This album celebrates Clara Schumann, her music, and the intricate artistic circle of musicians who surrounded her. Clara Schumann’s superb musicianship and pianistic genius are demonstrated in the exquisite works recorded in this album. Her legacy lives on through these works, and through the strong influence she had on her musical family.

“As the year 2016 marks the 120th and 160th anniversaries of the deaths of Clara and Robert Schumann, I was also delighted to include Obsidian Liturgy (track 36), composed for me and Clara Schumann by my dear friend and colleague, Max Grafe. The piece unfolds through a sequence of emotionally dramatic musical events: an “Invocation” is followed by a ritualistic “Canticle” that builds into a fervent and obsessive “Incantation,” culminating in a cataclysmic explosion. After some seconds of silence, a vertiginous “Trance” of left-hand ostinatos sound from the distance, followed by a climactic “Peal” of strong, harsh bells. The “Benedictus” finally creates a sense of resolution, despite its haunting overtones, and finally, a desolate “Ite, missa est,” concludes the liturgy.”  -- Mika Sasaki

Mika Sasaki performed much of this music in live concert for invited guests in Samueli Theater. She left our audience thrilled, eager for more. 

"Pianist Mika Sasaki played well with forceful rolling chords in the final Romance, and continued admirable pianism with two sets of variations on a Robert Schumann theme…. Ms. Sasaki’s tempos were never rushed and she played with a subtle touch…
-- Terry McNeill

YAR52635

Tracks: 
Clara Schumann: Scherzo No. 2 Op.14

Clara Schumann: Three Preludes and Fugues Op.16 
Prelude I
Fugue I
Prelude II
Fugue II
Prelude III
 Fugue III

Clara Schumann: Variations Op.20 
Theme
Variation 1
Variation 2
Variation 3
Variation 4
Variation 5
Variation 6
Variation 7

Johannes Brahms: Variations on a Theme by Robert Schumann Op.9 Theme
Variation 1
Variation 2 Poco piu moto
Variation 3 Tempo di tema
Variation 4 Poco piu moto
Variation 5 Allegro capriccioso
Variation 6 Allegro
Variation 7 Andante
Variation 8 Andante (non troppo lento)
Variation 9 Schnell
Variation 10 Poco Adagio
Variation 11 Un poco piu animato
Variation 12 Allegretto, poco scherzando
Variation 13 Non troppo Presto
Variation 14 Andante
Variation 15 Poco Adagio
Variation 16 Adagio

Clara Schumann: Three Romances 
I Andante molto
II Allegretto
III Allegretto Leidenschaftlich Schnell

Max Grafe: Obsidian Liturgy

Clara Schumann: Notturno No. 2


Obsidian - Mika Sasaki plays Clara Schumann

Katelyn Bouska’s Yarlung debut album “Women and War and Peace” (catalog number) YAR54460 includes Caroline Shaw’s “Gustave Le Gray”

“Gustave le Grey” takes inspiration from the darkroom exposure of a photograph, hinting at depths before they are actually visible.  The work sounds like Caroline Shaw at the beginning and end, but slowly evolves in the middle section into Chopin’s famous Mazurka in A Minor before concluding with more keyboard writing that is completely Caroline’s.   Chopin took powerful inspiration from Maria Szymanowska as Kate describes later in these notes, and Gustave le Grey therefore offers us handsome bookends for this album, and in the process demonstrates how current all of these women composers remain.    One of Kate’s students at Curtis brought Gustave le Grey to study with Kate shortly after the work was published ten years ago.  Katelyn writes “My student described it to me as musical photography, slowly evolving, taking shape and emerging from the musical shadows before dissolving again at the end.  

“This is the magic of our art form – its suspension of time and texture and place, giving the listener and performer alike each their unique experience.  For me, when I began to prepare Gustave le Grey for concert myself, I was captivated with how it distorted and played with time.  My own time on stage, Caroline’s time in the frame of the piece, and the Chopinesque tension between his exquisite rubato and the strict dance rhythms of the Mazurka.  

“Hypnotic, repeating gestures of the opening pushes time to a standstill as simple shapes arise around the acoustic space, and then begin to inch forward.  Raw and primitive gestures stand in stark relief to the gilded beauty of Chopin’s phrases.  In the opening, Caroline writes to the performer in the score: ‘like a photograph slowly developing on wax paper.’ A few lines later, a new gesture like ‘an expensive Hermés silk cravat’ gradually ‘becomes a bit maniacal, freely-spinning off into their own time and world.’  

“Chopin’s Mazurka develops and decays in the center of the work, a simple melody emerging deeply in the bass register of the piano.  Caroline’s introduction proceeds slowly and firmly anchored, with rich openly-spaced harmony, ‘solid and simple like the Appalachian foothills.’ This solemn stability marks the end’s beginning as well.  Soon follow more musical fragments including a simple chorale, ‘a linen hymn.’ The opening hypnotic theme returns, ‘like the fragmented hem of a song from a long time ago.’ Gustave le Grey ends with a handful of final repeated chords, ‘dry, as if spoken,’ and Caroline’s piece, all fourteen minutes, departs as simply as it began.  But in the process of playing it, I realize that I have changed.  Seated at the piano, my center of gravity has somehow shifted slightly and I face a new direction, grounded and ready for more.”

Album booklet: https://storage.googleapis.com/yarlung_public/pdf_booklets/Women-and-War-and-Peace-YAR54460.pdf   For more information please visit www.yarlungrecords.com

Women and War and Peace 44 16

Caroline Shaw, Gustave Le Gray

Serenade in C for woodwind quintet
Arranged by Bob Hughes
Recorded by Luis Escareño

Merryl Monard, Flute
Alex Hayashi, Oboe
Clarissa Osborn, Clarinet
Brandon Rumsey, Bassoon
Caroline Steiger, Horn

Serenade in C (1949) by Lou Harrison

Obsidian

Clara Schumann: Variations Op.20  Var.6

Clara Schumann: Three Preludes and Fugues Op.16 Fugue II

Clara Schumann: Three Preludes and Fugues Op.16 Prelude II4

Clara Schumann: Three Preludes and Fugues Op.16 Fugue I

Clara Schumann: Three Preludes and Fugues Op.16 Prelude I

Clara Schumann: Scherzo No. 2 Op.14

In an age when even music has become disposable, Yarlung Records flies in the face of convention, making a bold commitment to produce artisanal, hand-crafted recordings, showcasing an extraordinary range of musical repertoire, performed by some of today's most exciting and charismatic young artists.
Utilizing an intimate one-take recording strategy, precise (and minimal) microphone placement and no post-production fidgeting with the sound - Yarlung's sound will up new paths for your musical discovery and enjoyment. 
We invite you to join us in a “New Golden Age” of recording with Yarlung Records.


Clara Schumann: Variations Op.20 Var.6

Yarlung Records

Related tracks