Anatoly Sheludyakov, the pianist on this recording, is a winner of the Russian National Piano Competition and has performed extensively in major cities worldwide.
Recording & Production
The cover art for this album was photographed by Peter Ferrari, an artist working in the Atlanta area.
Compositional Technique
Ricardo Lorenz's El Muro is made up of tightly woven riffs, each suggesting a different style of Latin American music, such as Colombian cumbia, Peruvian huayno, Mexican son, and Cuban montuno.
Composition History
Michael Tilson Thomas's Street Song was originally composed in 1988 as a brass quintet for the Empire Brass.
Composer's Artistic Vision
Ricardo Lorenz, composer of El Muro, created the piece as a response to his feelings about walls, both real and metaphorical, inspired by his upbringing in a South American city with walled homes.
Composition History
Ralph Vaughan Williams's Toccata Marziale, composed in 1924, was originally intended to be the first movement of a projected Concerto Grosso.
Performer Biography
Michael Tilson Thomas, composer of Street Song, is more widely known as a renowned conductor and pianist, having been music director for the London Symphony Orchestra and the San Francisco Symphony.
