Cygnus Ensemble: Jacqui Carrasco, violin; John Whitfield, cello; Tara Helen O’Connor, flute; Jacqueline Leclair, oboe; Oren Fader and William Anderson, guitars
Joan Forsyth, piano; Elizabeth Farnum, soprano
Necessity is the mother of, for both composers and performers of this age. If a group of talented musicians who love new music wish to perform together, but their instrumentation does not fit traditional ensemble templates, do they give up?
Certainly not, as the musicians of the Cygnus Ensemble prove. Their instrumentation is unusual, but their blend of flute, oboe, violin, cello and two guitars does have precedent in the “broken consort” of Elizabethan times, with its blend of recorders, viols, and lutes (and in fact, the ensemble is not so far from that of much chamber music, as soon as one realizes the two guitars can fulfill the textural role usually taken by a piano). Further, these players know that if they announce their availability, composers will come. In fact, composers relish the chance to create new repertoire as much as performers, since their work may come to define a sound others will want to exploit. And Cygnus’s sound is infectious—light and clear, capable of both delicacy and drive, timbrally rich, transparent yet able to accomodate whatever degree of complexity one might desire.
This title, originally issued on the CRI label, is now available as a burn-on-demand CD (CD-R) or download in MP3/320, FLAC or WAV formats. CD-Rs come in a protective sleeve; no print booklet or jewel case included. Liner notes are accessible via the link above.
Broken Consort
| MP3/320 | $9.99 | |
| FLAC | $9.99 | |
| WAV | $9.99 | |
| CD-R | $9.99 |
A *.pdf of the notes may be accessed here free of charge.
Track Listing
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Broken Consort
Sebastian Currier
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Buy
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Spooks
John Halle
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Buy
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Fenton Songs: I. Beauty, Danger and Dismay
Charles Wuorinen
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Buy
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Fenton Songs: II. Out of Danger
Charles Wuorinen
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Buy
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Fenton Songs: III. Serious
Charles Wuorinen
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Buy
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Fenton Songs: IV. Hinterhof
Charles Wuorinen
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Buy
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Resisting Stillness
Chester Biscardi
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Buy
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Frag
David Lang
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Buy
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Ear Conception: I.
William Anderson
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Buy
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Ear Conception: II.
William Anderson
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Buy
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Composition No. 186
Anthony Braxton
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Buy
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Cygnature Piece: I. Mysteriously
Robert Pollock
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Buy
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Cygnature Piece: II. Dance
Robert Pollock
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Buy
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