Mirror In Mirror Œuvres pour violon

Description

American violinist Anne Akiko Meyers designed this album as a personal calling card, the result of a collaboration with contemporary composers of note: Philip Glass, Arvo Pärt, Morten Lauridsen, John Corigliano... with one exception: Maurice Ravel. Each piece has been rearranged or created for her and her instrument. She takes the lead in the soothing Metamorphosis II by Glass (1988) and then boldly and somewhat ostentatiously tackles Fratres and Spiegel im Spiegel by the Estonian composer. Beautifully recorded, piano and violin compete in terms of timbre and dynamics. Ravel's Tzigane also participates in this recreation, as it is performed here in its version for luthéal, essentially a prepared piano with a device that allows for harmonics comparable to those of a cymbalum. The only luthéal in the world preserved at the Brussels museum being unusable, composer Jakub Ciupinski electronically recreated its sound. Captivating without overwhelming the listening experience of the work. From the same Ciupinski, a lovely lullaby drawn from a traditional Japanese melody ("Edo lullaby" with digitized bell sounds) and a symphonic piece "Wreck of the Umbria" that takes us into the depths of an underwater wreck. A meditative piece where the violin part seems to move like a mobile camera, winding through the ship, while the orchestra (conducted by Kristjan Järvi) represents the movement of waves, seaweed, and fish. Lauridsen, for his part, arranged his beautiful motet O magnum Mysterium for the occasion as a concert piece, gaining in grandeur and pomp while its seductive power remains intact. Bonus gift: a delicate lullaby dedicated to AAK's daughter, imagined by John Corigliano, while the little one drifts off to sleep. Ultimately, an endearing and well-crafted album. (Jérôme Angouillant)