PETER MAXWELL DAVIES
Linguae Ignis, Vesalii Icones, Fantasia on a Ground and Two Pavans - Naxos
Linguae Ignis (World première recording)
Vesalii Icones ( I. The Agony in the Garden, II. The Betrayal of Judas, III. Christ and Pilate, IV. The Flagellation, V. Christ Condemned to Death, VI. The Mocking of Christ, VII. Christ Receives the Cross, VIII. St Veronica Wipes His Face, IX. Christ Prepared for Death, X. Christ Nailed to the Cross, XI. The Death of Christ, XII. The Descent from the Cross, XIII. The Entombment Of Christ, XIV. The Resurrection – Antichrist) –
Fantasia on a Ground and Two Pavans
Contempoartensemble
Vittorio Ceccanti, violoncello
Mauro Ceccanti, direttore

Maxwell Davies: Linguae ignis – Vesalii Icones
Peter Maxwell Davies, Vittorio Ceccanti, Mauro Ceccanti
© 2011 Naxos
℗ 2011 Naxos
"Esecuzioni di notevole livello, tali da rendere pienamente giustizia al complesso linguaggio dell’autore"
“prepare to be dazzled, amused and bemused. From the tranquillity of the cello’s plainsong in Linguae Ignis (a world premiere recording) to microtonal and prepared-piano jazz and blues in the Purcell tribute, scarcely a minute goes by without ‘Max’ surprising us…The Italian ensemble and especially solo cellist Vittorio Ceccanti bring the music prancing off the page”.
Classic FM Magazine
ASCOLTA IL DISCO COMPLETO SU:
“[…] Maxwell Davies dedicated Linguae Ignis (Tongues of Fire) to the performers who play it here, cellist Vittorio Ceccanti and conductor Mauro Ceccanti […] Vittorio plays with warmth and sensitivity […] Mauro, leading Contempoartensemble, doesn’t shy away from letting Maxwell Davies’ zany stylistic leaps and overlaps make the maximum impact. Naxos’sound is clean, vivid, and well-balanced.” 4 STARS
“Contempoartensemble is splendid […] Their players distil the musicality, the melody, texture and particularly the pacing of Maxwell Davies’ spare scores in such a way that you feel you have really understood its essence. They have a far more thorough and engaging grasp of the juxtaposition of the ‘old and new’. They produce music that stands in its own right. What a refreshing approach. The acoustic is immediate and close without being over intense. The liner-notes are to the point and clear. Amazingly, this is now the only recording of any of these works in the current catalogue; another reason for snapping it up without hesitation.”
“[…] The studio performances come from the highly regarded Italian group,
Contempoartensemble, conducted by their founder Mauro Ceccanti. Working exclusively in music
of our time they have the dedicated expertise in such challenging scores. The disc does not make
clear why these 2004 recordings are just surfacing, but the sound is of excellent quality and with
exceptional inner clarity.”
“The Italian ensemble and especially solo cellist Vittorio Ceccanti bring the music prancing off the page […] The CD box mentions this work’s ‘profound ritualistic expression’, yet the Italians never neglect the lighter, morehumorous aspects. They come into their own swinging the end of the Purcell fantasia off its quirky wall.”
“[…] Questo repertorio ci è ora offerto dal valente violoncellista Vittorio Ceccanti e dal Contempoartensemble diretto da Mauro Ceccanti in esecuzioni di notevole livello, tali da rendere pienamente giustizia al complesso linguaggio dell’autore, tradotto con esemplare chiarezza, oltre che con apprezzabile vivacità ritmica e coloristica, in un contesto non alieno da graffianti soluzioni sempre pertinenti alle peculiarità stilistiche delle singole pagine.”
“The sound is warm and clear, and the whole production introduces and advocates the composer’s vision smartly.”