Search - Poul Ruders, David Starobin, Jan Wagner :: Poul Ruders: Guitar Concertos and Solos; David Starobin, guitar

This disc compiles 4 award-winning recordings of works that Danish composer Poul Ruders has written for the guitarist, David Starobin. "Psalmodies" is an eleven movement ?concerto-concert suite' that begins that ends with movements for solo guitar, and displays a wide range of emotions?from introspective to circus-like. Starobin and Speculum Musicae's performance was named a Fanfare 'Best of Year'. "Etude and Ricercare" is a sober 13 minute essay in pure polyphony. Originally on BRIDGE 9057, the recording was a Gramophone "Editor's Choice". "Chaconne" is a short meditative solo that was originally on Starobin's "Newdance". Newdance won the 2000 "Indie" for "Best Solo CD of the Year" and a Grammy nomination for "Best Solo Performance". "Paganini Variations" (originally released on BRIDGE 9122) is a high-spirited concerto based on Paganini's famous 24th Caprice. Given a 10-10 (highest rating) by ClassicsToday.com, critic David Hurwitz wrote: "Poul Ruders' music is expressionistic in the best sense of the term: exciting, extreme, violent, hallucinatory, and often strikingly beautiful?it grabs you by the throat and never lets go. How guitarist David Starobin gets all of those notes under his fingers is anyone's guess, but manage it he does. It's an amazingly virtuosic display of supreme musicianship."