Antony Gray - Michael Blake: Afrikosmos (2023) [Hi-Res]

Tracklist

CD1
1.01. Spotted Dikkop and Black Cuckoo
1.02. Linong tsa lesiba (Song of the Birds)
1.03. African Doves (Homage to Messiaen)
1.04. If I had wings I could fly
1.05. Walking Song (Homage to Percy Grainger)
1.06. Stroll to the Spaza Shop (Homage to Stanley Glasser)
1.07. Chorale (Homage to MMM)
1.08. Lyric Piece (Homage to Grieg)
1.09. Call and Response
1.10. Ntsikana's Bell
1.11. John Knox Bokwe's Plea for Africa
1.12. Heaven's Bow
1.13. iKos'tina
1.14. Variations on a Flute Tune
1.15. Emerging Melody
1.16. Stickfighting Song
1.17. Herding Song
1.18. Threshing Song
1.19. To Comfort a Child (Lullaby)
1.20. You are a real rascal
1.21. Canon at the Octave
1.22. Wedding Song
1.23. Night Music
1.24. Self Delectative Song
1.25. Latshon'ilanga (The sun has set)
1.26. Song for the Evening
1.27. Unevensong
1.28. Four-note Patterns
1.29. Broken Line
1.30. Patterns in a Heptatonic Field
1.31. Supermoon (Homage to Henry Cowell)

CD2
2.01. Dance in Seakhi Rhythm (Homage to Bartok and JP Mohapeloa)
2.02. Chaconne in Mbaqanga Style
2.03. In Goema Style
2.04. Tickey-draai
2.05. Da kom die Alibama
2.06. Diary of a Dung Beetle
2.07. Scents of Childhood 1 (Homage to Robert Schumann)
2.08. Scents of Childhood 2 (Homage to Robert Schumann)
2.09. Scents of Childhood 3 (Homage to Schumann and Puccini)
2.10. Interlocking Hands
2.11. Changing Times with Repeating Patterns
2.12. Five Finger Patterns
2.13. Weave
2.14. Distant Cowbells
2.15. Lusikisiki
2.16. Giyani
2.17. There Cried a Hippo
2.18. Reedpipe Dance
2.19. Slow Dance
2.20. Lebombo Bone

CD3
3.01. The music flows jolly as it won't stop forever
3.02. March (Homage to Stefan Wolpe)
3.03. Message from the Nduna (Homage to Gyorgy Kurtag)
3.04. Ituri Rain Forest (Homage to JSB)
3.05. Reflection (Homage to Erik Satie)
3.06. Two Modes Interlocking
3.07. In the Hexatonic Mode
3.08. Major-Minor
3.09. Keep left, pass right
3.10. Geyser off! Hat on!
3.11. Stay on Path
3.12. The Seven Steps
3.13. Ostinato with Cross-rhythms
3.14. Smoke and Mirrors
3.15. Postcards from South Africa
3.16. Une Sonnerie pour G.D.
3.17. High Fives
3.18. Sefapanosaurus
3.19. Thirds
3.20. Variations on 4ths and 5ths
3.21. Fifths
3.22. Seventh Must Fall
3.23. Haiku
3.24. Freedom Day Variation

Inspired by Bartók’s’Mikrokosmos’ and by the indigenous music from various parts of Africa, South African composer Michael Blake created this magnum opus – like Bartók’s work, in varying degrees of difficulty for young players and experts alike. The recording was made in June 2021 at the Menuhin Hall, Cobham, Surrey by pianist Antony Gray, whose recent Divine Art albums of piano works by Saint-Saëns have met with great success and glowing reviews.

Michael Blake is a South African-born composer and pianist based in London from 1977 and later returned to the “New South Africa”. He has been responsible for post-apartheid New Music initiatives such as joining the ISCM and setting up a new music festival and composers meeting. His musical language draws from African music, experimental film, and African weaving techniques. His works have been widely played around the world and appear on 15 CDs. He currently splits his time living in rural France and Cape Town where he is an honorary professor of experimental composition at Stellenbosch University.

Australian pianist Antony Gray was educated in Victoria, Australia, where he graduated from the Victorian College of Arts and won several awards and prizes. He received a scholarship from the Astra foundation to continue his studies in London with Joyce Rathbone and Geoffrey Parsons. Based in London now, he is regarded as one of the most interesting and communicative performers of his generation, known for his solo and chamber music performances around the world, regular recordings for CD and radio, and his championing of contemporary and neglected composers such as George Enescu, Dussek, Martinů, Malcolm Williamson and John Carmichael. He has recorded 14 discs of solo piano music for ABC Classics, and featured on other recording projects for KNS Classical and other labels.

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