{"product_id":"mahan-esfahani_collaborations-cd_2024_disco-virgin-music-group","title":"Collaborations","description":"The Horizons of acclaimed composer Patrick O'Malley constitutes a musical odyssey, curated by O'Malley and featuring the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra under the direction of Andrew Constantine, with virtuoso violist Brett Deubner. The album explores the depths of emotion, dichotomies, and joys of orchestral expression.When Michael Berkeley asked Neil Tennant what he thought of the direction of their recent song for Ukraine, \"Zero Hour,\" Tennant casually suggested, \"Put it on the next Michael Berkeley album of Collaborations.\" This offhand remark sparked an idea in Berkeley, reminding him of several pieces written over the years, born from collaborations with his favorite musicians. The resulting new album, a compilation celebrating Michael Berkeley's extraordinary legacy, showcases the composer's evolution from tonal choral writing toward a sparser, more linear language, exemplified by \"The Magnolia Tree\" and the keyboard pieces \"Haiku 1: Birds\" and \"Haiku 2: Insects,\" dedicated to Clare Hammond and Mahan Esfahani respectively.Amid these sketch-like pieces lies a poignant lament for solo violin, \"Notes on the Loss of a Friend,\" an immediate and impulsive response to learning of the sudden death of Nicholas Snowman, a dear friend of Berkeley's and a great champion of contemporary music. Berkeley's song cycle, \"Speaking Silence,\" originally written for baritone David Wilson-Johnson, found new life with mezzo Alice Coote, championed by her collaborator Julius Drake. The immediacy of live performances, notably \"The Magnolia Tree,\" is accompanied by later collaborations with esteemed artists and ensembles, including the BBC Singers and conductor Owain Park.\"Zero Hour\" harkens back to Berkeley's early days as a pop musician, with this new track bringing together an illustrious lineup featuring vocals by Neil Tennant, guitar solo by David Gilmour, and production by Hugh Padgham (Sting and The Police) and Paul \"Wix\" Wickens (musical director of Paul McCartney's touring band).","brand":"Mahan Esfahani","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":57525856895320,"sku":null,"price":20240614.0,"currency_code":"EUR","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0898\/4943\/0360\/files\/5060189563210.jpg?v=1781658610","url":"https:\/\/vinyles.com\/en\/products\/mahan-esfahani_collaborations-cd_2024_disco-virgin-music-group","provider":"Vinyles.com","version":"1.0","type":"link"}