Spam Roundup September, 2013

There's spam, and then there's spam so oddly written it's somewhat amusing.  Here's a roundup of some of the "best" comments I received this month from spambots around the world.

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(posted to The Straco Layout, Part 23 - Lumbering along)
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CCC 088 - Lorenzo Ferrero

Italian composer Lorenzo Ferrero is the subject of this week's CCC. Ferrero is fairly young, but he's built up a large catalog of music. Included in his ouvre are twelve operas and three ballets. His neo-tonal style is perfectly suited to those genres, and gives his music a ready appeal.

Ferrero constructs his music around triads, which makes it accessible, although chord progressions seldom follow traditional paths. He also uses modern techniques such as odd meters, tonal clusters, and unusual instrumental combinations that give his work a fresh sound.

La ruta de Cortes is from a much larger work. Ferrero's use of the orchestra shares traits with minimalist composers like Philip Glass, but the underlying aesthetic is completely different. The music moves forward with a fluid grace.



The Canzoni d'amore: Mi palpita il cuore is a good example of Ferrero's vocal writing. As you can hear, the melody, while quite expressive, seems to be naturally suited to the voice.



Ferrero uses tonality to great effect. Glamora Spies is a sprightly chamber work is an expressive chamber work that paints a vivid picture. We hear the dangerous and uncertain world of espionage that surround the hero. And perhaps because it's framed in a familiar harmonic structure, we're instantly drawn into the action.

 

The Launch of the Aegusa, from his ballet "Franca Florio" shows Ferrero's skill at orchestration. Over the cours of this seven-minute ballet he adds instruments as the crowd gathers for the launch, culminating in a triumphal fanfare of trumpets. And then suddenly the mood changes, and where we heard mostly woodwinds and brass before, now strings are used to convey the worry and anxiety of the main characters.

 

Lorenzo Ferrero uses tonality to great effect. His music is packed with emotional expressiveness, and its accessibility brings that expression directly to the listener. Although not often performed in this country, I think audiences would be quite receptive to Ferrero's work. I'd particularly like to hear his operas.

Recommended Recordings

Ferrero: La Nueva Espana

Ferrero: Tempi di Quartetto

Ex Novo Ensemble: Chamber Music

Wendy Warner: Haydn & Myslivecek - An appealing program

Haydn; Myslivecek: Cello Concertos 
Wendy Warner, cello
Camerata Chicago; Drostan Hall, conductor
Cedille

An appealing program played by a masterful virtuoso. That's my impression of this new release from Cedille. As with many recordings, this Chicago-based label uses local talent -- but what talent it is! Drostan Hall and the Camerata Chicago perform with precision and sensitivity admirably suited to Haydn. And Wendy Warner, though from Chicago, is an internationally-recognized cellist who brings a fresh interpretation to some well-known works.

The two cello concertos of Franz Joseph Haydn have long been repertoire staples, and just about every major cellist has recorded them. Warner's performances are expressive without being overly dramatic. The clear, singing tone of her Guarneri cello is beautiful -- and beautifully recorded. And Warner's interpretation, accompanied by a small ensemble, makes these works sound warmly intimate.

Sandwiched between the Haydn concertos on the album is Josef Myslivecek's only concerto for cello. A contemporary of Haydn (and friend of Mozart), Myslivecek's wrote in a similar style that nicely complements the Haydn concerti. And the Myslivecek concerto does not suffer for the comparison. Myslivecek wrote in a leaner, more straight-forward manner, bringing the aesthetics of the classical style to the forefront of his music.

A well-thought out release that works on just about every level. 

Nine Notes that Shook the World

Nine Notes That Shook the World (Blu Ray Audio & CD) 
Ronn McFarlane and Mindy Rosenfeld
Sono Luminus

Is it OK to call a classical release a "feel-good recording?" Because to my ears, that's what Nine Notes is. Lutenist Ronn McFarlane and flutist Mindy Rosenfeld have been playing together for over thirty years in various groups (mostly the Baltimore Consort), and are more than comfortable with each other's style. Plus, this release features some of their favorite early music works. The performances have a natural easiness to them that I find quite relaxing.

Not that this is background music by any means. McFarlane and Rosenfeld present a first-rate program of renaissance and baroque music that draws the listener in. While one might be used to hearing "My Lady Carey's Dompe" performed as an early music duet, arranging Handel and Bach for recorder and lute gives those works a fresh sound.

And McFarlane and Rosenfeld vary their instruments from piece to piece, subtlety matching texture and timbre to the character of each work. In the end, though, it's the chemistry between the performers that makes this such an appealing release. Two old friends playing the music they love best -- what could be better?

Sono Luminus sweetens the pot by including two versions of the release; CD, and Blu-ray audio. If you've got the equipment, stick with the Blu-ray disc. The full, natural sound makes these soft-spoken instruments come alive.

Gasoline Alley and the Old Comic Strip Challenge 19

In a sequence that began on April 9, 2013, Gasoline Alley centenarian Walt Wallet receives an invitation to the Old Comics Home dinner. Walt has reminisced before about his fellow characters from discontinued comic strips. And since Gasoline Alley began in 1918, there are quite a few of his contemporaries who have been retired.

Day 19 requires the reader to be up on the sequence to date, as some of the characters are barely in the panel. If you know what Maggie was wearing, she's easy to identify. And Li'l Abner's footwear is a distinctive part of his character. (click on images to enlarge)

Some of the people shown I believe are simply generic drawings -- I can't find any reference to them anywhere (although I could be wrong). Those figures aren't numbered.

1. Maggie- Bringing Up Father (1913-2000) by George McManus
2. Li'l Abner - Li'l Abner (1934-1977) by Al Capp
3 Ignatz - Krazy Kat (1913-1944) by George Herriman

4.Krazy Kat - Krazy Kat (1913-1944) by George Herriman
5. Little Jimmy - Little Jimmy (1904-1958) by Jimmy Swinnerton
6. Fearless Fosdick - Li'l Abner (1934-1977) by Al Capp

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