Timo Andres' "Early to Rise" and Home Stretch

by Ted Gordon on Aug. 28, 2013, 2:52 p.m.

Earlier in the summer, Timo Andres-- composer-pianist, graphic design enthusiast, and excellent home cook-- wrote a new string quartet, commissioned by the Library of Congress' Dina Koston and Roger Shapiro Fund for New Music, which premeired in May and is now available through PSNY. The quartet, entitled Early to Rise, combines a work ethic, economy of means, and compactness of action that somehow reminds us of The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin, Shaker furniture, and New American Color photography, all at once. (No wonder that Andres chose a William Eggleston photo for the cover of his new album- but we're getting ahead of ourselves!). Taking a five-note ostinato from Schumann's Gesänge der Frühe, Andres crafts a four-movement string quartet that lasts all of ten minutes, crafting a tidy, expressive, and intricate work that takes Schumann's sentiments and explodes them. A hot gem of a piece-- check it out! 

And of course, we don't need to remind you to check out Timo's recent album on Nonesuch, Home Stretch, but we will. This album contains a recording of its titular work, Home Stretch, composed as a companion piece to Mozart's Piano Concerto No. 12, as well as Andres' re-invention of Mozart's Piano Concerto No. 26, and Andres' Paraphrase on Themes of Brian Eno, all performed by the Metropolis Ensemble. It's gotten some fantastic reviews. So as the summer reaches its own home strech, and the temperature grows colder, and you start to crave some music for piano and chamber ensemble... well, you know what to do. 

News From Ann Cleare and Timothy Andres

by Ted Gordon on June 19, 2013, 12:11 p.m.

Ann Cleare, one of the more recently added composers on our PSNY roster, has recently been awarded the Staubach Honoraria for Composition, a prize awarded by the Darmstadt Summer Course for New Music. Chosen from over 130 applications, Ann Cleare's works were selected for this prestigious prize, which commissions composers to write a new work for one of the Darmstadt's resident ensembles, as well as awarding them a full scholarship for the summer course. Cleare will be writing a new work for the Curious Chamber Players, an avant-garde ensemble from Stockholm, to be premiered in the summer of 2014. Cleare is already working on commissions for Ensemble Nikel and New York's own Yarn/Wire for the 2014 season, so we greatly look forward to her new work in the summer! For an idea of Cleare's ensemble writing, check out a recording of her 2007 work, Dorchadas: 

We're also excited to announce that Timo Andres has written a new string quartet - Early to Rise - which is now available here on PSNY. The most recent in a series of Schumann-inspired pieces, Early to Rise was commissioned by The Library of Congress Dina Koston and Roger Shapiro Fund for New Music and premiered by the Attacca Quartet. 

Timo will also be releasing a new album on Nonesuch Records, entitled Home Stretch. The album will contain Timo's new work, Home Stretch, composed as a companion piece to Mozart's Piano Concerto No. 12, as well as his re-invention of Mozart's Piano Concerto No. 26 in D, "Coronation", and his Paraphrase on Themes of Brian Eno, all performed with the Metropolis Chamber Ensemble. Here's a short excerpt of Timo performing his Mozart re-invention with the Metropolis Ensemble in 2011:

Home Stretch will be Timo's second album with Nonesuch; the first, Shy and Mighty, contains pieces for two pianos, including a two-piano version of How Can I Live In Your World Of Ideas?, available on PSNY as a work for solo piano. Other solo piano works available on PSNY include At The River , Sorbet, and It Takes A Long Time To Become A Good Composer. 

The Living Earth Show Plays Adrian Knight, Timothy Andres, and Christopher Cerrone!

by Ted Gordon on May 13, 2013, 9:14 p.m.

New Yorkers have all the fun, don't they? Those lucky enough to be in Manhattan have witnessed the TriBeCa New Music Festival at The Cell in Chelsea, the finale of which consisted of The Living Earth Show performing works by Adrian Knight, Timo Andres, and Chris Cerrone! Could it get any better? 

For those uninitiated, this is The Living Earth Show, a Bay Area-based duo of guitarist Travis Andrews and percussionist Andrew Meyerson:

The Living Earth Show performed the piece in the video above, "You Broke It, You Bought It," by Timo Andres, Adrian Knight's "Family Man," and Chris Cerrone's "Double Happiness." Have a listen to the first movement of "Double Happiness" below and check out Timo's, Adrian's, and Chris' other works to get a sense of what these premieres might have been like. And keep your eyes peeled to our blog for announcements of new publications!  

(P.S. While you're taking my recommendations, check out Adrian Knight's new project, Blue Jazz TV!)