Schulich Faculty and Alumni Featured on CBC’s “Canada’s top 21 classical albums of 2021”
Congratulations to Schulich faculty and alumni who have created beautiful, critically acclaimed works of music this past year. In a year-end round-up, the CBC singled-out a number of albums featuring Schulich community members. With stunning duets, solo albums, and choral recordings we’re loving CBC’s "Canada's top 21 classical albums of 2021," and we couldn’t be more excited to scroll through (and listen to!) all the offerings.
Check out the albums featuring Schulich faculty and alumni from the list:
19: Beethoven: Violin Sonatas 4, 9, 10, Charles Richard-Hamelin (BMus'11), Andrew Wan (current faculty)
“With their third collaborative album, Charles Richard-Hamelin (BMus'11) and Schulich professor and OSM concertmaster Andrew Wan complete the entire cycle of Ludwig van Beethoven's sonatas for violin and piano. The exceptional duo will captivate you with their musical expression and virtuosity. The first volume of this cycle was rated by Radio-Canada as one of the best classical albums of 2018. This recording includes Sonata No. 4 in A Minor, Op. 23, Sonata No. 9 in A Major, Op. 47, and Sonata No. 10 in G Major, Op. 96. The beauty of this album is undeniable!” -- Schulich Release Radar
14: Intimate Impressions, Adam Cicchillitti (BMus'10, current DMus), Steve Cowan (DMus'19)
“A powerhouse duo composed of Steve Cowan (DMus'19), guitar instructor at Schulich, and Adam Cicchillitti (BMus'10), current doctoral student at Schulich, they use their impressive talents on classical guitar to transpose some of the greatest works of the 20th Century including pieces by Debussy, Ravel, Jolivet, Mompou and Tailleferre. Exploring the stylistic differences of every composer as well as infusing the recording with their charm and lyricism, Intimate Impressions creates exactly what the title promises — an intimate listening experience that sounds — and feels — fantastic.” -- Schulich Release Radar
12: Distance, the Choir of the Church of St. Andrew and St. Paul, Jonathan Oldengarm (current faculty), Jean-Sébastien Vallée (current faculty)*
“Choirs were hit especially hard by the physical-distancing strictures imposed during the fight against COVID-19, but the intrepid musicians at Montreal's Church of St. Andrew and St. Paul didn't let that stop them. Their album's title is a nod to the challenging conditions of the recording sessions, with choristers spaced throughout the sanctuary to ensure safety. This makes it even more impressive that their trademark rich sound and blend are in full evidence here, traversing diverse but coherent repertoire: J.S. Bach's "Komm, Jesu, Komm," James MacMillan's "A Child's Prayer," choral arrangements of Samuel Barber's Adagio and Edward Elgar's Nimrod Variation, and Caroline Shaw's "And the Swallow," to single out only some of the highlights.” -- Robert Rowat, CBC Music
*The Choir of the Church of St. Andrew and St. Paul is home to many Schulich alumni as well
7: Chopin: 24 Preludes, Charles Richard-Hamelin (BMus'11)
“As the 2015 Chopin Competition silver medallist, Charles Richard-Hamelin has been touring a new Chopin recital program each year, then hitting the studio to record an album. That had been the plan with the 24 Preludes, but COVID-19 nixed the concert tour. Instead, Richard-Hamelin workshopped the music at home, alone, rather than on the road, in front of an audience. "That style of working brought me back to my student days," he told Artsmania. It also enabled him to probe the contrasting character of each of these miniatures and get to their essence, a challenge for any pianist, and one that Richard-Hamelin meets with apparent ease. Come for the Preludes, but stay for his masterful take on the Andante spianato and grande polonaise brillante, which rounds out the program.” -- Robert Rowat, CBC Music
6: Préludes et Solitudes, Marie Nadeau-Tremblay (BMus’14, LMus’17, MMus'19)
“Last year, we raved about La peste, the debut album from baroque violinist Marie Nadeau-Tremblay's trio, Les Barocudas. This year, she returned with her debut album as a soloist and it stopped us in our tracks. Here's a project imbued with personality, whose aim, as she explains in the notes, is "to share an atmosphere, the feeling of a precious moment." Those moments unfold in abundance as she plays unaccompanied works by Telemann, Purcell, Torelli, Baltzar and Biber with riveting urgency and spontaneity. So immersed was she in their music that she also wrote a poem to accompany each piece, and created the album art, too.” -- Robert Rowat, CBC Music
Read the complete list from the CBC here
