Composer: Philip Glass, Jake Heggie, Tan Dun, Mark-Anthony Turnage
Performer: Alexey Botvinov
Orchestra: New Century Chamber Orchestra
Conductor: Daniel Hope
Format: FLAC (tracks)
Label: Deutsche Grammophon
Catalogue: 4864128
Release: 2023
Size: 1.23 GB
Recovery: +3%
Scan: yes
Glass: Piano Concerto No. 3
01. Movement I
02. Movement II
03. Movement III (for Arvo Pärt)
Tan Dun: Double Concerto
04. I. Misterioso
05. II. Misterioso
06. III. Misterioso
07. Turnage: Lament for Solo Violin & Orchestra
08. Heggie: Overture
Music For A New Century is a portrait of composition in postmodern times. Its quartet of pieces were all commissioned or co-commissioned by New Century Chamber Orchestra and stand as emblems of its wholehearted commitment to new work.
Its commitment to contemporary music has grown even stronger under the leadership of Daniel Hope. The multifaceted artist and musical activist worked with New Century as Artistic Partner in the 2017-18 season, before being appointed Music Director, a role he took up at the start of the 2018-19 season. A shared passion for excellence, innovation and exploration has subsequently informed the performances and other projects both he and New Century have undertaken.
The latest of these is Music for a New Century, a stunning new recording for Deutsche Grammophon made as part of the ensemble’s 30th-anniversary celebrations. Recorded at Stanford University’s Bing Concert Hall, the album features four recent compositions, all commissioned or co-commissioned by New Century.
Music for a New Century has a double meaning here in this release by Deutsche Grammophon. First, all of the composers were known, to lesser or greater degrees, for their music in the 20th century. However, the present works were all written well into the 21st (“new”) century. The other meaning, which is more obvious the closer you look at this release, is that the featured New Century Chamber Orchestra was involved in the commission of the works being performed. The New Century group performs without a conductor, and this release displays the attentiveness and sensitivity of the orchestra’s musicians. Following the wildly successful Concert for Peace and the subsequent Deutsche Grammophon release Music for Ukraine, pianist Alexey Botvinov reunites with Daniel Hope, the music director of New Century Chamber Orchestra, for the Piano Concerto No. 3 of Philip Glass and the Double Concerto of Tan Dun. Botvinov and his Odessa Classics Festival co-commissioned the Tan Dun work, and these same forces premiered the work in 2021. The program concludes with the celebratory Overture by Jake Heggie, written on commission for Hope and the orchestra from two of the group’s board members marking the orchestra’s 30th anniversary. This is, as indicated in the track list, a joyful work, putting it somewhat at odds with the tone of the preceding music. Each work receives an excellent performance and should be worthy of consideration by audiences with varying degrees of interest in new music, yet the structure and sequencing of the program leaves something to be desired. However, this is only a minor quibble and will likely depend on each individual listener. Music for a New Century is another successful venture from Hope, and one looks forward to hearing more from this excellent chamber orchestra.