Classical Music Discoveries

Sergio Cervetti returns with an exciting collection of works on his sixth Navona Records release, SUNSET AT NOON. A diverse composer, his works range from instrumental and vocal music to electronic compositions, often reflecting his South American, French and Italian heritage. His vocabulary draws from an early interest in twelve-tone and minimalism, and his current approach is flexible and free of constraint. With SUNSET AT NOON, Cervetti focuses on keyboard-based compositions for half of the album, with a foray into chamber music on the other half. Cervetti’s keyboard compositions shine in this collection. On Ofrenda Para Guyunusa for Harpsichord, Cervetti delivers a peaceful and slightly meditative piece that very occasionally veers into Bachian territory. Some Realms I Owned is split into three piano movements – the first starts with a lively melodic line before landing on a relentless pedal point while Cervetti solos in a restrained manner; the second is the more contemplative of the three; and the third is a frantic piece featuring rapid arpeggios before settling on a more linear melodic sequence. I Can’t Breathe, while based on a wild piano performance, centers around a pulsating rhythm that at times sounds like the fervent keys of a typewriter. The performance and composition both match the composition’s urgent title; it’s a quick burst of desperate sounds clawing their way out of the speaker, not quite two and a half minutes long. Cervetti trades in his keyboards for clarinet and strings on And The Huddled Masses, a three-part suite, as well as Sunset At Noon, for violin and viola, a sprawling 18-minute opus that serves as the album’s grounding centerpiece. For the most part, Cervetti’s string scores deliver a more somber mood that counterbalances the upbeat and at times delirious vibe of the keyboard-based compositions. As the sacred vocal arrangement on Lux Lucet in Tenebris closes the album, its contrast with the album’s secular pieces acts as a testament to Cervetti’s imagination and compositional fortitude. He has a keen ability to combine several different sounding compositions on one album and have it come across as a complete and congruent work. But ultimately, that is Cervetti’s strength – he is an enigmatic composer whose work knows no boundaries. Purchase now at: http://www.classicalsavings.com/store/p328/Sunset_at_Noon.html TRACK TITLES SOME REALMS I OWNED, piano (2010) Sergio Cervetti, piano 01 I. The art of losing isn’t hard to master 02 II. ...à ceux qui ont perdu ce qui ne se retrouve jamais... 03 III. Even losing you... AND THE HUDDLED MASSES, clarinet quintet (2015) Alden Ortuño Cabezas, clarinet; Leonardo Pérez Baster, violin I; Luis Alberto Mariño Fernández, violin II; Yamed Aguillón Santa Cruz, viola; Lester Monier Serrano, cello; Enrique Pérez Mesa; conductor 04 I. The Tired, the Poor, and the Huddled Masses 05 II. Hâves, déguenillés 0:00 06 III. NoemíÁlvarez Quillay 0:00 07 OFRENDA PARA GUYUNUSA, harpsichord (2011) María Teresa Chenlo, harpsichord SUNSET AT NOON, violin and viola (1995) Vit Muzik, violin; Dominika Mužíková, viola 08 I. In Memoriam Jon Mensinger 09 II. In Memoriam Michael Aiken 10 III. In Memoriam Patrick Kelly 11 IV. Hymn, In Memoriam Drew Dreeland 12 I CAN’T BREATHE, piano & percussion (2014) Sergio Cervetti, piano 13 LUX LUCET IN TENEBRIS, a cappella choir (2002) Kuhn Choir | Marek Vorlicek, conductor Purchase now at: http://www.classicalsavings.com/store/p328/Sunset_at_Noon.html