MusicWeb International One of the most grown-up review sites around 2024
60,000 reviews
... and still writing ...

Search MusicWeb Here Acte Prealable Polish CDs
 

Presto Music CD retailer
 
Founder: Len Mullenger                                    Editor in Chief:John Quinn             

Some items
to consider

new MWI
Current reviews

old MWI
pre-2023 reviews

paid for
advertisements

Acte Prealable Polish recordings

Forgotten Recordings
Forgotten Recordings
All Forgotten Records Reviews

TROUBADISC
Troubadisc Weinberg- TROCD01450

All Troubadisc reviews


FOGHORN Classics

Alexandra-Quartet
Brahms String Quartets

All Foghorn Reviews


All HDTT reviews


Songs to Harp from
the Old and New World


all Nimbus reviews



all tudor reviews


Follow us on Twitter


Editorial Board
MusicWeb International
Founding Editor
   
Rob Barnett
Editor in Chief
John Quinn
Contributing Editor
Ralph Moore
Webmaster
   David Barker
Postmaster
Jonathan Woolf
MusicWeb Founder
   Len Mullenger

REVIEW
Plain text for smartphones & printers


Advertising on
Musicweb


Donate and keep us afloat

 

New Releases

Naxos Classical
All Naxos reviews

Chandos recordings
All Chandos reviews

Hyperion recordings
All Hyperion reviews

Foghorn recordings
All Foghorn reviews

Troubadisc recordings
All Troubadisc reviews



all Bridge reviews


all cpo reviews

Divine Art recordings
Click to see New Releases
Get 10% off using code musicweb10
All Divine Art reviews


All Eloquence reviews

Lyrita recordings
All Lyrita Reviews

 

Wyastone New Releases
Obtain 10% discount

Subscribe to our free weekly review listing

 

Support us financially by purchasing this disc from
Out of Africa
Atanas OURKOUZOUNOV (b.1970)
Folk Song Variations [6:54]
Vojislav IVANOVIC (b.1959)
Café Pieces [25:22]
Carlos Rafael RIVERA (b.1970)
Canción [1:35]
Dusan BOGDANOVIC (b.1955)
Blues and Variations [5:46]
Alan THOMAS (b.1968)
Out of Africa [19:42]
Denis Azabagic (guitar)
rec. 4-6 October, 2011, and 19 December, 2012, Ganz Hall, Roosevelt University, Chicago, USA
CEDILLE RECORDS CDR 7005 [59:40]

First let’s clear up the misnomer: only one of these works relates to Africa, and that one was not written by an African. This is more like a quick world tour with guitar as guide, stopping over everywhere.
 
Things get off to an appealing start with the Folk Song Variations by Atanas Ourkouzounov, based on a Bulgarian tune. The melody doesn’t sound particularly Bulgarian; especially when I hear the first variation, I think of the gentle, welcoming sounds of the American midwest. Other variations add a number of moods and evocations to the mix. Café Pieces, composed just one country over in Greece by Vojislav Ivanovic, is a suite that moves far beyond Athens for inspiration. There’s a tribute to Piazzolla, a “Funny Valse” that does indeed have some exaggerated dynamics and even a sliding “ha-ha-ha” motif.
 
Carlos Rafael Rivera’s Canción packs outsize expression into ninety seconds, like Granados’ Dedicatoria. Dusan Bogdanovic, the third Balkan composer, turns to blues for his inspiration here. One variation has the rhythm of Beethoven’s syncopated “boogie variation” in the final piano sonata, but with the harmonies of the modern day; it just reminded me how far ahead of his time Beethoven was. Bogdanovic’s work gets increasingly exuberant as it goes; all to the good.
 
Alan Thomas’ Out of Africa is inspired by African and Arabic ideas, but it does not attempt to depict actual scenes, or to imitate folk music directly. That’s probably for the best. It allows Thomas to be more sincere in his voice, whether he’s evoking the stomp of folk dancing, painting a portrait of sunrise or writing microtonal music that deliberately - and I feel qualified to say, very skillfully - imitates the sound of the Arabic oud.
 
Guitarist Denis Azabagic is superb all the way through, and I can’t imagine the five composers being happier with performances of their works. It’s as if technical difficulties do not even exist, and his slow build-up from one near-silent thread of notes to a glorious full sunrise in Out of Africa bespeaks an equally impressive mastery of expression. The sound quality is pretty great, too. I wish the title and cover had been different-out of the Balkans?-but that’s my only complaint.
 
Brian Reinhart