139.00 PLN

2 HiQualityCD:

Nr kat.: HQCD351
Label  : Chesky Records

Chesky's world is the island of Manhattan and his work invariably carries the spirit of that cornucopia know as the Big Apple. The composer's New York nature is also expressed on his two ballets included here - the rhythmically-charged Urbanicity, which uses jazz, funk, and rock as building blocks to create a new indigenous New York orchestral sound. Reviews Is David Chesky the Frank Zappa for the 21st Century? "David Chesky deserves major props for writing one of the best "classical" pieces yet to incorporate the electric guitar--a wonderful instrument that lots of modern composers use, mostly terribly. Leonard Bernstein managed it, and a few others, but Chesky's concerto is at once excitingly virtuosic, cogently structured, and true to the instrument's roots in rock and popular music. It's exceptionally well played by Bryan Baker, who in the notes says he spent eight hours a day learning it. The effort shows, but only in a good way. "Urbanicity and The New York Variations are ballets, which explains their rhythmic charge, but not their eclectic mixture of idioms and references, which are pure Chesky. Both have three movements. Urbanicity lives up to its title with a vengeance: the music might strike some listeners as overly relentless, but The New York Variations has more variety and (it seems to me) a wider expressive range. The performances, as in the concerto, are tip-top, and the sonics stunningly lifelike, with the electric guitar particularly well-balanced. A very enjoyable release by a distinctive compositional voice." -David Hurwitz, Classics Today EDITOR'S TOP PICKS, GuitarPlayer Magazine, March 2011: "Composed by David Chesky, with 24 year-old Bryan Baker in the electric guitar chair, this very contemporary and arguably landmark orchestral work incorporates numerous cultural threads-including bits of, funk, metal, and '60s pop and rock-with Baker's exciting and virtuosic playing showcased throughout. This challenging but ultimately accessible music rewards with repeated listening." HQ