BMOP Sound label

[Brian]

The Boston Modern Orchestra Project's house label, BMOP Sound, is really interesting, covers fascinating repertoire new and old, and puts together beautifully-produced CDs. I'm thinking about buying some and am curious for recommendations and discussion!

Here's one I can recommend: six concertos by Thomas Oboe Lee. (Yes, one is an oboe concerto.) Quoting myself:

Thomas Oboe Lee weaves many influences into a distinctive artistic voice. Born in China to nightclub singers, he spent his teenage years living in Brazil, then moved to the United States to study composing at Harvard and the New England Conservatory. Along the way he picked up the sounds not just of bossa nova and samba, but the cool American jazz of Davis, Coltrane and Evans.

What's delightful is that all this merged together into a composer of really interesting music....Thomas Oboe Lee writes music like he writes words: clear, direct and effective, a pleasure to experience. His music is not simple, in that it's worth analyzing and well worth hearing many times over, but it's not obtuse either: its challenges are natural, and its rewards bountiful.

Here are some recordings I'm considering:
- the complete orchestral music of Irving Fine (January '15 release)
- Elena Ruehr's "O'Keeffe Images"
- Reza Vali's Iranian folksong transcriptions
- Paul Moravec's cello and clarinet concertos
- Alan Hovhaness's Symphony No. 1 and Armenian Rhapsodies
- Scott Wheeler's "Crazy Weather"
- John Cage's "Sixteen Dances"

Their CD catalog includes long excerpts from almost every track.

[Ken B]

The Boston Modern Orchestra Project's house label, BMOP Sound, is really interesting, covers fascinating repertoire new and old, and puts together beautifully-produced CDs. I'm thinking about buying some and am curious for recommendations and discussion!

Here's one I can recommend: six concertos by Thomas Oboe Lee. (Yes, one is an oboe concerto.) Quoting myself:
Here are some recordings I'm considering:
- the complete orchestral music of Irving Fine (January '15 release)
- Elena Ruehr's "O'Keeffe Images"
- Reza Vali's Iranian folksong transcriptions
- Paul Moravec's cello and clarinet concertos
- Alan Hovhaness's Symphony No. 1 and Armenian Rhapsodies
- Scott Wheeler's "Crazy Weather"
- John Cage's "Sixteen Dances"

Their CD catalog includes long excerpts from almost every track.

I went on a BMOP listening binge, on the listening thread, so some reactions there.
Keepers for sure are the Virgil Thomson and Lou Harrison. I cannot imagine how the Hovhaness could disappoint but have not heard it yet. They are a splendid group.

[Brian]

What did you think of the Kirchner and Spratlan? I listened to the clip of Spratlan's "basketball game" and got thoroughly irritated by it.

[Ken B]

What did you think of the Kirchner and Spratlan? I listened to the clip of Spratlan's "basketball game" and got thoroughly irritated by it.

That I was glad to have heard them, but once was enough.
I like the idea of less than great music getting great performances, and I really like their adventurous spirit. Doesn't mean all the music is good. 
I think you should check out David Maslanka too. Try the wind quintets.

[Ken B]

This
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A good disc, well performed and recorded of course. I think there are better Hovhaness discs out there though, due to the music selection. Hovhaness has a weakness for spinning a broad section of cloth when a sash would do, and that happens in his first symphony, recorded here, and the song of the sea. The concerto is appealing, and quotes Ravel.

[Ken B]

Now

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Hmmm. Hard to know what to say on this one. I can't say I liked it much, except for one piece (Sharpshooter), but it is interesting and I think would appeal to many here.

What's my impression? Lalo Schifrin and Steve Martland meet in a smokey jazz bar. Morton Feldman drops by for a moment but doesn't stay long.

[Mirror Image]

I can't comment too much on the recordings of the BMOP Sound label, but here are a few discs I've enjoyed:



Charles Fussell is still an unknown to me but his Wilde Symphony is certainly appealing. The music is by flashes Neo-Romantic with some Modernistic touches here and there.



Most of Harbison's music does absolutely nothing for me, but this ballet is quite magical with some excellent music throughout. Definitely worth hearing.



A cool composer with an acute, eclectic sound-world. Another winner in the BMOP sweepstakes.

[Ken B]

This
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which I liked, but there's nothing particularly memorable about it. Worth a listen for sure though.

[Ken B]

This
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Like John I can mostly take or leave Harbison. This is definitely the best thing I have heard from him. It has more drive and forward flow than most of his music.

It's a long ballet, and it has a few ballet-longeur patches, where you can see it's written for a set dance, but overall not too many. Lots of subtle orchestral colouring, for those what likes it, achieved with a spare, skillful economy and invention (the orchestra sounds rich but not lush if that makes sense). Consistently a melodic thread, albeit usually a bit bland.

In short: I liked it. Well worth a listen.

[Karl Henning]

Thx

[Brian]

Bumping this to encourage further discussion of this adventurous label!