec: FLAC
================================================================================
––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
Analyzed: Maria Martinova / Solitudes - Baltic Reflections
––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
DR Peak RMS Duration Track
––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
DR11 -6.88 dB -21.82 dB 4:53 02-Zita Bruzaite: Bangos
DR14 -25.04 dB -45.57 dB 2:52 12-Arvo Pärt: Für Alina
––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
Number of tracks: 2
Official DR value: DR12
Samplerate: 44100 Hz
Channels: 2
Bits per sample: 16
Bitrate: 562 kbps
Codec: FLAC
================================================================================
––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
Analyzed: Mr McFall's Chamber / Solitudes - Baltic Reflections
––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
DR Peak RMS Duration Track
––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
DR14 -0.38 dB -20.19 dB 12:01 01-Olli Mustonen: Toccata
DR14 -0.36 dB -19.10 dB 10:14 03-Aulis Sallinen: Introduction and Tango Overture
DR12 -6.57 dB -22.11 dB 3:12 13-Toivo Kärki: Täysikuu
DR13 -10.16 dB -29.03 dB 2:34 14-Jean Sibelius: Einsames Lied
DR12 -4.37 dB -18.82 dB 2:51 15-Unto Mononen: Satumaa
DR11 -4.40 dB -20.32 dB 2:28 16-Jean Sibelius: Finlandia Hymn
––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
Number of tracks: 6
Official DR value: DR13
Samplerate: 44100 Hz
Channels: 2
Bits per sample: 16
Bitrate: 562 kbps
Codec: FLAC
================================================================================
––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
Statistics for: 05-Kalevi Aho: Lamento
Number of samples: 12724908
Duration: 4:49
––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
Left Right
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Avg RMS: -29.29 dB –- -28.90 dB
DR channel: 13.53 dB –- 12.97 dB
––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
Official DR Value: DR13
Samplerate: 44100 Hz
Channels: 2
Bits per sample: 16
Bitrate: 562 kbps
Codec: FLAC
================================================================================
––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
Statistics for: 04-Erkki-Sven Tüür: Dedication
Number of samples: 19783260
Duration: 7:29
––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
Left Right
Peak Value: -0.89 dB –- -1.64 dB
Avg RMS: -22.33 dB –- -22.75 dB
DR channel: 14.56 dB –- 14.50 dB
––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
Official DR Value: DR15
Samplerate: 44100 Hz
Channels: 2
Bits per sample: 16
Bitrate: 562 kbps
Codec: FLAC
================================================================================