Aho: Moonlight Con Alto Fl Concerto [SACD]

Sharon Bezaly - Aho: Moonlight Con Alto Fl Concerto [SACD]

This recording is dedicated to two recent concertos by_x000D_ Kalevi Aho, one of Finland's foremost contemporary_x000D_ composers. The author of a body of work as important_x000D_ as it is varied, Aho enjoys collaborating with exceptional_x000D_ soloists, for whom he composes works that highlight_x000D_ their musical qualities, inventiveness and personality._x000D_ _x000D_ The Concerto for Alto Flute and Strings features an_x000D_ instrument with a soft tone, well suited as a soloist with_x000D_ a small orchestra of strings alone. The work is in six_x000D_ movements played without interruption, and the soloist,_x000D_ Sharon Bezaly, sometimes switches to the bass flute,_x000D_ which brings a mystical feel to the music. The St Michel_x000D_ Strings and their conductor, Erkki Lasonpalo, contribute_x000D_ to the mysterious atmosphere in which lyrical and_x000D_ dramatic episodes abound._x000D_ _x000D_ The Double Concerto for Viola, Percussion and_x000D_ Orchestra, entitled 'Moonlight Concerto', was composed_x000D_ at the initiative of a Berlin-based musician couple, violist_x000D_ Hiyoli Togawa and percussionist Alexej Gerassimez._x000D_ Here we are immersed in a Japanese atmosphere that_x000D_ reveals echoes of the 1,000-year-old tradition of_x000D_ ritualistic gagaku music. In this work, the percussionist_x000D_ plays instruments that are not usually heard in_x000D_ orchestral concerts, such as the moon gong, the_x000D_ waterphone, a hang drum and nine Thai gongs. The_x000D_ Lahti Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Anja_x000D_ Bihlmaier, provides the rich orchestral commentary.