Description
Images
Kristian Blak (1947) is one of the most active composers in the Faroe Islands. In his compositions, Kristian Blak combines inspiration from ethnic musical traditions, poetry and art with traditional as well as new composition techniques. On this album, Images, he joins forces with Moyzes Quartet – established in 1975 in Bratislava, and named after Slovak composer Alexander Moyzes. Members: Stanislav Mucha, 1st violin. Frantisek Török, 2nd violin. Alexander Lakatos, viola. Ján Slávik, cello.
Tracklist:
1. Images I: Reyð genta / ‘Red Girl’
2. Images II: Vetrarmorgun / ‘Winter Morning’
3. Images III: Várkvøld á Høgareyni / ‘Spring Morning on Høgareyn’
4. Images IV: Genta við vindeygað / ‘Girl at the Window
5. Böhmerlands Drotning / The Queen of Böhmen
6. Rørsla I: Rørsla / ‘Movement’
7. Rørsla II: Dansur / ‘Dance’
8. Ariettes I: Chanson d’Automne
9. Ariettes II: Green
10. Ariettes III: Ariette oubliée
11. Nadn I: Nign
12. Nadn II: Doina
13. Nadn III: Oy Tate
14. Elinborg
Released on the following formats:
LP, CD and digitally on all major platforms (Spotify, Apple Music, etc.).
You can check it out by using this link: https://bfan.link/images-2
I. Images, String Quartet no. 2 (1987) 17:55
1. Reyð genta / ‘Red Girl’
2.Vetrarmorgun / ‘Winter Morning’
3. Várkvøld á Høgareyni / ‘Spring Morning on Høgareyn’
4. Genta við vindeygað / ‘Girl at the Window
Each of the four movements is named after a painting by Faroese artist Ingálvur av Reyni (b. 1920). The four paintings were part of his exhibition in 1984 at The Faroese Museum of Art. The composition employs musically some of the techniques and moods used by Ingálvur av Reyni.
Recorded June, 1991 at Moyzes Hall, Bratislava.
Featuring Moyzes Quartet
Recording Director: Jaroslav Rybář
Recording Engineer: Rastislav Martinický
II. Böhmerlands Dronning / The Queen of Böhmen (1991) 08:20
In 1205 the Princess Dagmar (Dragomir) of Böhmen, daughter of Ottokar I, married the Danish King Valdemar II Sejr. The gentle queen was very popular among her Danish subjects. She died young, in child birth.
‘Böhmerlands Dronning’ is the name of one of the ballads sung about her. This ballad is still sung and danced as a ringdance in the Faroe Islands. I have been fascinated by the history and myths surrounding Queen Dagmar since my schooldays in Ribe, Denmark. Ribe was the town to which she sailed on her arrival in Denmark and the place where she died. Although this piece is in one movement, it has three parts: Innocence, Disturbance and Sorrow.
Recorded December, 1991 at The Slovak Radio, Bratislava
Violin: Stanislav Mucha
Recording Director: Emil Nižňanský
Recording Engineer: Hubert Geschwandtner
III. Rørsla / ‘Movement’ String Quartet no. 1 (1985) 11:47
1. Rørsla / ‘Movement’
2. Dansur / ‘Dance’
Recorded June, 1991 at Moyzes Hall, Bratislava.
Featuring Moyzes Quartet
Recording Director: Jaroslav Rybář
Recording Engineer: Rastislav Martinický
IV. Ariettes (1991) 12:04
1. Chanson d’Automne
2. Green
3. Ariette oubliée
This composition musically follows three poems by the French poet Paul Verlaine (1844-1896). Verlaine explored the phonetic aspect of the French language in a particularly musical way.
Recorded December, 1991 at the Slovak Radio, Bratislava
Cello: Ján Slávik
Recording Director: Emil Nižňanský
Recording Engineer: Hubert Geschwandtner
V. Nadn (1988) 08:11
1. Nign
2. Doina
3. Oy Tate
This piece was inspired by music in the klezmer tradition. The three movements are based on music recorded early in this century in New York by Jewish immigrants from Galicia, Rumania and other parts of Eastern Europe.
‘Nadn’ is the Yiddish word for ‘dowry’.
Recorded December, 1991 at The Slovak Radio, Bratislava
Violin: František Török
Guitar: Jozef Zsapka
Recording Director: Emil Nižňanský
Recording Engineer: Hubert Geschwandtner
VI. Elinborg (1987) 05:57
The viola is the leading instrument in this piece for string quartet. It was originally composed as a part of a ballet, based on the Faroese ballad ‘Harra Pætur og Elinborg’. The main sources for the musical material in this composition are the tonality and intervals heard in Faroese traditional hymns.
Recorded December, 1991 at The Slovak Radio, Bratislava
Featuring Moyzes Quartet.
Viola sola: Alexander Lakatoš
Recording Director: Emil Nižňanský
Recording Engineer: Hubert Geschwandtner
