Catalogue

Summary:

“The focus is clearly on the storytelling … The music is incidental, illustrative, with lots of opportunities for dissonant, clashing sounds, all intended for performance in schools with no previous exposure to classical music. It’s a matter of appealing narratives, cleverly wrapped in contemporary sounds.” ★★★★ – Michael Dervan, The Irish Times

The members of the acclaimed string trio Ensemble Epomeo transform into Auricolae, a fantastical band of minstrels presenting Fairy Tales, Folktales and Fables, a 2-CD set of new music dramatized via the ageless art of storytelling. More than a dozen parables from around the world fuse traditional allegories with inventive mythical settings, pair timeless legends with new musical scores, and offer original stories whose inspiration stems from the beginning of time. The result is a truly unique synthesis of words and music that is instantly entertaining. Auricolae’s winning formula has made new music accessible to apprehensive audiences, and brought contemporary compositions into schools where students lack exposure to classical music. Along the way this merry band of troubadours has built an enthusiastic and enchanted following of children of all ages (parents included).

Tracklist:

CD 1 – 76:41

DAVID YANG (b. 1967)
1. Lubin from Chelm (10:19)

KILE SMITH (b. 1956)
2. Bremen Town Musicians (12:45)

DAVID YANG
3. Two Brothers (8:49)

KENNETH WOODS (b. 1968)
4. The Ugly Duckling (16:47)

DAVID YANG
5. The Three Wishes (12:41)
6. The Matzoh ball Man (14:30)

CD 2 – 70:46

MARTIN KUTNOWSKI (b. 1968)
1. The Spots of the Toad (9:45)

GERALD LEVINSON (b. 1951)
poems by Robert Lax
Three Fables
2. I. Alley Violinist (3:04)
3. II. Problem in Design (2:46)
4. III. The old Magician (8:14)

THOMAS WHITMAN (b. 1960)
5. The Princess and the Man with a Pure Heart (17:44)

JAY REISE (b. 1950)
6. Warrior Violinist (18:09)

ANDREW WAGGONER (b. 1960)
7. The Emperor’s New Clothes (10:10)

Recorded January 2013, Bengrove House, Somerset, England
Producer, engineer and editor: Simon Fox-Gal