Judith Shatin’s music, called “fresh and bold” (The Denver Post), combines beautifully crafted sounds and forms. This disk, featuring her violin and piano music, is named for the eponymous Tower of the Eight Winds (2008, vln/pno), singled out for its “engaging vivacity” (The Washington Post). The CD features vibrant performances by the Borup-Ernst Duo. Praised by The Strad for their “watertight ensemble” and “interpretive warmth,” the duo traces the development of Shatin’s unique voice, beginning with Widdershins, (1981) for solo piano. Commissioned by Music-at-LaGesse Foundation, it displays the composer’s trademark rhythmic dynamism in a pianistic tour de force. "Richly textured" (The Washington Post), it plays with motivic ideas that reflect the “counterclockwise” meaning of the title. Her Icarus (1983, vln/pno), is a vivid tone poem, whose four movements reflect the dramatic arc of the story. Penelope’s Song (2003, 05), for amplified violin and electronics, shows the transformative power of Shatin’s timbral magic. Its entire electronic palette was created from the intricate rhythmic world of wooden looms. The disk's final piece, Fledermaus Fantasy (1995, vln/pno) is a virtuosic romp with witty chiaroscuro effects, built on four melodies from Johann Strauss’s delightful operetta.
Performed by Hasse Borup, violin, and Mary Kathleen Ernst, piano.
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