Composer: Maurice Ravel, Barbara Assiginaak
Performer: Philip Chiu
Format: FLAC (tracks)
Label: ATMA
Catalogue: ACD22843
Release: 2022
Size: 904 MB
Recovery: +3%
Scan: yes
Ravel: String Quartet in F major
01. I. Allegro moderato
02. II. Assez vif, très rythmé
03. III. Très lent
04. IV. Vif et agité
Assiginaak: An Abundance of Insects, Book One
05. I. Water striders
06. II. Water bugs
07. III. Mosquito larvae
08. IV. In the swamp there are lots of mosquitos
09. V. One certain mosquito sings
Ravel: Ma Mère l’Oye
10. I. Pavane of Sleeping Beauty. Lent
11. II. Little Tom Thumb. Très modéré
12. III. Little Ugly Girl, Empress of the Pagodas. Mouvement de marche
13. IV. Conversation of the Beauty and the Beast. Mouvement de valse modéré
14. V. The Fairy Garden. Lent et grave
ATMA Classique is pleased to present Fables, a new solo recording by Canadian pianist Philip Chiu. The album pairs two piano transcriptions of music by Ravel with Mnidoonskaa (A Multitude of Insects), a 2021 work by Anishinaabekwe composer Barbara Assiginaak.
One of Ravel’s best-known works, Mother Goose is heard here in a version for solo piano by Jacques Charlot, published in 1910. Though the composer’s String Quartet in F major is an early piece from 1903, Ravel’s playful, idiosyncratic language is already well established. Chiu performs a transcription of the quartet for solo piano by Lucien Garban, published in 1921.
Assiginaak’s music expresses traditions and messages of Indigenous history. A direct descendant of hereditary chiefs who signed major treaties in Ontario, the composer is a child and grandchild of residential school survivors.
“Mnidoonskaa reflects on my childhood immersed in akiing (the land), mshkiigkiing (the swamps/marshes) and nibiing (the waters)and nearly two decades of work in environmental outdoor education rooted in the Anishinaabeg teachings of my family and Elders,” says Assiginaak.
“We have many traditional stories connected to these mnidoonsaktiny spirit beingsand their important roles within the intricate web of life and for maintaining balance on Shkagmigkwe (Mother Earth).”
A pianist-painter who transforms each musical idea into a beautiful array of colors” (La Presse), Philip Chiu is acclaimed for his brilliant pianism, sensitive listening, and a stage presence that favours openness, authenticity, and connection with audiences.