David Aaron Carpenter – Motherland (2018) [Official Digital Download 24bit/96kHz]

For his second Warner Classics album, David Aaron Carpenter – “a star violist” in the words of the Los Angeles Times – brings together concertos by Dvořák, Bartók, Walton and a dance cycle by contemporary composer Alexey Shor. Carpenter identifies a connecting theme of “a longing for the homeland … a reverence for native musical folk tunes and language.” He is accompanied by the London Philharmonic Orchestra under three distinguished conductors: Kazushi Ono, Vladimir Jurowski and David Parry.

The Motherland evoked in the title is that of the four composers presented here, even though most of their exiles were voluntary. Dvořák moved to New York for a few years, tempted by the possibilities offered by the post of Director of the New York Conservatory, while Walton chose to live on the island of Ischia, near Naples, for reasons of personal enjoyment, sun, and freedom. As for the Ukrainian Alexey Shor, he lives in New York, of his own volition. Only Bartók, in fact, wound up in New York as an exile fleeing the Second World War; and his Viola Concerto, commissioned by William Primrose, was incomplete at the time of the composer’s death. The rough drafts and sketches were brought together into this concerto, which remains a “work in progress”, as the first reconstitution (or rather, constitution) by Tibor Serly in 1949 was followed by many revisions, including by Bartók’s own son, 50 years later! This recording is of the first version, by Serly. For Dvořák, viola player David Aaron Carpenter offers his own reading of the Cello Concerto. And finally, the pieces by Shor fit into a tonal, neo-romantic, melodic tradition, resolutely ignoring anything that happened after 1900, a choice which is respected these days, but a few decades ago would have seen this material pigeon-holed as “easy listening”.

Tracklist:
1-01. David Aaron Carpenter, London Philharmonic Orchestra & Kazushi Ono – Cello Concerto, Op. 104: I. Allegro (arranged by Carpenter) (14:20)
1-02. David Aaron Carpenter, London Philharmonic Orchestra & Kazushi Ono – Cello Concerto, Op. 104: II. Adagio, ma non troppo (11:35)
1-03. David Aaron Carpenter, London Philharmonic Orchestra & Kazushi Ono – Cello Concerto, Op. 104: III. Finale (Allegro moderato) (12:08)
1-04. David Aaron Carpenter, London Philharmonic Orchestra & Vladimir Jurowski – Viola Concerto, Sz. 120, BB 128: I. Moderato (11:54)
1-05. David Aaron Carpenter, London Philharmonic Orchestra & Vladimir Jurowski – Viola Concerto, Sz. 120, BB 128: II. Adagio religioso (03:39)
1-06. David Aaron Carpenter, London Philharmonic Orchestra & Vladimir Jurowski – Viola Concerto, Sz. 120, BB 128: III. Allegro vivace (04:31)
1-07. David Aaron Carpenter, London Philharmonic Orchestra & David Parry – Seascapes: I. Abandoned Lighthouse (05:53)
1-08. David Aaron Carpenter, London Philharmonic Orchestra & David Parry – Seascapes: II. Lonely Sail (04:29)
1-09. David Aaron Carpenter, London Philharmonic Orchestra & David Parry – Seascapes: III. Gathering Storm (03:49)
1-10. David Aaron Carpenter, London Philharmonic Orchestra & David Parry – Seascapes: IV. Summer Hail (04:03)
1-11. David Aaron Carpenter, London Philharmonic Orchestra & William Walton – Viola Concerto: I. Andante comodo (08:28)
1-12. David Aaron Carpenter, London Philharmonic Orchestra & William Walton – Viola Concerto: II. Vivo, e molto preciso (04:21)
1-13. David Aaron Carpenter, London Philharmonic Orchestra & William Walton – Viola Concerto: III. Allegro moderato (12:33)
1-14. David Aaron Carpenter, London Philharmonic Orchestra & David Parry – Lullaby for Mark (03:23)
1-15. David Aaron Carpenter, London Philharmonic Orchestra & David Parry – Natalie’s Waltz (03:30)
1-16. David Aaron Carpenter, London Philharmonic Orchestra & David Parry – The Well Tempered Chanson: I. Murka Metamorphoses (03:35)
1-17. David Aaron Carpenter, London Philharmonic Orchestra & David Parry – The Well Tempered Chanson: II. Trans-Siberian Waltz (02:56)
1-18. David Aaron Carpenter, London Philharmonic Orchestra & David Parry – The Well Tempered Chanson: III. 7.40 Samba (03:11)
1-19. David Aaron Carpenter, London Philharmonic Orchestra & David Parry – The Well Tempered Chanson: IV. Baroken Love (02:50)
1-20. David Aaron Carpenter, Kristina Blaumane, London Philharmonic Orchestra & David Parry – The Well Tempered Chanson: V. Last Penny (03:41)
1-21. David Aaron Carpenter, London Philharmonic Orchestra & David Parry – The Well Tempered Chanson: VI. Odessa Walk (03:06)
1-22. David Aaron Carpenter, London Philharmonic Orchestra & David Parry – The Well Tempered Chanson: VII. Buenos Aires Bonbons (03:30)
1-23. David Aaron Carpenter, London Philharmonic Orchestra & David Parry – The Well Tempered Chanson: VIII. Chicken Tarantella (03:48)
1-24. David Aaron Carpenter, London Philharmonic Orchestra & David Parry – The Well Tempered Chanson: IX. Nostalgic Waltz (04:22)
1-25. David Aaron Carpenter, London Philharmonic Orchestra & David Parry – The Well Tempered Chanson: X. Buggy Bossa Nova (04:10)
1-26. David Aaron Carpenter, Sean Carpenter, London Philharmonic Orchestra & David Parry – The Well Tempered Chanson: XI. Semi-Cannonical Great Feud (03:01)
1-27. David Aaron Carpenter, London Philharmonic Orchestra & David Parry – The Well Tempered Chanson: XII. Lament (04:22)
1-28. David Aaron Carpenter, London Philharmonic Orchestra & David Parry – The Well Tempered Chanson: XIII. Murka Variations (03:27)