European American Music Distributors Company is a member of the Schott Music Group

"Nature," a Tansy Davies Portrait Disc, is Released on NMC

May. 01, 2021

"Nature," a Tansy Davies Portrait Disc, is Released on NMC

Tansy Davies’s fascination with the relationship between humanity and the natural world is central to her music. Released on April 23, NMC’s new portrait disc, titled "Nature", catalogues the composer's interest in this theme through her work of the last decade.

The disc features four works: Dune of Footprints for string orchestra, inspired by the shapes etched into the Niaux Cave over eons; the piano concerto, Natureexploring instinct and a draw to the earth; the orchestral suite, What Did We See?, reflecting on human catastrophe; and the ‘singing orchestra’ piece, Re-greening, in which the composer builds a ‘musical forest’. Karen Kamensek conducts the Norwegian Radio Orchestra in the recordings of the cavernous Dune of Footprints and What Did We See?: a suite of music reworked from Davies’s operatic response to the events of 9/11, Between WorldsNature is performed here by pianist Huw Watkins with Oliver Knussen conducting members of Birmingham Contemporary Music Group, and the National Youth Orchestra of Great Britain perform Re-greening without a conductor.

Of "Nature", The Wire says,
"On this new release, Dune of Footprints and the suite What Did We See? – performed by The Norwegian Radio Orchestra – display the sweep, fluency and textural subtleties that have become increasingly evident as Tansy Davies's compositional voice has matured. Her work responds to various meta-narratives concerning natural energies and global crises. The National Youth Orchestra communicate effectively the effusive spirit of her score Re-greening. Pianist Huw Watkins and Birmingham Contemporary Music Group join forces on Nature, a concerto that is intricate yet robust, complex without being intimidating. Her early work elicited comparisons ranging from Xenakis to Prince; today Davies is best listened to in the context of her own impressively sustained development.”

Order the disc through NMC here and listen to the disc on Idagio here.

To learn more about Tansy Davies, visit: fabermusic.com.

Tansy Davies
Dune of Footprints (2017)
for string orchestra
15'

Nature (2012)
concerto for piano and 10 players
afl(fl).ca(ob).bcl-hn-perc-hp-vn.va.vc.db
20'

What Did We See? (2018)
for orchestra
3(3.pic).3.3(2.ebcl,3.bcl).2.cbn-4.3.2.btbn.1-timp-3perc-hp-str
25'

Re-greening (2015)
for chorus and orchestra
2pic.2.2.2 ca.2.2 ebcl.2 bcl.2.2 cbn-4.3.3.btbn.1-2timp-4perc-2hp-str
8'

News