The album's pieces are arranged not chronologically, but in an order designed for listening enjoyment, starting with a more traditional flute sound and gradually introducing more cutting-edge techniques.
Performer Biography
Grammy Award winner Daniel Belcher has performed in many of the world's music capitals and has a 50-role repertoire, championing roles from Baroque to those composed expressly for him.
Performer Biography
Cellist Anssi Karttunen is dedicated to contemporary music, having premiered over 140 works, including 28 cello concertos.
Compositional Technique
The piece Sombre incorporates fragments from Ezra Pound's last Cantos, whose minimal form and heartbreaking content defined the work's three-movement structure.
Composition History
The piece Sombre was commissioned by Da Camera, a leading presenter of chamber music and jazz in North America, with support from the Koussevitzky Foundation.
Composer's Artistic Vision
Composer Kaija Saariaho was inspired by artist Mark Rothko's work and the paintings in the Rothko Chapel when composing Sombre, imagining a dark instrumentation.
Performer Biography
Flutist Camilla Hoitenga's recordings, particularly those with composer Kaija Saariaho, have won awards in France, Great Britain, and North America.
