David Starobin

This retrospective disk presents music composed by the late Elliott Carter over a period of more than 70 years.

Paul Lansky’s burgeoning career shift from composer of computer-generated music to composer of music written for, as he humorously puts it, “carbon-based life forms”, is documented on the present recording. Three symphonic works from the last five years feature, including a Concerto for Guitar and Orchestra written for the Grammy nominated guitarist David Starobin.

Lansky's music freely mixes popular and classical elements in works full of energy and fantasy.

All of the works on this disc receive their première recordings and were composed for the trio Crazy Jane. Crazy Jane is made up of three noted soloists: baritone Patrick Mason; guitarist David Starobin; and percussionist Daniel Druckman. The trio performs a highly unusual blend of new compositions and music from earlier periods.

This exciting disc presents the first recordings of two new George Crumb song cycles. With The Ghosts of Alhambra, George Crumb returns once again to his favorite poet, Federico García Lorca. The texts for The Ghosts of Alhambra come from Poema del cante jondo, much of which Lorca wrote in reaction to the commercialized flamenco he experienced in contemporary Andalusia.

Crumb's settings are alternately dark, dramatic and childlike in their directness and simplicity. The spectacular tapestry that is Crumb's Voices from a Forgotten World presents a huge variety of American song from diverse sources. Native American songs (Navajo and Ojibwa) bump up against 17th century ballads and folk songs from various corners of the nation. The huge percussion orchestra provides one of Crumb's most colourful scores in a 46 minute composition that is shattering in its cumulative emotional impact.

Richard Wernick’s infrequently recorded music is heard here in the premiere recordings of three major chamber compositions and two short works for solo guitar.

The most recent piece is Wernick's Horn Quintet, a virtuosic score recorded by the work's dedicatees- William Purvis and the Juilliard String Quartet. Wernick's String Quartet No. 6 is in one dramatic movement, performed eloquently by the Colorado Quartet. The Name of the Game is a concerto for guitar and chamber ensemble with the thematic material based on the name of guitarist, David Starobin. Starobin plays this work accompanied by the International Contemporary Ensemble, and also performs two short solo pieces that Wernick composed for him in preparation for his concerto.

David Starobin, called by Soundboard Magazine “arguably the most influential American classical guitarist of the twentieth century” is heard on a CD of his favorite recordings of twentieth century music. Consisting of solo, chamber and vocal works with guitar, “Favorite Tracks, Vol. 2” offers newly remastered performances of the Grammy-nominated guitar virtuoso's recordings made between 1976 and 1997.

Featured on this disc are three works by Elliott Carter, and three performances with Starobin's long time duo partner, the baritone, Patrick Mason.

Guitar virtuoso David Starobin has selected “favourite” recordings of 19th century repertoire from recordings made during the past 35 years.

The selection includes music by the 19th century guitar world's leading composers and is performed on both period and modern instruments.

As a bonus, this disc includes the first release of Starobin's recording with the late Italian violinist Pina Carmirelli of Paganini's Sonata Concertata. These remastered performances give evidence of why Starobin was recently called “arguably the most influential American classical guitarist of the 20th Century” by Soundboard Magazine.

Grammy-nominated guitarist David Starobin's latest CD includes five recent works composed by close colleagues of the guitarist, including music for guitar and percussion, written for the guitarist and his daughter to play.

The music on this disc ranges broadly from the eclectic modernism of Poul Ruders to Paul Lansky's tuneful and popsy Semi-Suite. All works are by composers whom the guitarist fondly regards as “old friends and collaborators—virtually family.”

Tania León's music combines the Cuban-American composer's Caribbean roots with her broadly-based interests in the music of our time. The resulting work swings with rhythmic intensity and is based on a sophisticated harmonic language, incorporating elements of tonality and atonality. This varied CD features first recordings of six León compositions, including solo music, music with electronics, chamber music, vocal music, and an orchestral composition.