Music: Valse-Caprice in A-flat Major, Op. 76 ("Wedding Cake")
Composer: Camille Saint-Saëns
Artists: Joel Fan, piano; Northwest Sinfonietta; Christophe Chagnard, director
Album: Joel Fan: Dances for Piano and Orchestra

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http://www.referencerecordings.com

Pianist Joel Fan is one of the most dynamic and accomplished musicians performing before the public today! He is consistently acclaimed for his recitals, recordings, and appearances with orchestras throughout the world. His concerts attract a wide range of audiences, as he has eagerly embraced traditional piano literature as well as an eclectic range of repertoire, including new music commissioned especially for him, world music, and his own transcriptions. Joel Fan is recognized for his work with cellist Yo-Yo Ma as a member of the Silk Road Ensemble, with performances at Carnegie Hall and the Kennedy Center, and on the television programs Good Morning America and Late Night with David Letterman. Fan has also collaborated with numerous other ensembles, including the Shanghai Quartet, Imani Winds, and A Far Cry. Mr. Fan's engaging personality, technical assurance, lyricism, and sheer musicality win over audiences wherever he performs. This release follows two outstanding solo albums on Reference Recordings: RR-106 World Keys and RR-119 West of the Sun.

This CD is Northwest Sinfonietta’s first release with Reference Recordings, and to quote them: they are “thrilled and honored with their collaboration with long-time partner and phenomenal pianist Joel Fan.”  

Northwest Sinfonietta, under the leadership of Founding Music Director Christophe Chagnard, is a vital part of the Pacific Northwest cultural scene and is recognized for its extraordinary performances, innovative programming and collaborations.

Since its first performance in December 1991 honoring the bicentennial  of Mozart’s death, Northwest Sinfonietta has held a unique place as the region’s only professional chamber orchestra. In 2012 and 2013, Chagnard led the orchestra on tours to Cuba as only the third professional American orchestra to visit Cuba since the 1959 revolution.  After 24 years at the helm, Maestro Chagnard will step down in 2015. Northwest Sinfonietta will become the fourth professional chamber orchestra in the world to adopt its new Artistic Partner Leadership model. Northwest Sinfonietta is excited for the time of transition and growth and will celebrate its 25th season—and Mozart’s 250th birthday—with an electrifying mix of special guest artists and new leadership.

----TRACK LISTING
1  Gabriel Pierné: Fantaisie-Ballet, Op. 6  11:33
2  Ricardo Castro Herrera: Vals Capricho, Op. 1  7:57
3  Fryderyk Chopin: Krakowiak in F Major, Op. 14  13:57
4  Camille Saint-Saëns: 
Valse-Caprice in A-flat Major (“Wedding Cake”), Op. 76  6:20
5  Carl Maria von Weber / Liszt: Polonaise Brillante, Op. 72 (S.367)  9:53
6  Louis Moreau Gottschalk / Kay: Grand Tarantelle, Op. 67   8:09
7  Charles Wakefield Cadman: 
Dark Dancers of the Mardi Gras (Fantasy for Orchestra with Piano)  11:08
Northwest Sinfonietta
Christophe Chagnard, Music Director


Saint-Saëns: Valse-Caprice in A-flat Major ("Wedding Cake"), Op. 76

We at RR believe that how a recording sounds is as important as the music itself. "Prof." Keith O. Johnson, our chief engineer and Technical Director, is a true audio legend, having designed and patented many innovative products in the professional and consumer fields. The RR Sound comes from his singular methods and equipment, hand-built or extensively modified by him. Microphone techniques range from single-point Blumlein to spaced omnis to complex studio mixes, depending on the musical forces and the performing space involved. Our goal is to recreate the sound of real musicians making music in real space.