The Merling Trio Performs Works by C. Curtis-Smith
Curtis O.B. Curtis-Smith (piano), Renata Artman Knific (violin), Dennis Russell Davies (piano), Merling Trio, The Stuttgart Wind Quintet
Curtis O.B. Curtis-Smith was born in Walla Walla, Washington in 1941. His teachers included David Burge, Alan Stout, Ken Gaburo, and Bruno Maderna. He has taught composition at the University of Michigan and is currently Professor of Music at Western Michigan University in Kalamazoo. In 1994, Leon Fleisher performed his Piano Concerto for the Left Hand and Orchestra with Neemi Jarvi and the Detroit Symphony Orchestra. Dennis Russell Davies and the American Composers Orchestra have performed his Great American Symphony (GAS!) This disc presents a fine cross section of Mr. Curtis-Smith's chamber music. Note that Dennis Russell Davies is the piano soloist in the Sextet for Piano and Winds, a work that was written for, and is dedicated to him.
Track Listing
| Title | Composer | Performer |
|---|---|---|
| Second Piano Trio | C. Curtis-Smith | Merling Trio |
| Fantasy Pieces | C. Curtis-Smith | Renata Artman Knific, violin, C. Curtis-Smith, piano |
| Sweetgrass Trio | C. Curtis-Smith | Merling Trio |
| Sextet for Piano and Winds | C. Curtis-Smith | Stuttgart Wind Quintet, Dennis Russell Davies, piano |
Reviews
- “
"...This album, including works from the last dozen years, shows Curtis-Smith to be a composer of fresh, inventive, and eclectic music. If I am reminded of any other composer, I would have to cite Curtis-Smith's current Michigan neighbor William Bolcom. There is the same fundamental musicality, the fascination with American popular sources, the willingness to mix "high and low."The star of the collection is the Second Piano Trio (1992) subtitled The Secret Heart of Sound...The second movement is heartbreakingly lyrical in its song form, and the third creates a constantly shifting play of harmonies and fragmentary gestures over a steady pulse in the piano."
*Album cover provided for Editorial use only. ©Albany Records. The Albany Imprint is a registered trademark of PARMA Recordings LLC. The views and opinions expressed in this media are those of the artist and do not necessarily represent or reflect the views and opinions held by PARMA Recordings LLC and its label imprints, subsidiaries, and affiliates.