photo: United Strings of Europe
2023 ARTIST PICKS
Every December textura asks artists whose releases were selected for that year's roundup (here) to highlight a work, musical, literary, or otherwise, that helped sustain them during the year. Herewith, for your reading pleasure and edification, are their picks. textura is immensely grateful to those who, at an especially busy time of the year, contributed to the article and thanks them for their generosity.
Rudy Adrian • Kirsten Agresta-Copely • Lakecia Benjamin • David Biedenbender • Christopher Cerrone • Stella Chen • David Conte • Antoine Drye • Folias Duo • Christina Galisatus • iSing Silicon Valley • Akira Kosemura • Emily Kuhn • Jonathan Leshnoff • Bruce Levingston • Todd Mason • James Murray • Nadje Noorhuis • Christian Overton • Barnaby Smith • Tailleferre Ensemble • Reed Tetzloff • Phil Tomsett • Matt Ulery • United Strings of Europe
Rudy Adrian (#12 Ambient / New Age: A Walk in the Shadow Garden, Spotted Peccary Music)
Robert Rich and Luca Formentini's For Sundays When It Rains: One of my all-time favourite albums is the 1997 ambient album Fissures, a collaboration between US artist Robert Rich and Italian composer Alie Die. Since then Robert has released numerous solo and collaborative works. This year he's found another Italian artist with whom to create music, and the result is the beautifully restrained For Sundays When It Rains.
It consists of twelve tracks about four to eight minutes apiece (my favourite duration for ambient music). Each one is a mix of synth textures overlaid with Formentini's soft acoustic guitar phrases or gentle suggestions of melodies, plus Robert playing additional wooden flute tones on some tracks. Luca says he's not so much a player as "a manipulator" of the guitar (his solo works and other collaborations being rather on the experimental side), but on this album Robert has found the perfect blend between himself and Luca to create an album of remarkable charm and positivity.
Kirsten Agresta-Copely (#3 Ambient / New Age: Aquamarine, Valcope Recording Company)
Remarkably Bright Creatures was a surprise standout in my 2023 reading list. The debut novel by Shelby Van Pelt explores an unlikely but inspiring connection between a widow and a Giant Pacific Octopus that is held captive in an aquarium. I was drawn to the book since Aquamarine has a track titled "Glass Octopus" and immediately found myself pondering the extraordinary story with a renewed appreciation for the intelligence of aquatic life.
Lakecia Benjamin (#1 Jazz: Phoenix, Whirlwind Recordings)
My favourite album this year is Meshell Ndegeocello's The Omnichord Real Book. She's queen.
David Biedenbender (#7 Classical [Vocal]: All We Are Given We Cannot Hold, Blue Griffin Recording)
Two books that captured my imagination in 2023 are Carlo Rovelli's The Order of Time and Marcelo Gleiser's The Island of Knowledge. Rovelli and Gleiser are physicists, and they brilliantly translate some of the most interesting and beautiful ideas in physics in a way that is approachable for the rest of us. I find both books to be incredibly inspiring and humbling—peering into both the infinitely large and small and the nature and perception of time itself.
Christopher Cerrone (#3 Classical [Vocal]: In a Grove, In a Circle Records)
My favourite listening experience of this past year has been Explore Ensemble's recording of Cassandra Miller's Perfect Offering, a meditation on bells and convalescence that was deeply meaningful to me during some challenging months.
Stella Chen (#16 Classical [Instrumental]: Stella x Schubert, Platoon)
There are so many artists and particular pieces from which I've drawn inspiration this year, but today I will choose to give a silly answer: the 2023-released prequel, The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes. To be honest, I went to see it because the lead, Tom Blythe, is a Juilliard classmate of mine, and I just think that's unbelievably cool. Though it's a YA dystopian novel film adaption, I found myself touched by the film particularly because it reminded of something that I've thought about a lot lately, that is, the massive influence you may have on someone in any tiny interaction, both positive and negative. We fall in love with the lead despite having full knowledge of the tyrant he becomes, and he resists for a long time in large part due to the loving influence of the people in his life. This is something I think about constantly in all aspects of my life, as a musician hoping to move people from the stage, as a teacher, as a friend, and simply as a human being striving to spread more compassion and love in the world.
David Conte (#11 Classical [Vocal]: Eric Choate / Joseph Stillwell / David Conte: Nature, Love, and Death, Arsis Audio)
Ravel, when asked what music he wanted played at his funeral, said: “The most perfect piece of music ever composed, of course—Debussy's Faun. There is much to unpack in this remark. Perfection in anything is elusive, and after decades of contemplation, I have to agree with Ravel about Debussy's masterpiece. In an age where, as Pascal stated, "One used to imitate mastery; today one seeks for singularity,” Debussy represents the supreme paradox for so many artists in all fields who "strive" to be original. Nadia Boulanger said, "One isn't original by choice; the root of the word 'original' is 'origins.'" The object lesson with Debussy is that he was one of the most original musicians who ever lived and impacted the language of music perhaps more profoundly than any other single musician. Yet of all twentieth-century composers, he had the most rigorous traditional technical training—ten years at the Paris Conservatory. There is a deep lesson in that for all artists.
Antoine Drye (#6 Jazz: Retreat to Beauty, Cellar Music)
David Von Drehle's The Book of Charlie: I like this book because it cleverly, and entertainingly, delivers a history lesson and acts as a sort of mentor in your back pocket. Perseverance is winning wounded. And to think, it's a "children's" book!
Folias Duo (#5 Ambient / New Age: Heartdance, Folias Music)
(Carmen Maret) The 2023 jazz release, Ex Machina by Steve Lehman & Orchestre National de Jazz, immediately caught my attention. A friend who knows my interest in Spectralism, especially the music of Kaija Saariaho, lent me the CD. While I teach Saariaho in a history seminar, I have also been contemplating the connections between technology, AI, and creativity. This record serves as a compelling example of how machines can be used to create captivating, genuine, and novel experiences for both musicians in the studio and listeners.
Last year, I attended a live performance in Kalamazoo, Michigan by Maria Schneider's orchestra and featuring her album Data Lords. The title track perfectly captures the essence of the Google and Spotify era. Indeed, Schneider suggested to the audience at the concert that by the time we realize A.I. has taken over, it will be too late. With this thought weighing on my mind, Lehman's virtuosic composition and playing skills mixed with improvisation and computer music in dialogue on this record give me hope. There is a productive artistic path here (with IRCAM behind it) that has a lane amidst the dominance of big data companies and escapes machine-induced creative destruction.
Listening to the entire album is an intense journey. It reminds me of two other favourite artists of mine since my teens, Aphex Twin and Frank Zappa. On the electronic side, it has an Aphex-like quality with its stunning and extravagantly coordinated contrapuntal energy. On the live side, it has a Zappa-like vision for a band enhanced with vibraphone, marimba, glockenspiel, and percussion. If you appreciate the sounds of adventurous musicians and machines performing together in a concert-like setting, this is the album for you.
Christina Galisatus (#9 Ambient / New Age: Without Night, Slow & Steady Records)
Adrianne Lenker's songs had a profound impact on me this year. Lenker's songwriting is full of permission—of simplicity, of repetition, of honesty and vulnerability. There's so much depth in each of the songs and the collection of songs as a whole. I'm always inspired by music that seems to speak directly into the ears of its listeners. It feels a bit like Adrianne is sharing a secret!
iSing Silicon Valley (#15 Classical [Vocal]: love & light, Avie Records)
(Jennah Delp Somers) The group that inspires me most is Trio Medieval. Their musical catalog is so impressive—early, new, folk, sacred—and they bring their flawless technical skill, fearlessness, and vocal magic to everything they sing. Every note is nuanced, every phrase shaped, and the harmonies are flawless. We recorded a few songs on our album love & light that were commissioned and recorded by Trio Medieval: Ave Maria, Ave Regina Caelorum, and Regina Caeli, all composed by Andrew Smith. In the spring of 2023, we were able to host Trio Medieval in Palo Alto, California, sing with them, and watch them perform. It was a wonderful experience for all of our singers.
Akira Kosemura (#2 Ambient / New Age: Rudy [Original Motion Picture Soundtrack], Schole Records)
Bernardo Bertolucci's film The Last Emperor: This year, it was unfortunate that the legendary Japanese composer Ryuichi Sakamoto passed away. Coincidentally, a retrospective of one of my favourite films, The Last Emperor, was shown in theatres in Tokyo, and I went to watch it at the first time in twenty years. Human desire, conflict, fate—all of these things and other parts of life are shown in this enduring film.
Emily Kuhn (#5 Jazz: Ghosts of Us, BACE Records)
This year, I really enjoyed Cecile McLorin Salvant's album Mélusine. The concept and mythology of the album—which is about a woman who turns into a half-snake each week and becomes a dragon when her lover spies on her—is mesmerizing, and an incredibly powerful story of womanhood. She tells the story in an enchanting way, and I was blown away by the way she brings so many different musical styles and languages together, singing in French, English, Haitian Kreyol, and Occitan.
I also loved the album Bones and Structure by Edith Judith, Chicago-based musicians Katie Ernst and Dustin Laurenzi's indie rock project. Their songwriting is impeccable; there are so many layers to the music and lyrics, and every time I listen I notice new things. The album is cathartic and intimate, and it's clear how much care and intentionality they put into the writing and performance.
Outside of music, a few works that I was touched by in 2023 were The City We Became, a truly wild speculative fiction novel by N.K. Jemisin that casts the city of New York as a living, breathing entity with a human avatar under threat from Lovecraftian monsters, and the TV series and graphic novel Heartstopper, a thoughtful, queer coming-of-age story by Alice Oseman with a refreshingly optimistic worldview and beautiful artwork.
Jonathan Leshnoff (#11 Classical [Instrumental]: Elegy, Violin Concerto No. 2, Of Thee I Sing, Naxos)
While my choice is not technically "Contemporary Music," Florence Price's First Symphony is, indeed, new as this substantial work is quickly becoming part of the orchestral repertory. Her symphony allows us a glimpse into the mind of an extremely talented composer whose work has been ignored for decades. Her music is influenced by the European tradition but has a distinctive American accent. I sense her brave spirit and bold signature in her orchestral writing. A fine performance of this work by the Philadelphia Orchestra and their Music Director, Yannick Nezet-Seguin, recently won a GRAMMY. If you haven't heard this recording, it's worth a listen.
Bruce Levingston (#17 Classical [Instrumental]: Without Words, Sono Luminus)
During the past year, I found listening to pianist Kristian Zimerman's recent album of works by Polish composer Karol Szymanowski particularly moving. In an age of much flash and demagoguery, Zimerman cuts a rare figure: a serious, sensitive, and searching musician to the core. His playing always reflects scrupulous attention to the score yet invariably transcends the marks on the page. His distinct readings here reveal something highly personal in his fellow countryman's artistic aesthetic honing in on the music's aching lyricism and bittersweet melancholy.
It may be our times at play, but for me, these haunting pieces—and Zimerman's emotionally honest, unvarnished interpretations of them—seem to resonate with the precariousness and disequilibrium lurking beneath the surface of so many of today's societies. In a recent interview, Zimerman points out that the vulnerabilities experienced by Szymanowski during his own restrictive era may account for some of the complex emotions hidden within his works; but any whose rights and existence are threatened by intolerance and ignorance—and who long for peace and love in our world—will relate to this deeply touching music.
Todd Mason (#5 Classical [Instrumental]: Violin Concerto | Chamber Suite, Ulysses Arts)
In 2023, I was lucky enough to have a new and challenging work for full orchestra and chorus recorded in Europe, which was a real high point even if it was a bit like drinking out of a firehose! The musicians, who didn't share my language, totally "got it" in terms of what I was trying to communicate in my music, which was an amazing feeling. It's moments like that, when you have that kind of Jungian collective communication with other human beings on such a high level, far beyond normal experiences, when you realize that music is, indeed, the universal language. In fact, I think it's something even more profound because you're connecting with other human beings, most of who are perfect strangers, with the deepest emotions and experiences we are capable of, far beyond mere words, all at the same time, in the best possible ways, creating musical magic together and then sharing it with more strangers who then help support you so you can do it again. It's truly extraordinary.
But why are classical music and the arts in general so important? Why do we make such sacrifices for it, other than personal enjoyment? It's a question I struggled with this past year, amidst all the dire troubles in the world.
Then I read a passage by the great American writer Willa Cather in her book, The Song of the Lark, which describes how the Pueblo Indians expressed the importance of water in their lives, as water was everything to those people. Cather talks of how the women would go to extreme lengths to make the most beautiful and ornate pottery to carry the water from the rivers back to the villages when simple jars would have also worked and been easier to make: "Their pottery was their most direct appeal to water, the envelope and sheath of the precious element itself. The strongest Indian need was expressed in those graceful jars."
It occurred to me that classical music, and the arts, like those ornate jars, carry the most precious element of our civilization—the expression of who we are and what we value as a people. That passage in that book was one of the things that inspired me this past year to continue creating the most beautiful music I can.
James Murray (#10 Ambient / New Age: Ascension Por (with Chimo Perez), Slowcraft Records; #16: Sound Flowers, Slowcraft Records)
Towards the end of summer Anne Garner and I were in Scarborough, an old Victorian resort town on the North-East coast of England where we have family. On the first day Anne slipped and fell on the shoreline, dislocating and badly fracturing her left wrist. Bad news, especially for a professional flautist and pianist. We were way out at low tide, and it took an hour to climb back and find phone reception. When we got to A&E Anne fell through the cracks in our creaking NHS and after six hours without pain relief had to endure repeated unsuccessful attempts to reset the break while I and the undertrained, overworked night staff held her down. The whole thing was such a bizarre, nightmarish inversion of the blissful day we'd both been caught up in right up to the fall. Even simply as a witness I'm sure I've not fully processed it yet.
Fast forward to the final day of our stay and we were walking the Italian pleasure gardens on an idyllic late summer evening, saying goodbye to a place we love so much but that had cost us dearly this time. Strains of music began to drift up from the seaside bandstand, fragments that gradually resolved into an open-air performance of “Moon River" by the Scarborough Spa Orchestra, a local jazz ensemble with roots dating back to 1912. This traditional instrumental rendition with its trombone lead, and the particular way the harmonies were muffled, caught and carried clear to us by the gusting sea air is something I will never forget. Such comfort when it was so needed, unexpected and dizzyingly moving. Some of that timeless hyper-emotion has since worked its way into my recorded music—how could it not?
Nadje Noorhuis (#7 Ambient / New Age: Nadje Noorhuis & James Shipp: Multitudes, Little Mystery Records)
Everybody seems to be making their own podcasts these days, and I've been getting into this medium this year as a listener. Jessica Abel's graphic novel from 2015 about making podcasts called Out on The Wire is just brilliant. She spent three years interviewing producers, editors and hosts of iconic shows of narrative journalism, such as This American Life, Snap Judgement, and Planet Money, and illustrated key moments in thousands of comic panels. It's astonishing how much valuable storytelling information she was able to distill into a 200+ page graphic novel about radio.
Christian Overton (#8 Jazz: Composers Collective Big Band: The Toronto Project, The Composers Collective Big Band)
American Symphony (Netflix): The story of how Jon Baptiste pursues an incredible lofty goal of re-inventing the modern symphony orchestra while handling his wife's battle with cancer during the same time period is inspiring. The scope of the genre-defying music is in itself a treat, but what was most moving is being able to see him create with so much happening personally. We don't often see this balance of creating art with the realities of life like we do in this documentary, and it's worth checking out.
Barnaby Smith (#2 Classical [Vocal]: Eric Whitacre & VOCES8: Home, Decca Classics; #16 Classical [Vocal]: Barnaby Smith & Illyria Consort: Bach, VOCES8 Records)
My track for 2023 would be the opening chorus of cantata 190 'Singet dem herrn' by J. S. Bach (played by the Bach Collegium Japan and from A Choral Year with Bach, 2010)
Written for New Year's Day 1724, this chorus represents the unbridled joy of greeting the new calendar year. The sense of optimism which Bach captures in this remarkable cantata is infectious and fills me with energy. From a musical standpoint it is also a very interesting score; it's Bach, so yes there is a great fugue, but in incredible contrast he also brings the four vocal lines into unison on two occasions, a powerful gesture which only helps the themes of the chorus ring out to greater effect. Bach's original score only exists in fragments, and many modern day musicologists have tried their hand at filling in the gaps so that we may be able to appreciate how Bach himself might have heard this work 300 years ago. We are indebted on this occasion to Masaaki Suzuki for his careful reconstruction, bringing us this rich and colourful chorus in full orchestral technicolour.
Tailleferre Ensemble (#7 Classical [Instrumental]: There Are Things To Be Said, Ulysses Arts)
(Amy Thompson) As musicians, I feel that we can learn a huge amount from watching actresses and actors perform. There are several people in particular who come to mind, among them Meryl Streep, Robin Williams, and Owen Wilson, who each seem to have a very special—and human—glimmer in their eyes when they perform. Something about their body language and the way they work seems to say, "I am acting to lift people up, because I know that there will be someone watching who needs this" (and interestingly, all three seem to have dealt with depression themselves at various points in time).
My choice of art is therefore Streep's performance in Florence Foster Jenkins. It would have been incredibly easy for this to have become an overly simplistic film in which Foster Jenkins is ridiculed, but Streep performs with a genuine warmth to give the audience a sense of her character's courage. Why would you ever stop doing the thing that you love most in the world, regardless of any external factor?
It was also a stark reminder to me that, as someone who earns a living from music, it is possible to become a little (or a lot!) too cynical at times and to begin to forget how ecstatic our younger selves would have felt at the prospect of being a musician. Even if there never comes a point where we truly feel that we have 'made it.' I'm not usually someone who enjoys watching films or reading books multiple times, but this film provides a very welcome exception.
Reed Tetzloff (#8 Classical [Instrumental]: Concord, Master Performers)
I've recently been inspired by the books of the Italian physicist and writer Carlo Rovelli, particularly The Order of Time. He writes very artistically about many abstract scientific concepts, translating their complexity into pure poetry. For example, when he discusses the idea that "the world is not comprised of things, but of events," it is impossible not to draw a connection to the world of a musical work and its elusive concept of 'time.' I am looking forward to exploring Rovelli's work further in 2024.
Phil Tomsett (#13 Ambient / New Age: Phil Tomsett & Aaron Martin: At Sea, Fluid Audio)
In recent years, I've often found inspiration as the year draws to a close, and 2023 is no exception, with several albums released during the closing months that I've had on repeat rotation. The one I've returned to the most is Before We Lie Down in Darknesse, in which Richard Skelton works under his Inward Circles name.
What I appreciate most about Skelton's recent work is how he presents his albums as cohesive wholes, slightly impenetrable upon first listen, but with subsequent plays—like learning a new language—they unfold to reveal subtle melodies, shifting structures, and expansive spaces. Each listen is increasingly rewarding, and I've come to appreciate this kind of work—and this kind of listening—even more than music which catches my attention more immediately. This is particularly the case with Before We Lie Down in Darknesse, as it has to be learned to be understood (at least in the aural sense) and enjoyed. It's a bold and brave move to present work that needs to be heard more than once—particularly today when we seem to have so little time to focus on just one thing for any appropriate amount of time.
Richard Skelton's music exists within, but also outside of, the ambient/experimental genre with which he's associated. Should this genre not exist, he would still be making this music. He follows his own voice regardless of shifting trends and styles, which is always the sign of a unique and authentic artist.
Matt Ulery (#2 Jazz: Mannerist, Woolgathering Records)
Music is incredible! But cooking is really the ultimate art form. You are using all five popular senses when preparing foods. It's my favourite hobby, and I enjoy getting to practice it every day with endless creative limitations and variation. I'm a big fan of Michigan-based chef and author Abra Berens. Two of my favourite cookbooks are by her: Ruffage presents techniques on vegetable cooking, and Grist focuses on legumes and grains. In 2023, she came out with her follow-up book, Pulp: A Practical Guide to Cooking with Fruit. The recipes, as far as I've tried, check out, and I especially enjoy learning new techniques and creative combinations of sweet and savory ingredients. It reads well, too, and is full of historical context. Every cook should have all three Berens books.
photo: United Strings of Europe
United Strings of Europe (#10 Classical [Instrumental]: Through the Night, BIS)
(Julian Azkoul) As a musician, producer, and Artistic Director of United Strings of Europe, I'm always on the lookout for new sounds, ideas, and approaches to performance. My ensemble recently performed at the Night With ... Festival in Glasgow alongside Ensemble 1602, an innovative group performing new and old music on period instruments, often with electronics. The resulting combination of historical and modern sonorities is fascinating.
Not unlike other contemporary music ensembles such as Riot Ensemble and Explore Ensemble that are led by composers, Ensemble 1604 counts composer and sound designer Timothy Cooper as one of its members. The other four are instrumentalists: Lucia Capellaro (baroque cello), Alex McCartney (theorbo/lute), Rory McCleery (counter tenor), and László Rózsa (recorders). They've just released their debut album shadows that in darkness dwell, which includes original works by Cooper and adaptations of music by John Dowland. There is also an engrossing adaptation of Terry Riley's In C on a live compilation disc (The Night With... Live Vol One).
December 2023