The nine compositions on this 2005 Naxos reissue form a varied and vivid portrait of Ruth Crawford Seeger, whose ruggedly assertive works have gradually entered the standard repertoire, and whose reputation as an important American modernist has grown steadily over the years because of worthy recordings like this one. Through the excellent musicianship of the contemporary music ensemble Continuum and its dedicated directors, Cheryl Seltzer and Joel Sachs, Crawford Seeger's intensely expressive works are presented in a ...
Read More
The nine compositions on this 2005 Naxos reissue form a varied and vivid portrait of Ruth Crawford Seeger, whose ruggedly assertive works have gradually entered the standard repertoire, and whose reputation as an important American modernist has grown steadily over the years because of worthy recordings like this one. Through the excellent musicianship of the contemporary music ensemble Continuum and its dedicated directors, Cheryl Seltzer and Joel Sachs, Crawford Seeger's intensely expressive works are presented in a coherent program, starting with the rather expressionistic Suite for five wind instruments and piano (1927, revised 1929), and the Sonata for violin and piano (1925-1926); traversing several minor but developmental chamber pieces, such as the two Diaphonic Suites (both 1930); and concluding with the brilliantly original Three Songs for soprano and chamber orchestra (1930, 1932) on poems by Carl Sandburg. Her style reflects influences of the early twentieth century avant-garde, from the...
Read Less
