Title: Our Strength Our Song Artist: Mercer-Niewoehner Mercer Label: Centrediscs Product Type: COMPACT DISCS UPC: 773811277199 Genre: Classical Release Date: 2020-01-03 Number of Discs: 1
"Our Strength, Our Song" celebrates the work of six Canadian women in duos for violin and cello, from seminal composers Violet Archer and Jean Coulthard, to the composers of today; Rebekah Cummings, Alice Ho, Barbara Monk Feldman and Jocelyn Morlock. Spanning 40 years, closely mirroring the age of the performers, sisters Akemi Mercer-Niewoehner and Rachel Mercer, the music includes five premiere recordings and three new commissions. Ranging from the neo-romanticism with modernist flair of Archer and Coulthard, through the conceptual yet intuitive aesthetic of Monk Feldman, to the unique influences of the three new commissions, the album explores the relationship between two voices, two people, women, and sisters. Performing together since they were children, violinist Akemi Mercer-Niewoehner and cellist Rachel Mercer have an instinctive musical connection. Supported also by a varied but similar musical education, they share a natural understanding of how to communicate music to the listener. Their repertoire includes the standard duos for violin and cello, much of the string trio repertoire, and the major piano trio repertoire, including all of Haydn's Piano Trios with pianist Gregory Oh as the Mercer-Oh Trio. Regular chamber musicians in various formations, they also hold titles in major orchestras; Akemi is Assistant Principal Second Violin of the Frankfurt Radio Orchestra, and Rachel is Principal Cello of the National Arts Centre Orchestra in Ottawa. With this album, they hope to encourage the performance of these older works and contribute in a meaningful way to the Canadian duo repertoire.
Tracks: 1.1 Our Strength, Our Song 1.2 Four Duets for Violin and Cello-I. Brooding 1.3 Four Duets for Violin and Cello-II. Restless 1.4 Four Duets for Violin and Cello-III. Interlude 1.5 Four Duets for Violin and Cello-IV. Paean 1.6 Duo Sonata for Violin ; Cello-I. Dramatico: Allegro Con Brio - Lento Cantabile 1.7 Duo Sonata for Violin ; Cello-II. Interlude: Adagio Espressivo - Più Mosso Con Ritmico 1.8 Duo Sonata for Violin ; Cello-III. Finale: Moderato Con Forza - Allegro Martellato 1.9 Serpentine Paths 1.10 Pour Un Nuage Violet 1.11 Kagura Fantasy
Audio Sample: All soundclips are provided by Tidal and are for illustrative purposes only. For some releases, the tracks listed may not accurately represent the tracks on the physical release.
