Lentini: Chamber Music

$9.99 (COMPACT DISC)

Link to this COMPACT DISC

Orchestra Hall Suite (more info)
Composed by: James Lentini
Geoffrey Applegate, violin
James VanValkenburg, viola
Paul Ganson, bassoon
Marcy Chanteaux, cello
Recording date: 28 January 1996


1.   I. Opening Night - 00:03:26
2.   II. Paradise Theater - 00:02:09
3.   III. Homecoming - 00:03:19
4.   IV. New Millennium - 00:02:57


El Signo del Angel (more info)
Composed by: James Lentini
Mary Harris, viola
Jacquelyn Davis, harp
Recording date: 6 December 2008


5.   El Signo del Angel - 00:07:32


5 Pieces for Cello and Piano (more info)
Composed by: James Lentini
Siok Lian Tan, piano
Pansy Chang, cello
Recording date: 6 December 2008


6.   No. 1. Dialogue - 00:02:21
7.   No. 2. Fantasy - 00:02:07
8.   No. 3. Nocturne - 00:02:12
9.   No. 4. Song - 00:02:42
10.   No. 5. Coda - 00:03:03


East Coast Groove (more info)
Composed by: James Lentini
Robert Conway,
Velvet Brown, tuba
Recording date: 5 December 2008


11.   East Coast Groove - 00:05:08


Scenes from Sedona (more info)
Composed by: James Lentini Tom Flaherty
Cynthia Fogg, viola
Recording date: 18 November 1996


12.   I. Boynton Canyon Hoodoo - 00:01:02
13.   II. Cathedral Rock - 00:02:36
14.   III. Coffee Pot - 00:01:09
15.   IV. Devil's Bridge - 00:01:59
16.   V. Bell Rock - 00:02:12


Montage (more info)
Composed by: James Lentini
Siok Lian Tan, piano
Harvey Thurmer, violin
Pansy Chang, cello
Recording date: 5 December 2008


17.   I. Moderato con forza - 00:03:13
18.   II. Larghetto espressivo - 00:04:53
19.   III. Allegro con fuoco - 00:03:51

Reviews

Very pleasant discoveries from someone you should know! (Aug 16, 2010)
Reviewer:Dan Coombs
The new collection of chamber music from Detroit native, James Lentini (Naxos 8.559626), is a very pleasant surprise and well worth checking out! Lentini, a graduate of Wayne State University and ,presently, the Dean of the School of Fine Arts at Miami University of Ohio, is clearly well trained with a unique vision. His music is accessible to listen to and challenging for his performers... The new collection of chamber music from Detroit native, James Lentini (Naxos 8.559626), is a very pleasant surprise and well worth checking out! Lentini, a graduate of Wayne State University and ,presently, the Dean of the School of Fine Arts at Miami University of Ohio, is clearly well trained with a unique vision. His music is accessible to listen to and challenging for his performers without being needlessly complex and mathematical. This collection opens with the very compelling "Orchestra Hall Suite". Written for Paul Ganson, bassoonist with the Detroit Symphony for the remodeling of their Orchestra Hall, this is a largely tonal and somewhat jazzy suite for bassoon and string quartet that refers to Weber, Mahler and even Lionel Hampton in places. Bassoonists should rush to add this to their repertory in a fairly small category of works. "El signo del angel", from 2004, is written for harp and viola. Written for a new music festival in Spain, this is another very interesting work for a very unusual combination that works! The composer states that the title is his inspiration from a near miss and potentially fatal car crash and his thoughts on guardian angels. As such, it is beautiful and a bit ethereal throughout. The "Five Pieces" fro cello and piano (1987) opens in a very declamatory fashion and remains a virtuoso work; even during the evocative middle movements which are quite lyrical. A highlight of this collection must be the "East Coast Groove" for tuba and piano. This vibrant, challenging piece is a terrific addition in another somewhat slight genre and soloist Velvet Brown must be one of the country's best tubists, exhibiting smooth tone and clear, bell like articulation. As an Arizona resident, I was quite taken with Lentini's "Scenes for Sedona" (1996) as well. This piece for viola and cello is a very picturesque evocation of certain landmark locations in the redrocks country. Particularly interesting is the movement named after Cathedral Rock which, quite cleverly and impressionistically, quotes briefly from Debussy, "La cathedrale engloutie". The "Devil's Bridge" is understandably frantic and spiky. The disc concludes with the piano trio, "Montage" which follows traditional forms but makes good use of some solid melodic and thematic material, giving all three players plenty of showcase moments. All of this music is of high quality, the performances are great and congratulations to Naxos, again, for giving venue to a living American composer whose voice deserves to be more widely heard! (read more)

Orchestra Hall Suite (Jul 28, 2010)
Reviewer:Marcus
Great recording quality. The bassoon and strings are lush and full in the title piece. The musical style has melody and rhythmic drive, and is basically written in a "tonal" style with a clever balance of dissonance. "El Signo" is beautifully written for the harp and viola, with idiomatic passages for the instruments. My favorite movement on the disk is "Song" from 5 Pieces for cello and... Great recording quality. The bassoon and strings are lush and full in the title piece. The musical style has melody and rhythmic drive, and is basically written in a "tonal" style with a clever balance of dissonance. "El Signo" is beautifully written for the harp and viola, with idiomatic passages for the instruments. My favorite movement on the disk is "Song" from 5 Pieces for cello and piano--just gorgeous. Also the second movement of Montage. I highly recommend this disk to the music affiicionado! (read more)