As part of its Composer Series, Tzadik Records releases a new album this month featuring chamber works by Tobias Picker. Titled Invisible Lilacs, the album includes powerful new recordings by several of New York’s most vibrant musicians. The CD highlights four major works by Picker composed between 1976 and 2011: Nova, for piano quintet, Invisible Lilacs, for violin and piano, Sextet No. 2 “Halle’s Ravine” and Piano Quintet “Live Oaks”, performed by pianist Sarah Rothenberg and the Brentano String Quartet for whom the work was written.In his introduction to the album, Picker writes:
This collection dramatizes my evolution as a composer brought up on Brahms and steeped in Schoenberg’s influence through my teachers, Charles Wuorinen, Milton Babbitt and Elliott Carter.
Additional musicians include duo partners violinist Keir GoGwilt and pianist Nathanial LaNasa along with performers of the Tobias Picker Ensemble: Steven Beck, piano, Christopher Otto, violin, Jay Campbell, cello, Margaret Dyer, viola, Michael Unterman, cello, Tony Flynt, bass, Rane Moore, clarinet, Elizabeth England, oboe, and percussionist Alex Lipowski. The album is available from Tzadik Records on March 18.Also recently released is the world premiere recording of Picker's Cuatro Sonetos de Amor with mezzo-soprano Kirstin Chávez and pianist Paolo André Gualdi. The album, Pasión, is available now on IFO Classics.For more information on Tobias Picker, please visit www.schott-music.com.For details on the new CD's, please visit www.tzadik.com and www.ifo-classics.com.Tobias PickerNova (1979)for piano quintetvn.va.vc.db.pno12’Sextet No. 2 “Halle’s Ravine” (1976)for chamber ensembleob.cl-glsp(vib)-pno-vn.vc12’Invisible Lilacs (1991)for violin and piano20’Piano Quintet “Live Oaks” (2010)for piano quintet25’Cuatro Sonetos de Amor (1999)for voice and pianotext (Sp.) Pablo Neruda15'