Ensemble Vivant’s iFUGUE ~ A World of Fugues album pays homage to Johann Sebastian Bach. It features masterful fugues from around the world by Astor Piazzolla (Argentina); Heitor Villa-Lobos (Brazil); Aldemaro Romero (Venezuela); John Burke and Michael Coghlan (Canada); Dmitri Shostakovich (Russia); Antonio Vivaldi (Italy); César Franck (France); and of course, the King of the Fugue himself, Johann Sebastian Bach (Germany).
Two of Bach’s Preludes and Fugues from Volume 1 of his Well-Tempered Clavier are included on this recording: No. 9 in E Major, which I perform for solo piano (Track 5), and No. 13 in F Sharp Major (Track 2) to which John Burke ingeniously added the wonderful strings of Ensemble Vivant.
When the great, now late Canadian composer John Burke heard Antonio Vivaldi’s fugue in e minor (from Sinfonia in e minor for strings and continuo), he immediately knew it would be a perfect complement to our fugue project. I was thrilled when he presented this delightful fugue which he arranged and gifted to Ensemble Vivant. It was John who cleverly coined this ‘iFUGUE’ which fittingly leads off this album.
The idea for this album was sparked when I discovered the wonderful fugues of Argentine Tango master Astor Piazzolla. Ensemble Vivant was preparing for our Homage to Astor Piazzolla recording and the introduction to some of Piazzolla’s fugues inspired me to seek out masterful fugues written by other composers from different cultures around the world. Like so many composers, Piazzolla revered the music of Johann Sebastian Bach and he fervently studied Bach’s contrapuntal writing, especially the fugues.
Ensemble Vivant’s recordings on the Opening Day Entertainment Group label (ODEG) are heard on radio around the world. iFUGUE ~ A World of Fugues is the group’s 15th album.
iFugue, A World of Fugues CD
$15.00
PLAY LIST
- iFugue (fugue in e minor from Antonio Vivaldi’s Sinfonia in e minor for strings and continuo)1
- Prelude & Fugue in F Sharp Major No. 13, BK 1 WTC, J.S. Bach1
- Fuga del Sur, John Burke, World Premiere
- Fugata, Astor Piazzolla2
- Prelude & Fugue in E Major No. 9, BK 1 WTC, John Burke, Solo Piano
- Prelude & Fugue in A Major No. 7, OP. 87, Dmitri Shostakovich1
- Fugue for Fireflies, Michael Coghlan, Solo Piano, World Premiere
- Fuga con Pajarillo, Aldemaro Romero2
- Fugue in G Major, J.S. Bach (cello & piano)
- Fugue & Variations (From Prelude, Fugue and Variations, Op. 18) César Franck2
- Fuga Y Misterio, Astor Piazzolla2
- Fugue in G Minor, J.S. Bach/ Robert Schumann (violin & piano)
- Peregrine Riffs, Michael Coghlan (piano, violin & bass), World Premiere
- Fugue in G Minor (Little Fugue), J.S. Bach3
- Bachianas Brasileiras No. 1 Fuga (Conversa), Heitor Villa-Lobos2
- arr for Ensemble Vivant by John Burke
- arr for Ensemble Vivant by Julien Labro
- arr for Ensemble Vivant by Rick Wilkins
Musicians
Catherine Wilson, Piano/Artistic Director
Corey Gemmel, Violin
Norman Hathaway, Viola
Tom Mueller, Cello
George Koller, Bass
With Special Guests:
Don Thompson, O.C., Vibraphone (Track 4)
Adrian Bent, Drums (Track 1)
Jim Vivian, Bass (Tracks 4,11,15)
Juan Carlos Medrano, Percussion (Track 8)
Sybil Shanahan, Cello (Tracks 4,11,15)
Juan Carlos Medrano, Percussion (Track 8)
Jeremy Smith, Maracas (Track 8)