The American Album: Works by John Adams, Aaron Copland & Wynton Marsalis Oxalys

• Aaron Copland 1900 - 1990): Appalachian Spring - Suite:
• 1 Copland: Appalachian Spring - Suite: I. Very slowly (1945 Version for 13 Instruments) 02:43
• 2 Copland: Appalachian Spring - Suite: II. Allegro (1945 Version for 13 Instruments) 02:38
• 3 Copland: Appalachian Spring - Suite: III. Moderato (1945 Version for 13 Instruments) 03:29
• 4 Copland: Appalachian Spring - Suite: IV. Fast (1945 Version for 13 Instruments) 03:23
• 5 Copland: Appalachian Spring - Suite: V. Allegro subito (1945 Version for 13 Instruments) 02:53
• 6 Copland: Appalachian Spring - Suite: VI. Meno mosso (1945 Version for 13 Instruments) 02:17
• 7 Copland: Appalachian Spring - Suite: VII. Doppio movimento (1945 Version for 13 Instruments) 02:49
• 8 Copland: Appalachian Spring - Suite: VIII. Moderato (Like a Prayer) (1945 Version for 13 Instruments) 03:38
• John Adams (1735 - 1826): Shaker Loops:
• 9 Adams: Shaker Loops: I. Shaking and Trembling 08:15
• 10 Adams: Shaker Loops: II. Hymning Slews 06:35
• 11 Adams: Shaker Loops: III. Loops and Verses 06:43
• 12 Adams: Shaker Loops: IV. A Final Shaking 04:10
• Wynton Marsalis (b. 1961): Meeelaan:
• 13 Marsalis: Meeelaan: I. Blues 04:13
• 14 Marsalis: Meeelaan: II. Tango 04:03
• 15 Marsalis: Meeelaan: Cadenza 02:21
• 16 Marsalis: Meeelaan: III. Bebop 03:48
• Total Runtime 01:03:58

Info for The American Album: Works by John Adams, Aaron Copland & Wynton Marsalis

Three delightful facets of a flourishing and inspiring, independent musical culture, captured as always with virtuosity by Oxalys. The outstanding Belgian chamber music ensemble Oxalys dedicates itself here to three American masterpieces in the original chamber music instrumentation: from the great American classic Aaron Copland with his ballet Appalachian Spring to the mythical Shaker Loops by minimal music icon John Adams (here in the original, rarely heard string septet version) to the funky and groovy Meeelaan by jazz idol Wynton Marsalis.

Oxalys

Ensemble Oxalys
was founded in 1993 by a group of ambitious young students from the Brussels Conservatory of Music. Since then the ensemble has developed into one of the most esteemed professional chamber music groups in Flanders. The composition of this ensemble remains open to new musicians in order to complete an original string quintet, a flute player, a clarinet player and a harp player, which permits to interpret a broader repertoire and to realize uncommon projects.

It performs on some of the world's finest platforms and plays at the most prestigious festivals. Each of these former students has now also built up an international career of their own. Yet they still like to travel back to their home base in Brussels from their various European capitals to continue work on their shared project, Oxalys. The ensemble's primary aim is to tell the European cultural story since the Enlightenment, at the highest possible standard and with the greatest directness.

They also wish to give a musical interpretation of the connections and contrasts across borders and eras that are found in this story. But in addition to this philosophical aspect, the beating heart of Oxalys remains the pure pleasure of performing and their absolute love of music: all music. The itinerant concerts "Nuits de la Musique" organized by this ensemble are immersed in such a spirit: they take place in remarkable historical sites, which can be perceived differently, thanks to the symbiosis created between architecture, music and light. Those events have received a warm success for several years now. The Ensemble gathers musicians who are happy to share popular, contemporary and new musical adventures such as collaborations with theaters. As a parallel activity, Oxalys is involved in various educative projects.

The Ensemble is a regular performer at the Festival de Flandres , Festival de Wallonie, and at the Ars Musica festival. They played in the most important Belgium concert halls: the Bozar, the Singel, the Concertgebouw in Bruges. During their international tour, they had the occasion to give concerts at the Schleswig-Holstein in Germany, at the Kennedy Center and at the Library of Congress in Washington, at the St Petersburg Philharmonia in Russia and in other venues in the USA, in the United Arab Emirates, in China and in Japan. Regularly, their concerts are broadcast by European radios.

Oxalys received a prize from the Fondation Euphonia and worked in collaboration with Alban Berg in order to record a CD entirely dedicated to Richard Strauss. The discography of the ensemble also includes works from Mozart, the Impressionists, the Post-Impressionists and 2Oth century Russian Music. Those recordings received positive distinctions by the music press.

Oxalys is the Resident ensemble at the "Koninklijk Muziekconservatorium" of Brussels and it is supported by the Communauté Flamande.

Booklet for The American Album: Works by John Adams, Aaron Copland & Wynton Marsalis