- Slovene
- Signum Records Ltd
- Alister Proctor
- Frederick Loewe
- Ben Parry: The Aldeburgh Carol
- Victoria era
- Emily Howard: Elliptics
- Mozart: String Quartet in D minor K 421
An Enterprising Addition
GERALD FENECH listens to music by Karl Jenkins
'... the trump card of this issue must be Jess Gillam ...'
Decca Records, I am sure, are absolutely thrilled to announce this new album Stravaganza of world-premiere recordings dedicated to works by world-renowned composer Sir Karl Jenkins. Featuring his saxophone concerto of the same name, written for and performed by star saxophonist Jess Gillam, the album also includes a vibrant reimagining of Jenkins' beloved work Palladio, heard here in a new orchestration by the composer.
Stravaganza, which means 'eccentric' in Italian, explores themes of carnival and extravagant fantasy and was written especially for Jess, inspired by her experience of first trying a saxophone at a carnival centre in her native Cumbria. The four-movement work blends Sir Karl's backgrounds in jazz and classical music, and features some truly virtuosic moments for the soprano saxophone, played here by Jess with her unimpeachable skill and expressiveness.
Listen — Karl Jenkins: Perambulation (Stravaganza)
(6565595 track 4, 2:12-3:09) ℗ 2024 Karl Jenkins Music Ltd :
Premiered in June 2023, the concerto was commissioned by BBC Radio 3 and the Deutsches Symphonie Orchester, who also gave the premiere with the soloist.
This is what the composer has to say about his work:
The piece is in 4 movements, and a certain eccentricity or quirkiness pervades throughout. In many ways it is programmatic, but the listener may create his or her eccentric fantasies.
Listen — Karl Jenkins: Wonky Wheels (Stravaganza)
(6565595 track 6, 0:02-0:59) ℗ 2024 Karl Jenkins Music Ltd :
Palladio Reimagined is an epic reworking of Karl's 1995 work Palladio for string orchestra. The original was inspired by sixteenth century architect Andrea Palladio, and was made famous by the De Beers TV advert 'A Diamond is Forever' in the 1990s. Again in Sir Karl's words:
Palladio seemed an ideal companion piece to 'Stravaganza' to balance the recording, but with changes I decided to add some wind instruments that came into baroque music to add a new timbre to the original instrumentation, and so 'Palladio Reimagined' was created. It is bigger, more dramatic and exciting and with a lot more colour than before, with different instruments swapping phrases like a musical 'Question and Answer'.
Listen — Karl Jenkins: Allegretto (Palladio Reimagined)
(6565595 track 1, 0:00-0:53) ℗ 2024 Karl Jenkins Music Ltd :
This innovative album forms part of the celebration for Sir Karl's eightieth birthday year, which have also included a special boxset, a documentary on his life and work on Marquee TV, a major UK tour and a lifetime deal with Decca - the first time the label has bestowed such an honour on any artist. The Independent labelled Jenkins as a rarity among contemporary composers, balancing innovation with popularity. Indeed, I cannot agree more and this latest imaginative issue is further testimony, if ever there was need, to the composer's fecundity for orchestral colour and dynamic mastery, not to mention Jenkins' natural gift for intricate orchestration.
Listen — Karl Jenkins: Largo (Palladio Reimagined)
(6565595 track 2, 5:00-5:49) ℗ 2024 Karl Jenkins Music Ltd :
Still, the trump card of this issue must be Jess Gillam, whose rendition of the saxophone concerto is a veritable tour-de-force of virtuosity and breath control that leave the listener in a state of constant admiration. An enterprising addition to the Jenkins discography that is a must for his legion of admirers and for those who want to go deeper into the artistic potential of this very fine modern composer, other than his Mass for Peace - The Armed Man. Notes and presentation are beyond reproach.
Copyright © 3 August 2024
Gerald Fenech,
Gzira, Malta
