ISM MUSIC JOURNAL JULY/AUGUST 2022 | NEWS FROM OUR MEMBERS
NEWS FROM OUR MEMBERS
New album from The Girls in Belfast Heart the Magnesium Dress A new piano-based musical What do Japanese anime, harp, double bass and contemporary classical music have in common? So far, little or nothing. Since April 2022, however, a full album by The Girls in the Magnesium Dress (Anna Astesano harp, Valentina Ciardelli double bass), entitled Rūtsu, has redefined these bonds.
experience will help you escape to a world of jigs, reels, sweeping mountains, winding roads, sunrises g g and magical kingdoms.
which require the performers to perform solo fragments freely, in spontaneous juxtaposition with one another, like mobiles. Constellations was commissioned by the Birmingham Contemporary Music Group and premiered in 2010. paramvir.net londonsinfonietta.org.uk/ whats-on/musicians-tomorrow-4
Taking the Japanese composer Miyagi (1900) as a starting point, the album travels around the worlds of Ravel, Stravinsky and Puccini to land on contemporary compositions, notably Mr Hirano’s Elegy, dedicated to and composed for the duo. Rūtsu represents a turning point in the contemporary chamber music world, taking inspiration from the cultural revolution, and the string quartet experienced during the 18th century, especially for the figure of Luigi Boccherini. anna.astesano.com ruutsu. thegirlsinthemagnesiumdress.com
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Belfast Heart is an album of relaxing and uplifting piano music. There are 12 tracks, consisting of five beautifully reimagined Northern Irish folk songs alongside seven captivating original solos, all arranged, composed and performed by ISM member, teacher and Trinity examiner Darren Day.
Photo: Jen Rogers
Rūtsu (ルーツ, Japanese katakana alphabet) means ‘roots’. The recording explores the deep connections between the influences of Japanese art on Western culture and vice versa.
Nettle & Markham piano duo celebration at St Martin-in-the-Fields
David Nettle & Richard Markham will celebrate the 45th anniversary of their The track list includes ‘The Star of the piano duo at St Martin-in-the-Fields, County Down’, Belfast Heart’, ‘The Trafalgar Square, London on Thursday Mountains of Mourne’, ‘She moved 7 July at 7.30pm. They will perform through the fair’, ‘A wee Irish Spring’, Ravel’s Introduction & Allegro for ‘Kingdom of Mourne’ and ‘Danny Boy’. two pianos, followed by the original version of Rossini’s Petite Messe You can buy and download Belfast Solennelle with Edward Batting Heart from iTunes and Bandcamp. (harmonium), four distinguished soloists, The London Chorus and London premiere for conductor Ronald Corp. Rossini had a Constellations close association with Pleyel pianos and the 2.9-metre 1928 double piano Members of the London Sinfonietta to be used in the performance, one of and the London Sinfonietta Academy only a handful manufactured, is ideally 2022 will give the London premiere suited to the work, which Nettle & of Param Vir’s Constellations on Markham have performed in many Thursday 14 July 2022 in London [venue parts of the world. They were involved tbc] conducted by Geoffrey Paterson. in creating the Urtext OUP edition Constellations comprises a ritornello and their recording with the CBSO (The Milky Way) punctuated by three Chorus under Simon Halsey received soloistic constellations (Orion – Jewel critical acclaim. Among the duo’s of the Night Sky; The Plough – Tilling other recordings are Holst’s two-piano the Field; Pegasus – Dancing Horse)
