Description
Executive Producer: Russell Ward
Symmetria Pario: Creation
Symmetria Pario Creation explores the “beginnings of things,” the origin of the universe as expressed in music, and various creation stories from different cultures around the world. BUT when listening to this album one does not need to know anything about science or even the inspiration behind these works to enjoy the music. Clarice’s work proves this instantly upon hearing the first moments of track 1.
Just as we pondered our origins 50 or 100,000 years ago, human beings continue to wonder and worry about our origins and the origin of what we think of as the universe. Within the next few years, the James Webb telescope may redefine or expand our theories all over again. Whether it is part of our survival instinct, or remains an entertaining puzzle for great minds, we want to know. We want to know how it all began, whether through a magnanimous creative act of divine power or by spontaneous eruption from a single point into an ever-expanding universe bursting outward at many times the speed of light.
Executive producer Russell Ward spearheaded this recording and generously underwrote Yarlung’s six new commissions, performed and recorded so eloquently by Pekka Kuusisto on violin and Joonas Ahonen on piano. Russell is my friend and co-conspirator in all things quantum, and he asked me and our musicians and composers to explore various stories about the moment of creation through music.
Clarice Assad investigates quantum theory and what we surmise happened in the first fractions of a second after the universe came into being, Yuko Mabuchi explores a Yoruba creation story from West Africa and incorporates Native American creation traditions. Mehmet Sanlikol’s piece takes inspiration from the mystical Islamic Sufi tradition describing the creation of the universe in seven days. Hannah Kendall channels the Book of Psalms. Ricky Kej explores pre-Hindu Vedic narratives from Ancient India, and Adam Gilbert pokes fun at Renaissance ideas about the order of the universe. Composers Cecilia Damstrom, Harrison Birtwistle and Missy Mazzoli join this album celebrating music for violin and piano.
Pekka Kuusisto performs not only as a violin soloist with the major orchestras on the planet, but conducts regularly with the Los Angeles Philharmonic, San Francisco Symphony, Philharmonia Orchestra and Helsinki Philharmonic, where he is Principal Guest Conductor, as well as Mahler Chamber Orchestra and many elite ensembles around the world. Pekka plays the 1709 “Scotta” Stradivarius. Joonas Ahonen specializes in contemporary music from his home-base in Vienna, but also records Beethoven and Mendelssohn on fortepiano.
Heartfelt thanks to Yarlung executive producer Russell Ward for not only commissioning our six new works for Pekka and Joonas, but for underwriting this recording and album release.
Russell notes that “ancient cultures, including those alluded to in our recording, incorporated observations of the sun, moon, planets and stars, the roots of modern cosmology. According to West African mythology, creation began with a very small seed, from which the entire universe was created; the Egyptian pyramids were aligned with observation channels toward the ever-present pole star and the rising midwinter sun, and accompanied a 365-day calendar and twelve-hour divisions of day and night; the Anasazi built a slotted solar observatory; early Mesoamerican cultures, in particular the Maya, are well known for their calendars and observatories; the first star catalog is credited to Chinese astronomer Gan De; the Rig Veda describes time as a wheel with twelve sectors and 360 spokes with a remainder of five, referencing the solar calendar; the division of the circle into 360 angular degrees originated with the Sumerians; recognition of the periodic nature of celestial mechanics is credited to the Babylonians; the Greeks developed celestial models as concentric spheres; Stonehenge is aligned to the sunset of the winter solstice and the opposing sunrise of the summer solstice; similar stone circles are spread throughout England and Northern Europe. These and other such developments were at the cultural heart of early civilizations and their rituals. They eventually grew into our contemporary observatories and the particle accelerators that accompany the current theoretical origins of the universe.”
Repertoire:
- Symmetries, Clarice Assad
- KÛN كن Seven Sufi Vignettes, Mehmet Sanlikol
- Evolution of the One, Yuko Mabuchi
- Arambhah, Ricky Kej
- Triptych at the Beginning of Time, Adam Knight Gilbert
- Cura, Cecilia Damström
- Oockooing Bird, Harrison Birtwistle
- Dissolve, O my Heart, Missy Mazzoli
- Weroon Weroon, Hannah Kendall
Enjoy!
–Bob Attiyeh, producer
David Cressy –
This is a startling set of pieces. They inspire both emotional and intellectual wonder. The playing is quite simply sublime as is the recording, benefitting from the highest quality audio reproduction. It is a unique and brilliant addition to my music collection which I cannot recommend highly enough. My sincere thanks to all involved with this outstanding and innovative project. It is life enhancing!
Bob Attiyeh –
I am delighted you are enjoying this recording so much, David. Working with Pekka and Joonas was indeed life enhancing for me too. Russell Ward’s vision for the project inspired all of us to “reach for the stars,” quite literally in this case. Thanks for your wonderful feedback.
Sincerely,
Bob
PFO –
When you take contemporary compositions from nine different composers (six of which were commissioned for your recital), and you add the brilliant artistry of Pekka Kuusisto and Joonas Ahonen, and you record it in a world class, acoustically magnificent music hall using some of the best microphones and recording equipment available, and you then mix it all together with the musical sensibilities of recording engineer and producer Bob Attiyeh… YOU GET MAGIC! After listening through this album for the first time, my immediate reaction was to stand and cheer…. Sonically, this album is a masterpiece. Musically it is equally compelling. Executive producer Russell Ward generously underwrote six new commissions for this recording by Yarlung. The challenge to the composers was to explore various stories about the moment of creation through music. The composers, knowing that their compositions would be performed by Finnish violinist Pekka Kuusisto and firebrand virtuoso pianist Joonas Ahonen, who often perform together in concert, all eagerly engaged in the creative work.
The album opens with a dazzling start as “Symmetries,” by multi-Grammy nominated composer Clarice Assad, takes command of one’s senses. The technical virtuosity of both violinist and pianist are immediately challenged, and we are rewarded with a feast of sonic complexities. Mehmet Sanliko’s “Seven Sufi Vignettes” then pull us into a more reflective, meditative, interlude, with its own distinctive mix of sonorities and rhythms, while not avoiding a central section of great power and urgency. Kuusisto and Ahonen drive through these waves of musical complexities with technical assurance and common purpose, each sounding well-attuned to supporting and complementing the other. These first two tracks are a bit more than 22 minutes of thoroughly engaging discovery. In the third track we come upon the delightful composition “Evolution of the One” by pianist and composer Yuko Mabuchi, well known to Yarlung listeners for her superb jazz recordings “Yuko Mabuchi Trio” and “Yuko Mabuchi plays Miles Davis.” Somewhat quirky, syncopated, with sound flavors from flamenco to bebop, this is just a cornucopia of joyful creativity as it rolls from one set of ideas to the next.
So much of my enjoyment of this album comes from the huge variety and range of cultural influences brought to this project. Each composer brings a unique background, a different ethnic heritage, a different cultural milieu which they have experienced in their lives. The music reflects the extensive range and diversity of our human experience and musical heritages. This is, for me, the huge gift that Bob Attiyeh and executive producer Russell Ward have so graciously shared with us. Add to this the excellent and very interesting musical works, the exemplary musicianship, and the wonderous sonics of the recording, and what we have is a treasure of an album. I am delighted and thrilled to now have this in my music library! I most highly recommend it to you.
–Rushton Paul, PFO
MICHAEL POPOLINO –
ANOTHER MASTERFUL YARLUNG RECORDING IN TERMS OF BOTH PERFORMANCE AND SOUND. [SO HAPPY TO SEE THEM ALWAYS OFFERED BY ELUSIVE DISC.] NOW LISTEN, MR. ATTIYEH. YOUR ENGINEERING WIZARDRY IS BEGINNING TO RUIN MY LISTENING EXPERIENCES WITH OTHER VINYL RECORD LABELS. MY PLEA TO YOU IS THAT YOU CONTINUE TO DO THAT!
Bob Attiyeh –
Maestro Popolino, thank you! And yes, I am listening to what you say. I’m thrilled you are enjoying “Creation.” I have to agree that our musicians outdid themselves in this recording. And I’m happy to say that the album will indeed be released (through Elusive Disc) on vinyl in the new year. Looks like they may have jumped the gun just a little!
–Bob Attiyeh