Press
Cygnus Ensemble's Recording of Milton Babbitt's
Swan Song No. 1, on Bridge Records
Jeffrey Milarsky Conducting:
"confident and
eloquent" --
"...Spick and span"--
Performance=5 Stars, Sound=5 Stars
BBC Music, March, 2004
"electrifying" (the Cygnus
guitarists, with Scott Kuney)
Allan Kozinn, The New York Times
This enterprising and supple group--featuring guitars, strings and woodwinds
in pairs--presents a light, lively evening of music from contemporary
American composers, with offshoots into the European past.
Paul Griffiths, The New York Times
The Cygnus Ensemble shows why they are considered among the best of the
new music groups. On this CD, they bring a highly unusual instrumentation
and masterful ensemble playing to bear on a program of diverse works.
CDeMusic
But my favorite chamber disc this month is the debut CD by the Cygnus
Ensemble, a group comprised of flute, oboe, violin, cello and two guitars
- a really exciting new variation on the overused Pierrot ensemble. (It's
great hearing how composers as diverse as Anthony Braxton and Sebastian
Currier handle the assignment.)
Frank J. Oteri, Newmusicbox
The Cygnus Ensemble is structured rather like an Elizabethan consort,
with its strings (violin, cello, 2 guitars) and winds (flute, oboe). But
though they may derive inspiration from a distant era, Cygnus dedicates
itself to contemporary music, bringing along the clarity and directness
of the ancient "broken consort."
John Halle's 'Spooks' is a charmingly harrowing journey through an unpredictable
landscape that draws upon jazz and pop music as well as serialism and
minimalism. David Lang's 'Frag' is Reich-like minimalism as it might have
been performed by a traveling ensemble during Shakespeare's time. Anthony
Braxton is a saxophonist and composer who works both sides of the street-that
is, in both improvised and composed forms, inspired by Stockhausen as
much as Charlie Parker. His Composition No. 186 is baroque, minimalist
and rhythmic in the African and Indian traditions all at once. For the
serial fans, there's a spare, poignant suite of songs by Charles Wuorinen.
The Cygnus Ensemble balances novel aplomb with a warm, inviting precision,
lending cohesion and affability to this set of contemporary works.
Tower Records
Necessity is the mother of [invention], for both composers and performers
of this age. If a group of talented musicians who love new music wish
to perform together, but their instrumentation does not fit traditional
ensemble templates, do they give up? Certainly not, as the musicians of
the Cygnus Ensemble prove. Their instrumentation is unusual, but their
blend of flute, oboe, violin, cello and two guitars does have precedent
in the "broken consort" of Elizabethan times, with its blend
of recorders, viols and lutes (and in fact, the ensemble is not so far
from that of much chamber music, as soon as one realizes the two guitars
can fulfill the textural role usually taken by a piano). Further, these
players know that if they announce their availability, composers will
come. In fact, composers relish the chance to create new repertoire as
much as performers, since their work may come to define a sound other
will want to exploit. And Cygnus's sound is infectious - light and clear,
capable of both delicacy and drive, timbrally rich, transparent yet able
to accomodate whatever degree complexity one might desire.
musicplex
“excellent concert” - Paul
Griffiths, January, 1998, The New York Times
“The mindful voice of Ives, of Stravinsky and of Mr. Wuorinen’s
music would not seem to be implied much by such a song as “Night
and Day,” but Mr. Anderson’s extraordinary arrangements of this
and other numbers by Jerome Kern and Richard Rogers set them squarely
and astonishingly in the same tradition...”
Paul Griffiths, The New York Times
“intelligent birds of a feather” - Piera Paine,
Summer 1998, The New Music Connoisseur
"first rate" - Bernard Holland, March, 1994, The
New York Times
“The performances were on a very high level, and it is impossible
to single out any one player. I thought that all the pieces were presented
in ways that showed them at their best. Not only were all technical difficulties
overcome, but the character of each piece was conveyed effectively. If
Mr. Anderson’s aim was to show how the guitar can play a significant
role in chamber music, he certainly succeeded.”
Leo Kraft, Summer 1998, The New Music Connoisseur
“As is typical in a concert where all the music is unfamiliar, surprises
of all kinds occurred. One of the most pleasant was to discover the Cygnus
Ensemble is a group of first-rate musicians. Each played with a degree
of precision and fervor one rarely hears.”
Asbury Park Press, 1994
“These players seem to feel as comfortable playing this music, despite
its complexity, as may guitarists are playing the music of Sor or Giuliani.”......
“Cygnus continues to give captivating performances of twentieth century
music featuring some of today’s outstanding young musicians.”
Guitar Review, Fall, 1991
“here performed ever so elegantly by the players for whom it was
written.”
Fanfare, May/June 1991
Anderson and Fader are expert chamber musicians with a perfect sense of
timing, virtuosity, and a sensitivity to nuance. O’Connor and Whitfield
have supple tones capable of warm lyricism or powerful bite. All the musicians
phrase beautifully and have a keen awareness of their musical roles. The
ensemble is together in both music and spirit, giving a sense of spontaneity
even when the music is complex or quick-changing.
Guitar Review, Spring 1991
Their playing shaped sonic wave motion and used microtones in textures
of uncommon beauty.
The Philadelphia Inquirer, June 11, 1990
Mr. Babbitt’s piece Soli e Duettini is a striking addition to the
repertoire...His melodies leap freely around the fretboard, and his rhythms
are complex and perilous. Yet Mr. Anderson and Mr. Fader played the work
from memory and gave an impressive account of it.
The New York Times, April 2, 1991
...an ensemble of superior performers. - Newark Star-Ledger,
March 5, 1991
...a superb performance. - The Boston Phoenix, February 22,
1991
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