Hartke / Bjerken / Weiss- Oberlin Concertos (CD)
The concept that led to The Oberlin Concertos was initially hatched in a conversation between pianist and educator Xak Bjerken and a former student, Oberlin Conservatory composition professor Jesse Jones. It was Jones who suggested writing a chamber concerto to be premiered by his friend and mentor, and it was Bjerken-a former longtime member of the Los Angeles Piano Quartet and a veteran soloist with the L.A. Philharmonic and other ensembles-who was immediately hooked. Their plan gave rise to another commission-for the chair of Oberlin's Composition Department, Grammy Award-winner Stephen Hartke-and then another, for fellow composition faculty member Elizabeth Ogonek. The resulting works were recorded in three sessions over a two-year span, with Bjerken joining forces with Oberlin's Contemporary Music Ensemble and conductor Timothy Weiss in the conservatory's Clonick Hall studio, in addition to presenting the world- premiere performance of each piece on campus.
Tracklist:
- Ship Of State: Hanging Breathless
- Ship Of State: In Spite Of False Lights On The Shore
- Ship Of State: The Anchors Of Thy Hope
- Ship Of State: What Workmen Wrought
- Where Are We Now: I. We Have Come A Long Way
- Where Are We Now: II. There Was A Mountain
- Where Are We Now: III. Microlude
- Where Are We Now: IV. I Raised My Head
- Where Are We Now: V. A Doubt
- Where Are We Now: VI. Microlude
- Where Are We Now: VII. Let Memory Be
- Persona Mechanica, Op. 57: I. Giocosa
- Persona Mechanica, Op. 57: II. Dolente
- Persona Mechanica, Op. 57: III. Gioiosa
The concept that led to The Oberlin Concertos was initially hatched in a conversation between pianist and educator Xak Bjerken and a former student, Oberlin Conservatory composition professor Jesse Jones. It was Jones who suggested writing a chamber concerto to be premiered by his friend and mentor, and it was Bjerken-a former longtime member of the Los Angeles Piano Quartet and a veteran soloist with the L.A. Philharmonic and other ensembles-who was immediately hooked. Their plan gave rise to another commission-for the chair of Oberlin's Composition Department, Grammy Award-winner Stephen Hartke-and then another, for fellow composition faculty member Elizabeth Ogonek. The resulting works were recorded in three sessions over a two-year span, with Bjerken joining forces with Oberlin's Contemporary Music Ensemble and conductor Timothy Weiss in the conservatory's Clonick Hall studio, in addition to presenting the world- premiere performance of each piece on campus.
Tracklist:
- Ship Of State: Hanging Breathless
- Ship Of State: In Spite Of False Lights On The Shore
- Ship Of State: The Anchors Of Thy Hope
- Ship Of State: What Workmen Wrought
- Where Are We Now: I. We Have Come A Long Way
- Where Are We Now: II. There Was A Mountain
- Where Are We Now: III. Microlude
- Where Are We Now: IV. I Raised My Head
- Where Are We Now: V. A Doubt
- Where Are We Now: VI. Microlude
- Where Are We Now: VII. Let Memory Be
- Persona Mechanica, Op. 57: I. Giocosa
- Persona Mechanica, Op. 57: II. Dolente
- Persona Mechanica, Op. 57: III. Gioiosa