Many interesting niche players have emerged in the classical sales arena, but Cedille, which bills itself as "Chicago's Classical Label," is unique in tying itself to a specific municipality. Cedille has kept up a busy release schedule of discs featuring Chicago musicians, and the label appears to be flourishing. This sampler both gives a good idea of how they've done it and offers a fine selection of music for anyone looking for relaxing sounds during a harried commute. Some of the works are miniatures of a quiet cast, ...
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Many interesting niche players have emerged in the classical sales arena, but Cedille, which bills itself as "Chicago's Classical Label," is unique in tying itself to a specific municipality. Cedille has kept up a busy release schedule of discs featuring Chicago musicians, and the label appears to be flourishing. This sampler both gives a good idea of how they've done it and offers a fine selection of music for anyone looking for relaxing sounds during a harried commute. Some of the works are miniatures of a quiet cast, while others are slow movements from larger works.The key to Cedille's regional identity has been to offer recordings by Chicago performers whose distinctiveness grows in one way or another from the city's musical culture. Thus Chicago's strong African-American presence in concert music is represented by several recordings by conductor Paul Freeman, leading both his own Chicago Sinfonietta and the Czech National Symphony Orchestra in several generally unfamiliar but lovely excerpts from...
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