Based on the traditional Sephardic song 'Morenika' from Thessaloniki, Greece
Played on an octave mandolin
Lento - Più mosso
MIROSLAV TADIC
(dates unknown)
23.
Walk Dance
3:22
Based on a traditional Macedonian folk dance
To Scott Tennant
Allegro vivo
ARMIN KAUFMANN
(1902-1980)
premiere recording
24.
Burletta, Op. 62 (1953-54)
2:44
Allegro assai - Poco meno mosso - Allegro assai
premiere recording
25.
Mitoka Dragomirna, Op. 63 (1953-54)
2:15
Vivo
79:49
23 and 23 January 2009
Notes
SOUVENIRS FOR MANDOLIN AND GUITAR – ALISON STEPHENS AND CRAIG OGDEN
In 1999 Chandos released an album featuring Music from the Novels of Louis de Bernières (CHAN 9780) to great acclaim, and it launched the ingenious partnership of the mandolin player Alison Stephens and guitarist Craig Ogden. They have been performing together nationally and internationally ever since and this new disc celebrates their decade-long musical partnership. They have said, ‘It should prove a very eclectic and interesting album that will appeal to a wide variety of plucked-instrument lovers as well as proving easy to listen to and offering an immediately appealing sound world for all music lovers. The pieces have certainly proved popular when they have been performed at concerts’. The album contains premier recordings of Burletta and Mitoka Dragomirna by Armin Kaufmann, Diferencias by Victor Kioulaphides, Mount Fuji by Alison Stephens and Suite Venezolana by José Antonio Zambrano. Alison will donate her royalties from the sale of this disc to Macmillan Cancer Support. The artists will perform at a number of concerts in the UK in September and October, with profits going to Macmillan Cancer Support. You may follow their fundraising efforts by visiting www.alisonstephens.com.
This album of rarely recorded repertoire follows the much admired previous release of 1999: the Music from the Novels of Louis de Bernieres (CHAN 9780). This album was the start of a very successful musical duo that has been performing in concert and on tour across the UK and around the world for the last 10 years.
Both the mandolin and guitar are intrinsically linked to indigenous music from across the world. This CD is a celebration of a ten year musical partnership and of two incredibly hardy and adaptable instruments which have the unusual ability to bridge musical styles and cultures in a way that perhaps few other instruments can. Through their joint venture, Craig and Alison have developed a repertoire of unusual music from Columbia, Mexico, Greece and many other countries to go alongside their more classical concert repertoire.
Craig and Ali remark; ‘It should prove a very eclectic and interesting album that would appeal to a wide variety of plucked instrument lovers as well as an easy to listen to and immediately lovable sound world for all music lovers. The pieces have certainly proved popular when they have been performed at concerts. ‘
The album contains the premiere recordings Armin Kaufmann, Diferencias by Kiouphides, Mount Fiji by Stephens and Suite Venezolano by Zambrano
There is an added element to this album as Alison Stephens’ royalties are being donated to MacMillan Cancer Support.
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Reviews
Presenters Choice
“... Craig and Alison celebrate their 10 year partnership with a sunshine-infused concoction of charming pieces. There are musical snapshots of Greece, Colombia and Spain included in this heady, multi-cultural brew."
John Brunning - Classic FM Magazine - October 2009
“A beautifully performed disc that is brimming with fun and fire. “ Souvenirs” is a seriously fun disc: fun because of the festive nature of much of the music and of the obvious musical chemistry between Ogden and Stephens; serious because of the outstanding artistry and technical proficiency displayed by the two artists. Ogden and Stephens bring out the distinctive qualities of their respective instruments while exploiting to the full the potential for colour and drama within an ensemble context. The pairing of guitar and mandolin isn’t especially unusual; but listening to “Souvenirs”, there can be no doubt that what Ogden and Stephens do with it is.”
William Yeoman - Gramophone magazine - October 2009
Performance ***** Recording ****
“The mandolin’s plectrum-crisp metallic honey topping blends surprisingly smoothly with the fruitier, creamier, liquid sound of nails-and-flesh guitar nylon and wound metal. Especially when played with such poise, vitality and seamless understanding by two brilliant performers. There are two ‘special effects’ pieces: Boudounis’s dramatic guitar solo vividly imitating a belly-dance and Muñoz’s curio of solo mandolin impersonating a flamenco guitar. Alongside are delightful unpretentious, well-crafted tunes in a popular style, played with impeccable dynamic control, superb balance, and infectious sun. Hard to believe it’s only two instruments… Altogether enjoyable stuff.”
Rob Ainsley - BBC Music Magazine - November 2009
“Stephen’s graceful execution of rippling arpeggios in Nawata Masaji’s Sakura is a real treat, while Ogden shines in Miroslav Tadic’s driving Walk Dance. Their coupling of mandolin and guitar process to be as adaptable as it is charming. While the standard of playing will give fans of these instruments much to appreciate, general listeners buying this as a soundtrack to a sunny summer holiday will find they’ve struck gold." ????
Carl Herring - Muso - August/September 2009
Thankyou for high resolution download, everything was fine with that; however, upon returning to your site and looking for studio 24/96 opera I was disappointed to find that only a very small portion of 24/96 selection was indeed 24/96 or higher. I'm trying to build a high resolution only library so it's really quite time consuming to sift through reams of music with no positive result.
Further , I would not limit my next comment to just your web site. I've noticed that the release date of many opera albums does not even vaguely resemble the actual recording date because some of these performers have been dead for years. It would be nice to have the actual recording date and to be able to cut off a lot of old recordings in which I'm not interested nor ever will be. If you want people to buy, don't waste their time.
I hope these comments are of some help in your decisions.
w steeves
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