by Ben Hogwood
Kieran Hebden has reached album number 12 under his Four Tet alias – released via his Bandcamp site on Friday 15 March.
It promises much, for Hebden has the freedom on his own Text Records to do what he wants. Will it show how he is continuing to develop as an artist? Come back to Arcana in the coming week or so to find out…
Published post no.2,102 – Wednesday 28 February 2024
by Ben Hogwood
Some exciting news from Erased Tapes… who have announced they will be releasing the soundtrack to forthcoming film Falling Into Place, a collaboration between Jon Hopkins and Ben Lukas Boysen, featuring performances by pianist Lisa Morgenstern and cellist Anne Müller.
He takes up the story: “The film in general, and therefore the score, deals a lot with reflecting on needs and the feeling of belonging. Each piece of the score is devoted to one of the many stations our protagonists visit on their journey and Some Kind Of Pattern represents an early and careful approach towards their feelings and who they want to be, for themselves and also for each other.”
Some Kind Of Pattern is the early taster of what the soundtrack will be like, a contemplative but assured piece of work whose descriptive powers are evident. It has a compelling stillness that bodes well for the album.
The score to Falling Into Place will be released on Erased Tapes on 28 March, in conjunction with Piano Day 2024.
Published post no.2,102 – Wednesday 28 February 2024
by Ben Hogwood
Manu Delago is closing in on the release of his new album Snow From Yesterday, due on 2 February. Here is another substantial taster from it, a piece written by Manu in tribute to his late step-father.
As his label’s press release described last year, “the Austrian composer, innovator, Grammy nominee and acclaimed percussionist has teamed up with vocal ensemble Mad About Lemon to craft a profound and distinct new concept piece. Manu has become a leading name in his field, touring with the likes of Björk, most recently on her celebrated Cornucopia tour. His trademark handpan virtuosity is the rhythmic lifeforce of Snow From Yesterday, creating majestic, emotive sounds, often with a tender delicacy, for Mad About Lemon’s folksy harmonies to pour over.
Those words capture the mood of the new single – and bode well for the new album, which Arcana will of course review.
Published post no.2,053 – Thursday 11 January 2024
by Ben Hogwood, editor
As this is our first post of the year, let me take the opportunity to wish all readers of Arcana a very Happy New Year! Thanks for taking the time to visit the site, I hope you will find much of interest.
In a musical sense, 2024 promises much – and offers a great opportunity to celebrate the music of some classical composers whose anniversaries fall this year. Keep visiting for more on Gustav Holst (above, his statue in Cheltenham), Gabriel Fauré, Darius Milhaud and Nick Drake – as well as the continuation of our Beethoven 200 series, which will pick up the composer’s work where we left off, with the opera Lenore. There will also be the usual reviews of concerts and new music, playlists and interviews. The aim is to add a post each day, so if you come back to the site on a daily basis you should find something new to read – and something new to listen to.
We aim to do what Manfred Mann’s Earth Band did to Holst – and bring some joy to our readers. Wishing you a wonderful 2024!
by Ben Hogwood
Pentatone have announced the release of a new EP from pianist Clare Hammond, presenting piano works by composer Edmund Finnis. The new music has a deeply personal resonance for the pianist.
The EP begins with Youth, a set of brief pieces recalling an image, sensation of place, significant encounter or a moment of vivid perception. Each musical image is conveyed as clearly and directly as possible, written for the piano in a focused, uncluttered, personal way.
The EP closes with Lullaby for Emmeline, commissioned by Hammond and her husband on the occasion of their daughter’s birth. Evocative and enchanting, these works share a kinship with some of the most famous piano cycles inspired by childhood experiences, while their magical and ethereally beautiful nature are also characteristic of Finnis’s iridescent musical approach.
“Ed and I initially discussed working together on a new piece when we were students at the Guildhall School of Music & Drama”, recalls Hammond. “It took us 10 years to find the right opportunity, but was well worth the wait!”
Talking about the music itself, she describes it as “relatively simple but seems immediately to touch the heart. It is beautifully evocative, moving, and stays with you long after hearing it. I gave the premiere at Milton Court in the Barbican, have performed it across the UK (including for a BBC Radio 3 live broadcast), and shall be playing it again at the Harrogate International Music Festival on the 24 March 2024. Youth has become a very important piece for me and I feel honoured to have been involved in its creation.”
For Finnis, meanwhile, the EP is a step in a new direction. “It’s a great joy to be able to share this first release of my music for solo piano. Since I was young, the keys of the piano have always been for me a private space in which to think, invent and dream. Many of the sounds and ideas within this collection of short pieces have been in my mind and under my fingers for a long time. They are like memories. I’m indebted to my friend Clare Hammond for the artistry, grace and lucidity she brings to this personal music.”
You can listen to an excerpt from Youth on the Pentatone website
Published post no.2,031 – Wednesday 6 December 2023
