Matt Haimowitz: Figment

Matt Haimovitz

Wholenote Discoveries - November 2009
Matt Haimovitz's new solo program and CD title were inspired by American composer Elliott Carter (still with us at 100!) and his two Figments for solo cello, but the disc features a wide range of new works for cello alone or cello and electronics by established and emerging composers from Canada and the USA. Three of the works are from 2009, and five are recorded here for the first time. The short but impressive Carter pieces were the strongest for me; in fact, I found myself preferring the non-electronic tracks throughout the CD – Ana Sokolovic's Vez, Gilles Tremblay's Cedres en Voile, Steven Stucky's Dialoghi and Luna Pearl Woolf's Sarabande all having “something to say”. The other pieces, by Serge Provost, the Montreal-based musician/producer Socalled, and - especially - the two Du Yun works, came across less successfully, at least on initial listenings. There is no indication of whether or not there were any improvisational or aleatoric aspects to the performances. Unfortunately, there were no booklet notes with the digipak (although these are available on-line at www.oxingale.com). Also, the gaps between CD tracks are often way too short - as little as 3 or 4 seconds at times. Given the stops and pauses in many of the works it's sometimes hard to tell where one piece ends and the next begins. Haimovitz, however, is in great form, in a value-for-money CD that packs in almost 80 minutes of music. Concert Note: Matt Haimovitz’ “Figment” tour stops in Toronto at the Music Gallery on November 8. Terry Robbins

The sequel to his trail-blazing 50-State solo cello tour and recording, ANTHEM, released in 2003, FIGMENT is the latest evolution of Haimovitz’s signature solo set, embracing the contemporary musical communities of his two home countries, the US and Canada. Inspired by centenarian composer Elliott Carter and his two Figments for solo cello, the program brings together a wide range of important new music for cello and electronics by leading and emerging North American composers. From the Middle Eastern microtones of Gilles Tremblay’s Threnody for Lebanon, to Ana Sokolovic’s Balkan folk-influenced Vez, from Serge Provost’s cutting-edge Les Vertiges de S. for electronically-processed solo cello, to up and coming composer/singer-songwriter Du Yun’s San, a deconstruction of haunting ancient Chinese fragments. Figment embraces the diversity of our collective experience. The program, which also includes music by Steven Stucky, Luna Pearl Woolf, and sample-artist Socalled, celebrates innovative North American composers who seek a renewed lyricism and epitomize a new era of hope and creativity in the face of challenging times.

Price: $18.98

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