Torke, Michael

Average customer rating:

Loved "Summon the Heroes"
Inspirational music during awards
Rousing but....
Enjoyable romp through Olympic Themes
One of the most uplifting and motivating albums!!!

Summon the Heroes

Manufacturer: Sony
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Similar Items:

American Journey - Winter Olympics 2002
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Unity: The Official Athens 2004 Olympic Games Album
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ASIN: B00004WK4E
Release Date: 2000-08-29

Tracks:

Summon The Heroes - John Williams/Boston Pops Orchestra
Carmina Burana: O Fortuna - Tanglewood Festival Chorus/John Oliver
Bugler's Dream/Olympic Fanfare And Theme - John Williams/Boston Pops Orchestra
Canto Olympico: Ode To Zeus - Tanglewood Festival Chorus/John Oliver
Javelin - John Williams/Boston Pops Orchestra
Olympic Hymn - Tanglewood Festival Chorus/John Oliver
Festive Overture, Op.96 - John Williams/Boston Pops Orchestra
Conquest Of Paradise (Theme) - Tanglewood Festival Chorus/John Oliver
Ben Hur: Parade Of Charioteers - John Williams/Boston Pops Orchestra
Toward A New Life - John Williams/Boston Pops Orchestra
Chariots of Fire (Theme) - John Williams/Boston Pops Orchestra
The Olympic Spirit - John Williams/Boston Pops Orchestra

Customer Reviews:

Loved "Summon the Heroes".......2007-03-17

Great soul-stirring music! Highly recommended for anyone who loves Olympics orchestral and similar music.

Inspirational music during awards.......2007-01-22

I use the music on this CD as background when I give awards during track. It's very inspirational & uplifting to the athletes. They love it.

Rousing but...........2006-02-24

This CD, with John Williams at the baton, summons the heroes in a rousing manner with a wide range of Olympic as well as "heroic" (e.g., "Parade of the Charioteers" from "Ben Hur")selections. Three of the twelve tracks were written by Williams himself with his "Olympic Spirit" being recorded for the first time. The electrifying "Ode to Zeus" by Mikis Theodorakis is probably the single greatest selection.
In an amazing oversight, however, this CD does not include the Olympic Theme.

Enjoyable romp through Olympic Themes.......2005-09-01

In the US at least, John Williams is known more for his movie scores (Star Wars and Raiders of the Lost Ark to name a few), but he has put his stamp on the Olympics with his several themes and fanfares for the Olympics. Dating back to 1984, Mr. Williams has composed many well known fanfares to the Olympics, and this compilation contains several of his fanfares in addition to music used in other Olympics. The original release for the disc was 1996, which makes it current through the Atlanta Games; if you're looking for the work that John Williams composed for the Salt Lake City Winter Olympics (2002), you have to go with American Visions (I believe that's the title).

On the whole, the music is well done, but I'm more used to the faster pace of the Parade of the Charioteers found on Eric Kunzel and the Cincinnati Pops' Hollywood's Greatest Hits Vol. 1.
One other quibble (minor, really) is that people tend to think of the 1984 Olympic Fanfare as being always merged with the traditional Olympic Fanfare, but you can find it separately on By Request by John Williams and the Boston Pops. You'll also have to hunt around for the full composition of what people consider the traditional Olympic Fanfare on another disc, but that's a minor issue.

One nice item on the disc is The Olympic Spirit, which was composed for the NBC Broadcast of the 1988 Olympics in Seoul, but never used. My children really like that piece a lot, and usually request it to be replayed when it finishes.

One of the most uplifting and motivating albums!!!.......2005-07-19

When I first listened to this album, I was in awe of the beauty and grandness of the music composed/performed by John Williams. John can make composing music an exalted art. His music is purely genius and captures the ideas of the album in which the score is in. Back to the album . . . it is AWESOME! This includes many well-known songs but also many undiscovered treasures. Of the twelve songs, I especially enjoyed:
Track One-Summon the Heroes
Track Three-Bugler's Dream/Olympic Fanfare and Theme
Track Twelve-The Olympic Spirit
Bottom Line: BUY THIS ALBUM!!!!!!!! A TREASURE!!!!!

Average customer rating:

Patience's Reward!
Innocuous Music for Dangerous Times
"DECEMBER" is brilliant.
michael torke's music is repetitive and boring.

Javelin: The Music of Michael Torke

Manufacturer: Polygram Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Tracks:

Javelin - Atlanta SO/Yoel Levi
December - PO/Michael Torke
Run - Atlanta SO/Yoel Levi
Adjustable Wrench - London Sinf/Kent Nagano
Green - Baltimore SO/David Zinman
Music On The Floor (II) - London Sinf/Lothar Zagrosek
Bright Blue Music - Baltimore SO/David Zinman

Customer Reviews:

Patience's Reward!.......2003-09-05

A wonderfully ecletic selection of Micheal Torke compositions, albeit hard-apparently-to find...except at The Jazz Classical & Opera Shop on 112th Street, New York City. Ordered the cd on Labor Day; it shipped September 2; and arrived in Colorado two days later. Thanks guys for the marvelous service! But more, thanks for "Bright Blue Music" and all the other scarce seections
of this neglected 20th-21st century American composer.

Innocuous Music for Dangerous Times.......2003-04-19

The 1980's are definitely over. Torke's obsessive party music doesn't speak to me, though I did feel a rush of nostalgia-laced recognition of the 80's when I listened to this disc.

"DECEMBER" is brilliant........1999-06-30

Michael Torke's "December" is a composition rich with the complexity of emotional and musical sophistication. It breathes deep feeling and artistry, is comprised of much orchestral innovation and is one of the most moving, exciting compositions I have ever heard. BRAVO.

michael torke's music is repetitive and boring........1999-03-30

michael torke's music on this cd s***ks. one listening is more than enough.

Average customer rating:

Poor selection...
Inspirational cd
Excellent compilation of inspiring scores
The BEST!
Excellent Music

Summon the Heroes

Manufacturer: Sony
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

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Cantatas | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Choruses | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Movie Soundtracks | Soundtracks | Styles | Music

General | Soundtracks | Styles | Music

General | Easy Listening | Pop | Styles | Music

Orchestral Pop | Easy Listening | Pop | Styles | Music

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Similar Items:

American Journey - Winter Olympics 2002
Summon the Heroes
By Request: The Best Of John Williams And The Boston Pops Orchestra
Pirates Of The Caribbean: The Curse Of The Black Pearl

ASIN: B0000029R1
Release Date: 1996-04-30

Tracks:

Summon The Heroes
Carmina Burana: O Fortuna
Buglers Dream: Olympic Fanfare And Theme
Canto Olympico: Ode To Zeus
Javelin
Olympic Hymn
Festive Overture, Op. 96
Conquest Of Paradise (Theme)
Ben Hur: Parade Of Charioteers
Toward A New Life
Chariots Of Fire (Theme)
The Olympic Spirit

Customer Reviews:

Poor selection..........2000-11-06

Personally, i bougth this CD because i want the official Olimpic Himn, and i thougth this CD include that. Wrong! This fantastic music is not hear. Why? So the selection is not the best! Despite, the quality of the recording and musical direction is very good. The Olympic Spirit is the best theme in the seleccion, Bernstein`s Olimpic Himn is a deception! In the rest, they are good music between same eroded and "dejá vu" themes.

Inspirational cd.......2000-04-29

This cd contains some of the best most inspirational music I have heard. I personally think the best track is "Towards a New Life". Trust me and buy this cd.

Excellent compilation of inspiring scores.......2000-04-13

The majority of "Best of" compilation albums are disappointing, and although this album certainly isn't flawless, it contains some of the greatest invigorating scores ever composed. The album opens with the William's and Arnaud's infamous "Buglers Dream, Olympic Fanfare and Theme" immediately setting the dramatic and inspirational tone. However, the following score - Williams' rendition of "Chariots of Fire" - is not on par in relation of the other tracks. Fortunately the strength of the entire album remains unaffected and you are easily engulfed by passionate classics like "Festive Overture", "O' Fortuna" and "The Olympic Spirit". An amazing addition to any fan of Classical/Orchestral music.

The BEST!.......2000-02-08

I don't know what I was thinking when I wrote my Conan Soundtrack review. I recently started listening to this CD again, and it is very possibly the best hour of music you will ever hear.

Conducted by John Williams, the world's best, and including a couple of songs composed by him too, this CD collects the most epic, heroic, bold songs you will ever hear into one CD.

I can't recommend this one enough. If you only buy one CD, buy this one!

Excellent Music.......1999-10-14

John Williams proves he still has the Right Stuff. With this album, Williams proves he is the master of modern classical music. The fanfares and marches are soul-stirring, and the Olympic Themes are a good reminder of what the Olympics mean to the world. If you're not careful, you might find yourself marching around your cubicle when you listen to this.

Michael Torke: Rapture; An American Abroad; Jasper

Average customer rating:

Refreshing!
Weak compared to other releases of Torke
Michael Torke and the rebirth of art music
Bright Lights, Big Deal
Yowza!

Michael Torke: Rapture; An American Abroad; Jasper

Manufacturer: Naxos American
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B00006S1WW
Release Date: 2003-01-21

Tracks:

An American Abroad
Jasper
Drums And Woods
Mallets
Metals

Customer Reviews:

Refreshing!.......2004-07-19

Mr. Torke is perhaps the most gifted melodist working in classical music today. If you listen to this CD or any other one by Torke (I can recommend OVERNIGHT MAIL) you will remember what you heard. Sometimes maybe only and hour later or even a week, but you will remember. His music is not easily forgotten like Joan Tower or Glass or Adams. I look forward to hearing a more formal work from this great artist. Yep,I think you will like it.

Weak compared to other releases of Torke.......2004-06-17

Unfortunately, the offerings on this CD are not anywhere near as strong as Torke's best music -- from the 80's and early 90's. Thankfully, the wonderful recordings of those pieces have been re-released on Ecstatic Records (Torke's own label).

In particularly, look out for "Four Proverbs", "Book of Proverbs", "Saxophone Concerto", and some of his shorter concert overtures such as "Javelin" and "Run."

Skip this Naxos disc and explore his other recordings for a better introduction to the zestful and exciting music of this composer.

Michael Torke and the rebirth of art music.......2003-12-12

The cacophony in art music that prevailed for most of the 20th century can now be seen as simply an expansion of the musical pallette and a taming of technique under the rigors of admittedly academic formalisms. Unfortunately for composers who have embraced the methods of Second Viennese School, the devotees and listeners of "classical" music have found it exceedingly difficult, sometimes excruciating, and usually quite unsatisfying to relate to the skewed sounds of the dodecaphonic/cacophonic music, no matter how much the composers of that music write articles about how tightly and logically constructed their music is and how incredibly ingenious their "solutions" have been. Ultimately, most of this music has been a monologue the composer did with himself/herself and the narrow group of those who "understood" his/her music.
Ultimately, music should communicate without the need for programmatic essays by the composer. If the music doesn't convey its meaning and wholeness to its listeners beyond the printed word, then it will cease to be listened to. That's a fact of life, especially with music being played in concert halls. The new movement among composers of art music toward more tonally conceived sounds is an acknowledgement of that truth. Tonal music has a basis in harmonics that 12-tone music and freer cacophony lack - while tonal music sounds natural, the other seems artificially contrived. It also hasn't helped that most of the dodecaphonic/cacophonic music, lacking any understandable reference points for most listeners, sounds dark, brooding, pessimistic, and ultimately incomprehensible.

Having written all this, I should also let those reading this know that I once spent many years writing in the 12-tone style and mannerisms of the 2nd Viennese School. Having spent a lot of time with this sound, I have developed an understanding and appreciation for the music of Schoenberg, Berg, Webern and others who spent most of their lives writing in this style. But communicating with audiences has been extremely problematic - the sounds come off as strange and, because of that, hides whatever the composer wanted to say...

However, the music of Michael Torke, and the more tonal music of others over the last decade or so, is immediately approachable and quite often satisfying. Really, art music does not have to be difficult sounding or somehow beyond the pale of human experience to be masterful. After listening to Torke and others who write with more tonal sounds, you leave the concert hall with the sense that much of what you heard found an immediate and unspoken understanding within you. And that's what music should do - COMMUNICATE

The 3 pieces of music on this CD are well-conceived and thoroughly enjoyable. Also highly recommended is Torke's "Book of Proverbs; Four Proverbs". As an introduction to his music, one has only to listen to "Book of Proverbs: Opening" to come away with a smile and an abiding interest in his music. Michael Torke should be taken very seriously by all of us who are optimistic about the future of art music.

Bright Lights, Big Deal.......2003-04-19

"Rapture" is unrelenting in its sameness throughout, and the rest of this CD sounds like a pale copy of work that this gifted composer created during the late 1980's. I am sad to give it a pass.

Yowza!.......2003-01-25

Poor Michael Torke has a hard time being taken seriously, largely because he writes uniformly optimistic, pop-tinged, lively, soul-easing music. But then Gershwin had the same problem in his era. Torke's time will come, I strongly suspect. And this release will help.

Someone has called him 'the American Ravel'. That's over-reaching a bit, but I can see their point. Torke is a master orchestrator (possibly the best currently working in America, although John Adams is right up there with him), and there is an insouciance that we generally associate with 20th-century French composers. He can write a meltingly beautiful tune, and he is a master of complex recognizably _American_ rhythms, some of them Latin American. He has been fortunate to have had wonderful recordings of his music; I'm thinking now of that string of Argo releases featuring David Zinman and the Baltimore Symphony.

For several years Torke was composer-in-residence for the Royal Scottish National Orchestra, and all three pieces on this CD were written for them. The title of the first, 'An American Abroad', reminds us of Gershwin's 'An American in Paris', but that's about the only similarity - and there are no taxi horns in the score! The predominant feeling in this 21 minute piece is that of an American, fresh-faced, curious, naïve, full of wonder wandering from place to place in a journey abroad. There are some invigorating rhythms (always a feature of Torke's music) and a middle section, rather more reflective, that has one of Torke's patented tunes, the kind that get in your head and won't leave you alone. There is a touch of melancholy in this section; it made me think of the sadness of leaving wonderful travels behind when it's time to go home. But then there is the excitement of going back to familiar places and people. Hmmm, I've just described a 21st Century tone-poem, haven't I? Liszt and Richard Strauss would be proud.

The shorter second piece, 'Jasper', is a set of informal variations on a simple tune, one that uses each of the notes of the diatonic scale only once. The tune gets dressed up in varying rhythms and instrumentation, but retains its recognizability.

The final piece, the longest on the disc at 28 minutes, is a percussion concerto, entitled 'Rapture', written for and performed by the brilliant young (very young: he's only 26, and was only 23 when he premièred it) Colin Currie. A percussionist friend tells me that 'he beats Evelyn Glennie all hollow'; I'm not prepared to say that, but he certainly is hugely talented. I only wish I could _see_ him performing the piece. The concerto has an unusual form in that each of the three movements features a different subset of the percussion family. The first is subtitle 'Drums and Woods', the second 'Mallets', and the last 'Metals'. You get the idea. Needless to say, Torke's rhythmic vitality and ingenuity get a real workout here. The insistent rhythm in the first movement leads eventually to a kind of hypnotic state in the listener, the 'Rapture' of the title. This, in itself, is not my own cup of tea, but I did get caught up in the jittery excitement of it all. The second movement, the one with mallet instruments, is less frenetic and more intrinsically melodic, lots of deep marimba, lots of chords of the ninth. I will admit that it was my favorite; I guess I'd been a bit worn out by the first movement. But we're off to the races again, this time with a salsa beat, in movement three and the whole thing ends up in a flurry almost unbelievable virtuosity on the part of Currie. Hoo boy!

Tracks:

Green
Purple
Ecstatic Orange
Ash
Bright Blue Music

Amazon.com

Torke (b. 1961) writes some of the more interesting minimalism being done today. His punctuated rhythms are always framed around a tonal, melodic core and are as colorful as the titles of the works. But Torke is a bit more than a minimalist; he knows jazz inside and out and makes use of syncopation and even Modern dance rhythms as in Ecstatic Orange. The performance by the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra is quite good, but the booklet notes are obscure and of no help to anyone. Still, the music is what counts. Start here if Torke is new to you. -- Paul Cook

Customer Reviews:

New Music for Steven Bochko to love.......2006-11-26

What would Michael Torke do if he ever lost his score for Stravinsky's Symphony In C ? He wouldn't have anything to spice up the Bernstein-ism's with ! But the little Mike Post cadences would still save the day... Eat your spinach, dear ! I say it's Academic Minimalism, and I say the Hell with it! It just proves again, if proof were really needed, that any Avant Garde movement carries the seeds of its own decadence within itself from its inception. Those who find this "listenable Minimalism" should be locked in a room with a recording of The Well Tuned Piano on eternal repeat. Philosophical question: does repeating some cleverly orchestrated trifle in a flaccid loop make that trifle "minimalist" ?

Beyond minimalism.......2006-04-20

This is music that you can listen without being annoyed. This is genuinely beautiful music, with a great orchestration, with moving masses of sounds that move in parallel with the complex rhytms like brush strokes of an inspired painter.
This is simple, but not naive, since the structural complexity is extreme, despite the appearance (and this is another achievement). Torke is one of the most personal voices of new postminimalist music. And this is Torke at its best! Definitely a must for anybody interested in modern music...

Interesting minimalism, if there is such a thing.......2003-10-07

"You know, I'm no art critic, but I know what I hate. And I don't hate this." --- C. Montgomery Burns, from "Brush With Greatness."

That about sums it up. As minimalism goes, this pieces are some of the more engaging examples of the genre. It still contains the repetitive rhythms & chord progressions, so beloved by the devotees of minimalism, spun out in innumerable variations for several minutes. But the music remains strangely engaging despite its minimalist qualities. I found that the energy in "Green," "Ecstatic Orange," and "Bright Blue Music" overcomes the repetitive qualities, and is enough to keep all but the most fervent haters of minimalism interested. I cannot say the same for "Ash," with its classically-inspired chord progressions, which became really irritating to listen to after just a few minutes. It would figure that "Ash" is the longest piece on this album.

3 1/2 stars --- catalogue it under "Minimalist music that isn't totally annoying."

Elemental and Complete.......2003-04-04

Yes, two of the five works here also appear on the Javelin album. That leaves three works uncovered: Purple, Ash, and Ecstatic Orange. So the choice to acquire this album in addition to Javelin is ultimately driven by a referendum on the merit of these three works in their own right. For my money, the acquisition of this earlier album is more than justified by the presence of Ash. What makes Ash distinctive is the clever Beethovenian conceit that Torke dishes up. The illusion of linear progress is created in individual sections, but at the macro level this sense of purpose, like water to a thirsty Tantalus, is pulled away. Form follows function, however, and Torke is putting the Beethovenian idiom to an entirely different use than the archetype did. This is assuredly not parody, but a transmutation in the service of a fresh, modern aesthetic. It's as if the IDEA of Debussy's impressionism is being realized with Beethovenesque building blocks (cobbled from the idiom farthest removed from Debussy's).

On this album, the best works are Green, Ash, and Bright Blue music, in that order. Ecstatic Orange stands out as the dissonant member of the set, while Purple comes off as an effective interlude (a breather, as it were) bridging the effervescent Green to Ecstatic Orange. While some have inferred associative relationships between music and color on Torke's part, I don't think we should lump him in with Scriabin on this account. I've written a series of compositions named after Los Angeles area freeways, but there is no deeper meaning to be sought in that circumstance.

With the recent release of "Jasper" on Naxos, it's no longer true that all the orchestral Color Music of Torke's can be found on this one album. But the best selection of it is surely to be found on this CD...

Come Prepared.......2003-01-28

I do not imbibe when I listen to music. I suspect that one could enjoy this drivel if one smoked enough [...] or consumed enough alcohol. Otherwise, you may find this drivel to be almost utterly worthless. I should think anyone with the power of discernment in matters of music would avoid this CD the plague. Wait, I am being unreasonably harsh on the plague.

Average customer rating:

Michael Torke: Three

Manufacturer: Ecstatic Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music
ASIN: B000679NLE
Release Date: 2004-11-02

Tracks:

Javelin - Atlanta Symphony Orchestra
First Movement - John Harle
Second Movement - John Harle
Third Movement - John Harle
December - Philharmonia Orchestra
Run - Atlanta Symphony Orchestra
Charcoal - David Zinman

Album Description

While still a composition student at Yale, Michael Torke practically defined post-minimalism, a music in which eclectic young composers utilize the repetitive structures of a previous generation to incorporate musical techniques from both the classical tradition and the contemporary pop world.

Tracks:

Green
Purple
Ecstatic Orange
Ash
Bright Blue Music

Average customer rating:

Music makes life worth doing.
Breathtaking - BUY this one!
Torke expands his vocal (and emotional) palette

Michael Torke: Strawberry Fields

Manufacturer: Ecstatic Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

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Similar Items:

Michael Torke: An Italian Straw Hat
Ecstatic Collection: Music by Michael Torke (Box Set)
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ASIN: B000BO0L22
Release Date: 2005-11-08

Tracks:

Straberry Fields
Straberry Fields
Straberry Fields
Straberry Fields
Straberry Fields
Straberry Fields
Straberry Fields
Straberry Fields
Straberry Fields
Straberry Fields
Straberry Fields
Straberry Fields
Straberry Fields
Straberry Fields
And It Shall Come To Pass
And It Will Show Wonders
Whosoever Shall Call

Album Description

"A master orchestrator whose shimmering timbral palette makes him the Ravel of his generation." - NEW YORK TIMES

"The clear audience favorite." - TIME

"A moving work - at the opening performance, tears in the audience flowed nearly as plentiful as on a good Madame Butterfly night." - NEW YORK NEWSDAY

While still a compostion student at Yale, Michael Torke practically defined post-minimalism, a music in which eclectic young composers utilize the repetitive structures of a previous generation to incorporate musical techniques from both the classical tradition and the contemporary pop world. Michael Torke's 1999 one-act opera Strawberry Fields had its premiere performance at Glimmerglass Opera in Cooperstown, New York. Four months later it was given at Lincoln Center, and the following year it was telecast in WNET's Great Performances series. A.R. Gurney's libretto is a gently comic story of a confused old lady who imagines she is in the front seat at the opera while sitting on a bench in Central Park. Strawberry Fields is the second part of a commissioned trilogy called Central Park: Act I, The Festival of Regrets, is by Deborah Drattell and Wendy Wasserstein; Act III, The Food of Love, is by Robert Beaser and Terrance McNally. First performed in Troy, New York in March, 2005, Pentecost is one of Michael Torke's most recent productions. Pentecost was originally commissioned in 1998 by Fr. Dan Pakenham as a piece for organ, strings and soprano. In 2004 it was augmented by winds and brass to create a companion piece for Strawberry Fields. Pentecost is the Christian holiday commemorating the descent of the Holy Spirit upon the Apostles, and the text for the work is taken fom the Book of Acts of the Apostles.

Customer Reviews:

Music makes life worth doing. .......2006-12-08

As a listener, one stands towards Torke's "Strawberry Fields" the way the Lady in "Strawberry Fields" stands toward opera; that is completely- body and soul- engaged. And, while one wants to brightly flare over the work's sensuous aspects such as the vocal quartet that marks cue 13 on the CD or the masterful use of orchestral color to, for example, define character and relationships, one also wants to draw attention to the work's thoughtful aspects.

Opera as lauded in the Lady's lyrics and demonstrated in her actions made her life. "My family has subscribed to this seat for 50 years," she says, and she loves those special moments before curtain rise. Later she says, "I've missed...important things. Music. Feelings. Life," and "I need music in my life. Without it I'll wither away," and "We were lovers, Verdi and I," and "A world without music is a world without love." The Lady, alas confused and ailing, befriends a Student and together they create upon the people that enter the Strawberry Fields section of Central Park a spontaneous opera, an opera that the Lady ultimately conducts and stars in, and an opera that embraces the music as well as the ideas of freedom and liberation celebrated by John Lennon. With her, however, the opera closes. Silence. Yet in the farewell sung by the Son, Daughter, Student, and Chorus one senses that the Lady's opera has shown to all the nonsense of the idea that music, indeed all of art is separate from life.

Breathtaking - BUY this one!.......2006-12-03

Michael Torke is one of several composers whose work I have been following for nearly a decade. I own most of his recordings in my collection, though this particular recording was one of three I just acquired. Much of the time, Torke's music has a cheery, jaunty, post-minimalist character (much repetition of little figures, but it does go somewhere - I'm no fan of John Adams, Steve Reich, or Phillip Glass), and after just a few seconds, you can often identify many of his pieces as being Torke works. The two pieces on this CD, especially Strawberry Fields, are a whole different story!

Another reviewer in this string did a nice job of synopsizing the plot. The emotional impact of the music, the text, and the performances are impressive. You just can't help but love the old lady, and the kind-hearted college student! No wonder it is a tear-jerker in live performance! I would LOVE to see this staged, and hope that opportunity comes some day.

The quartet near the end is superb, and not only unique in Torke's music, but unique in general. I haven't heard anything else quite like it. When I got this CD, I found myself listening to Strawberry Fields over and over and over. It's very addictive! I would like to point out three other passages that are particular favorites with me: Early on, the lady is singing "This is the Time" (about the excitement of an opera about to begin), and in an A-prime return, the horn plays her initial melody as she sings a soaring, absolutely gorgeous counter-melody. The tender exchange between the lady and the student after she begins pretending that he is her (long-dead) husband is also wonderfully touching. Finally, an emotionally charged exchange between the lady, her daughter and son, and the student ("Oh Mother, What Now") is a lively but beautiful passage as well. The deft and lovely counterpoint throughout the work shows that besides being a very appealing composer, Michael Torke is very much a master of his craft. The orchestration is colorful and facile, again obviously the work of somebody completely at home writing for large forces. Take a chance on this one, even if you aren't necessarily a Michael Torke fan! A great treat is in store for you!

Pentecost is lovely also, though of course not as emotionally involved as "Strawberry Fields." Just wonderful stuff!!

Torke expands his vocal (and emotional) palette.......2005-12-06

Color me a Torke completionist: I try to acquire every recording of this fascinating composer's work. This album includes two works: the mini-opera "Strawberry Fields," and "Pentecost," Torke's setting of passages from Acts 2 (which are actually citations of the prophecy of Joel, meaning Torke still gravitates toward Old Testament texts even when he's setting a New Testament text to music).

Strawberry Fields focuses on an elderly lady who, under the influence of some form of senile dementia, believes she's at an opera house when, in fact, she's in the part of New York's Central Park where the John Lennon memorial is located. There is poignancy and humor in the situation: she receives moral support from a university student cutting class (whom she later comes to think is her late husband). Her son, and later her daughter, enter the scene intent upon transporting her to a new managed care facility: to them, she is a loose cannon that needs to be sedated and hauled off in a wheelchair to her "nice new home." The student's advocacy for the old woman gives her children some pause, blooming into a wonderful vocal quartet where the protagonists open up their hearts to themselves. (Don't recall encountering anything like this passage in Torke's recorded output -- it is singular in this regard.)

The humor is good-natured. E.g., the old lady asks a construction worker if she could borrow his "opera program." The gruff New Yorker hands her the Racing Form he was reading, advising her of his recommended pick. When she hands it back, he's curious about what it said about the "opera." She notes only that the opera definitely had a complicated plot.

A fascinating musical/emotional subtext is the references to Verdi (championed by the old lady) and John Lennon (extolled by the student). The two even sing about how the world mourned over the respective deaths of these composers, who wrote about freedom (Lennon) and liberation (Verdi). Touchingly, in a wry reversal, she concludes, "I love Lennon," while the student sings back, "I love Verdi."

I'd love to have seen this staged -- I seriously doubt a recording can do justice to the dynamics of this as a stage work.

Pentecost is both effective and affective, and it bears a strong relation to the composer's "Book of Proverbs," excepting that a soprano alone interacts with the orchestra. "Book" was longer and therefore seems more substantial than "Pentecost," but the question is, does "Pentecost" properly illuminate its Biblical text? Answer: certainly as well as "Book" evoked its selection of Proverbs. I prefer the first of the three movements for its moto perpetuo energy levels, but the second movement reminds us that Torke has penned some compelling slow movements of late, often hidden between remarkably kinetic allegro passages (see his excellent ballet, "The Contract," to see this beautifully realized in a purely orchestral setting).

The recording is warm and clear, very dynamic when necessary, and allows one to hear the individual vocal lines entwining over the purposive orchestral textures Torke summons to the fore. This becomes all-important at the end of Strawberry Fields, where it becomes clear that the old lady has actually passed away while others were bickering over her disposition: in Torke's sensitive hands, these ultimate moments become revelatory, reaching to the heart. A suffusive sense of loss is broadcast with the simplest means. If that constitutes an act of genius, one is inclined to think that Torke has touched its face here.

Average customer rating:

A dazzling and gripping anthology of contemporary quartet writing

Life Music

Manufacturer: Quartz
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music
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ASIN: B0002LQQDM
Release Date: 2005-10-11

Tracks:

Dark Vigil
I. Sixth Avenue In The Afternoon
II. Bedford Street At Night
III. Houston Street In The Morning
I. Prayer
II. Serenade
III. Limbo
IV. Passions
The Village Street Quartet

Album Description

This was the first CD of The Ying Quartet's acclaimed Life Music series. LifeMusic is a series of commissions from established or emerging American composers, and each work draws on a different aspect of American life. Made up of three brothers and a sister, The Ying Quartet has toured the world since its formation at the Eastman School of Music in Rochester, New York in 1988. The Quartet won the Naumberg Chamber Music Award in 1993. Natives of Chicago, the Ying siblings began their career as an ensemble in 1992 in the farm town of Jesup, Iowa (population 2000) as the first recipients of a National Endowment for the Arts grant to support chamber music in rural America.

Customer Reviews:

A dazzling and gripping anthology of contemporary quartet writing.......2005-12-21

Though all works on this disc were written in 1999 or 2000, the listener need not fear any academic experimentation or sounds that are less than pleasant to the ear. All four pieces are solidly tonal, and clearly written from a desire to communicate. And so they do. Surprisingly, the quartet by the one "big name" represented here, Michael Torke, is by some margin the least interesting offering. It will be instantly recognizable to those familiar with his music: the signature syncopated rhythms and unapologetically optimistic mood are very much in evidence. I wondered, however, whether his style, with its brief, repetitive motifs, is all that suited to the string quartet medium. Only the middle movement brings some cantabile writing and a certain emotional charge, though to my ears it is not able to lift the piece as a whole much above the level of adeptly written, pleasant-sounding and inoffensive elevator music.
Carter Pann's "Love Letters" unabashedly takes its cue from Janaçek, though in fact it sounds more traditional than either of that composer's great quartets. It is cast in old-fashioned four-movement mould, and makes for interesting listening. The "Serenade" is particularly affecting, and the finale, "Passions", after a virtuoso opening settles obsessively on a haunting three-note theme that undergoes surprising and impressive permutations before the motorial agitation of the opening returns.
Paquito D'Rivera's work makes for interesting listening because of his unusual fusion of Latin American dance rhythms with more traditional string quartet idiom. The opening is highly atmospheric, and is dominated by a 5-note motto, that eventually recurs in tango-guise, after which other dance rhythms take over. In the end though, this `Village Street Quartet' seems too disjointed and overly concerned with instrumental effects (eventually the quartet even turns into a percussion ensemble) to sustain musical tension over a 15 minute span.
Finally, the pièce de résistance, the one absolute masterpiece that by itself makes this disc a must-buy for all string quartet aficionados, is Kevin Puts's "Dark Vigil". This is an incredibly impressive piece of quartet writing. After its arresting opening, in which tear-laden violins in their highest register set the mood, it easily sustains its emotionally compelling atmosphere over a single, 20-minute span. Inspired by the Colombine high school shootings, it follows the Beethovenian concept of "durch Nacht zum Licht", ending with an extended, ethereal in memoriam.
The Ying siblings play all this with great technical skill and emotional involvement - as they would, seeing that the works recorded here were commissioned by them in the framework of their ongoing "LifeMusic" project. The recording is clear and well-balanced. Very worthwhile!

Average customer rating:

Enjoyable disc!
Fear of Being Demonstrative
If you like Torke...
Torke's best works on one CD!
One of Torke's best works

Torke: Overnight Mail

Manufacturer: Polygram Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music
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Michael Torke: Chamber Works

ASIN: B000004CWO
Release Date: 1998-01-13

Tracks:

Overnight Mail: Priority
Overnight Mail: Standard
Overnight Mail: Saturday Delivery
Telephone Book: The Yellow Pages
Telephone Book: The Blue Pages
Telephone Book: The White Pages
July
Flint
Change Of Address: East 33rd Street
Change Of Address: Riverside Drive
Change Of Address: Bank Street
Change of Address: West 102nd Street
Change Of Address: West 4th Street
Change Of Address: West Houston Street

Customer Reviews:

Enjoyable disc!.......2004-01-02

I am a big fan of Michael Torke. His music tends to be upbeat and his compositions put a smile on my face. For those who enjoy so-called 'minimalism', there is a decent chance that you will really enjoy Torke's music, and find his unique orchestrations and compositional techniques to be invigorating and original. Now, there are certainly many people who would not enjoy this music at all... I hope my brief words here can help you to figure that out for yourself (if you are new to his music, of course) That being said,

The fist piece 'Overnight Mail' is awesome, I love the instrumentation here (lots of smooth brass and sultry saxes) and the music is catchy and fun. One of his best pieces in my opinion, it is wrought with the rhythmic dynamicism and melodic ingenuity that I have grown to love, and has a sort of 'late-night out in the city' feel. (I was living in San Francisco when I bought this disc, hehe)

The rest of the disc is good and, at times, great. The last piece, change of address, has not grown on me all that much, though I find it to be novel at least. 'The Yellow Pages', the part of 'Telephone Book' that existed on its own originally, is probably one of Torke's most well known chamber works and it is very charming.

Another reviewer commented on the (perceived) superficiality of emotion in this music... It is true that Michael's music tends toward the blatantly positive/cheery side of things emotionally - I believe, however, that the emotions conveyed are genuine. Perhaps some of us are more able than others to embrace this kind of transparent, high-frequency positive energy. (Understandably so). I admit that there have been a few times when i popped a Torke CD in and found it to be completely obnoxious... (but I attribute those instances to temporary losses of sanity)

Fear of Being Demonstrative.......2003-02-08

I bought this CD and listened to it probably twenty times, trying to figure out whether the music is intentionally emotionally superficial or not. I still listen to it occasionally and still haven't come to a conclusion. I'm not certain that I would buy any more music by this composer, because I'm not quite certain who this composer IS....

If you like Torke..........2001-04-28

You'll love this CD.

On the other hand, if you don't like Torke (after all, with him it's mostly a love-hate thing) you won't like this CD. It's as simple as that.

It seems that people who slam this CD aren't really slamming the performance, they are slamming the composer.

If you don't like Minimalism (aka "broken record music), you won't like Torke, and therefore you won't like this CD.

But if you have an open mind about the music, and judge it for what it is, you'll find that this is a very accessible performance, and one worthy of immortalizing on compact disc.

And as a classical saxophone player, I found the recording of "July" a special treat... it's tough to find decent quartet recordings in mainstream stores!

Torke's best works on one CD!.......2000-03-09

This compilation really shows what Torke is capable of. His chamber music is generally excellent, and "Telephone Book" is intelligent, well-crafted, and well performed on the CD.

In my opinion, "Overnight Mail", with its jazz roots, really plays a supporting role to "Telephone Book". It makes for easier listening, especially in this performance.

The other works on the CD, while not in the same class as the title work and "Telephone Book", are by no means unbearable. All round, this CD is a gem, containing Torke's best chamber music, with great performances.

One of Torke's best works.......1999-04-30

"Overnight Mail" is an accessible and well-crafted work. While it is simple enough to be enjoyed on first listening, its form and development are complex enough to stand up to repeated listenings. The unique ensemble of Orkest de Volharding provides the perfect sound for this piece. While I do find some of Torke's music to be rather bland, "Overnight Mail" is a piece I can reccommend without hesitation.

"Telephone Book", "July", and "Flint" are also interesting in their own right, but "Overnight Mail" is the real star of this collection.

"Change of Address" is the only thing that prevents me from giving this CD a 5-star rating. Unlike the other works on this CD, it is generally lackluster and uninteresting.

Music Composers:

Music Composers

Music Composers