Milken Archive and Naxos American Classics to Release CD Featuring
"Sacred Service for the Sabbath Evening" and Other Major Works by Judith
Lang Zaimont
New York, NY - The Milken Archive of American Jewish Music and Naxos
American Classics have announced the November 15 release of a new CD
(#8.559444) featuring "Sacred Service for the Sabbath Evening" for
baritone soloist, chorus and orchestra and three other major works by
Judith Lang Zaimont for solo voices, choirs and small chamber ensembles.
CD highlights include Gerard Schwarz and the Rundfunk-Sinfonieorchester
Berlin performing the most complete recording to date of seven movements
from "Sacred Service for the Sabbath Evening" as well as the World
Premiere recording of "A Woman of Valor" for mezzo and string quartet
conducted by Samuel Adler. This CD also includes the second recording
of Parable - A Tale of Abram and Isaac and the re-release of the premiere
recording of "Meditations at the Time of the New Year."
The works included on the release are:
Sacred Service for the Sabbath Evening - James Maddalena, baritone;
Ernst Senff Choir (Sigurd Brauns, chorusmaster),
Rundfunk-Sinfonieorchester Berlin, Gerard Schwarz, conductor
A Woman of Valor for mezzo and string quartet - Margaret Kohler, soprano;
Everest String Quartet: Stephen Rose and Jeanne Preucil Rose, violins;
Joan DerHovsepian, viola; Brant Taylor, cello, Samuel Adler, conductor
Parable - A Tale of Abram and Isaac - Frances Lucey, soprano; John Aler,
tenor; Randall Scarlata, baritone, Harold Lester, harpsichord; The Ruskin
Ensemble; Laudibus Choir, Michael Brewer, conductor
Meditations at the Time of the New Year - Martha Cowan, soprano; Kimball
Wheeler, mezzo-soprano, Theresa Diamond, glockenspiel; Timm Boatman,
tubular bells, Choral Society of Southern California, Nick Strimple,
conductor
The Milken Archive has written the following about this disk, "The works
heard on this disc span a creative period of 20 years and constitute a
musical portrait of the composer... Among them is Zaimont's compact but
intense music drama for soloists, choir and strings, Parable: A Tale of
Abram and Isaac. In this work, in a chilling twist of the archetypal
biblical narrative, the patriarch Abraham indeed kills his beloved son,
Isaac, ignoring God's last-minute reprieve. Parable is based on a
powerful poem by Wilfred Owen, the English-Welsh poet who was killed in
action just one week before the end of World War I, which indicts mankind
for its brutal sacrifice of an entire generation's youth - 20 million
soldiers and civilians. The release of this recording coincides with
the observance of Veteran's Day in the United States and Armistice Day
in Europe."
"Also heard on this CD are seven movements from Zaimont's Sacred Service
for the Sabbath Evening, a religiously oriented but extra-liturgical
extended cantata for baritone soloist, chorus and symphony orchestra
that is designed for concert rather than synagogue performance. Based
largely on inspirational prose and quasi-poetic texts in English from
the Union Prayer Book of the American Reform Movement, this richly
orchestrated work is alternately dramatic and meditative. "
Publisher information for the specific works is listed below.
This new CD featuring "Scared Service for the Sabbath Evening" will be
available at all fine record outlets and also through The Milken Archive
at http://www.milkenarchive.org/ and Naxos at http://www.naxos.com/.
Composer Judith Lang Zaimont is internationally recognized for her
distinctive style, characterized by its expressive strength and dynamism.
Recent accolades include a 2003 Aaron Copland Award, and a 2005-6 Artists
Fellowship from the Bush Foundation, and the 2006-7 Kaplan Foundation
wind ensemble commission; appointments as Commissioned Composer of the
California Music Teachers Association, Commissioned Composer for the
International San Antonio Piano Competition, and Honored Composer at the
11th Van Cliburn International Competition (2001). Among her many earlier
honors are a Guggenheim Fellowship, artist's grants from both National
Endowments (Arts and Humanities), and First Prize in the international
1995 McCollin Competition for Composers (for "Symphony No. 1", performed
by the Philadelphia Orchestra in 1996). Her music is widely performed
throughout the U.S. and Europe and has been recorded for the Naxos,
Koch International Classics, Arabesque, Milken Family Foundation, Albany,
Jeanne, Leonarda, Northeastern, and 4Tay labels. Her principal publishers
are MMB Music, Inc., Galaxy/ECS, Vivace, Jeanne, C. F. Peters, Lyra
and Walton.
Her music has been widely documented (12 doctoral papers to date),
and her biography is found in most standard reference works (e.g., New
Grove's). Zaimont works are cited on two "Best of the 20th Century
lists" (Chamber Music America; Piano & Keyboard Magazine), and she is
the subject both of individual chapters in specialist volumes and major
articles in professional journals. Judith Zaimont also brings outstanding
academic credentials to her musical activities, having served for many
years as a distinguished composition teacher at New York's Queens College
and Adelphi University, Baltimore's Peabody Conservatory, and Minneapolis's
University of Minnesota School of Music. More information about Ms.
Zaimont, including sound clips of many of her compositions, is available
at her website http://www.jzaimont.com/.
She is represented by Jeffrey James Arts Consulting, who can be
contacted at 516-797-9166 or at [log in to unmask]
Sacred Service for the Sabbath Evening - published by Galaxy Music
Corporation (E.C. Schirmer) - http://www.ecspublishing.com/
A Woman of Valor - published by NewMusicJukebox -
http://www.newmusicjukebox.org/
Parable - A Tale of Abram and Isaac - published by Hildegard Publishing
Company - http://www.hildegard.com/
Meditations at the Time of the New Year - published by NewMusicJukebox -
http://www.newmusicjukebox.org/
Jeffrey James Arts Consulting
Tel: 516-586-3433
Website: http://www.jamesarts.com
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