Toccata Miami
Ferdinando DeSena composer
Composer Ferdinando DeSena is no stranger to variation; from his previous electro-acoustic concoctions to this dynamic blend of chamber orchestrations in TOCCATA MIAMI, a world of enticing conversation between tonal opposites begs to be uncovered in these expressive compositions. Oboe and piano dance in an ominous sonata soundscape, harps and flutes seek to sooth in Three Attitudes, and solo piano works shine with a latin flair in the album’s titular track.
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Track Listing & Credits
| # | Title | Composer | Performer | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | Toccata Miami | Ferdinando DeSena | Ana Rodriguez, piano | 5:49 |
| 02 | Three Attitudes: I. Reverie | Ferdinando DeSena | Jessica Lizak, flute; Franziska Huhn, harp | 2:53 |
| 03 | Three Attitudes: II. Anxiety | Ferdinando DeSena | Jessica Lizak, flute; Franziska Huhn, harp | 2:33 |
| 04 | Three Attitudes: III. Compassion | Ferdinando DeSena | Jessica Lizak, flute; Franziska Huhn, harp | 3:48 |
| 05 | Adagio for Friends | Ferdinando DeSena | Liubov Ohrimenco, violin; John Brook, piano | 7:46 |
| 06 | Prelude and Dance: I. Prelude | Ferdinando DeSena | David William Ross, guitar | 2:29 |
| 07 | Prelude and Dance: II. Dance | Ferdinando DeSena | David William Ross, guitar | 3:07 |
| 08 | You Might Even See Me | Ferdinando DeSena | Sarah Brady, flute; Yoko Hagino, piano | 6:29 |
| 09 | Sonata for Oboe and Piano: I. petulance | Ferdinando DeSena | Elizabeth England, oboe; Yoko Hagino, piano | 6:19 |
| 10 | Sonata for Oboe and Piano: II. langour and ardour | Ferdinando DeSena | Elizabeth England, oboe; Yoko Hagino, piano | 7:38 |
| 11 | no tears, and no remorse | Ferdinando DeSena | SRU Flute Ensemble | Cassandra Eisenreich, director and conductor; Grace Smith, Sydney Eastman, Samantha Kochis, Nicole Laborie, Rachael Kovaly, Frances Orteza, Kalista Heidkamp - flute; Jordan Lilly, piccolo; Nikki Kammer, bass flute; Kellie DeLorenzo, alto flute | 6:11 |
Adagio for Friends, Toccata Miami
Recorded October 2-3, 2021 at Futura Productions, Roslindale MA
Session Producers Lucas Paquette, John Weston
Session Engineer John Weston
Three Attitudes, Prelude and Dance, You Might Even See Me, Sonata for Oboe and Piano
Recorded October 28-29, 2019 at Futura Productions, Roslindale MA
Session Producer John Page
Session Engineer John Weston
Assistant Engineer Jacob Steingart
Editing & Mixing (tracks 1-8) Lucas Paquette
No Tears and No Remorse
Recorded May 13, 2019 at Audible Images, Pittsburgh PA
Session Producer John Page
Session Engineer Jay Dudt
Recording Sessions Assistant Emma Terrell
Editing & Mixing Shaun Michaud
Cover art Abstract #1 by Johan Gilbert
Executive Producer Bob Lord
Executive A&R Sam Renshaw
A&R Director Brandon MacNeil
VP of Production Jan Košulič
Production Director Levi Brown
Audio Director Lucas Paquette
Production Assistant Martina Watzková
Mastering Melanie Montgomery
VP, Design & Marketing Brett Picknell
Art Director Ryan Harrison
Design Edward A. Fleming
Publicity Patrick Niland, Aidan Curran
Content Manager Sara Warner
Artist Information
Ferdinando DeSena
Ferdinando DeSena is a Miami-based composer who was born in Brooklyn NY. His earliest musical experiences were with neighborhood pop, rock, and doo-wopp groups. He worked as a musician in Ithaca NY for 13 years, playing in several regional bands as keyboard player and lead singer. His final group was Uptown Revue, which he led for seven years.
David William Ross
David William Ross is a New England–based guitarist with roots in both classical and jazz. His recordings and performances have been lauded for their sensitivity, virtuosity, and depth of all-around musicality. Ross frequently works with composers and is active in cultivating new repertoire for the guitar. He has premiered works by Frank Wallace, Georges Raillard, Ferdinando DeSena, Peter Dayton, Pierre Schroeder, among many others. Ross’ work as a session player has led to an extensive working knowledge of the recording studio. He has developed an approach to engineering and recording that not only serves as a means to capture and present music but also as an artistic tool in its own right.
Yoko Hagino
Yoko Hagino was born and raised in Japan, where she began her piano studies at the age of 4. As a child, she performed her own compositions, which took her to Europe and the United States, including performances as a concert soloist with the Czech Symphony, the University of Southern California Symphony, Kyoto City Symphony, and Ensemble Orchestra Kanazawa. Hagino has appeared as a soloist with Osaka Century Orchestra, UMass Boston Chamber Orchestra, Key West Symphony Orchestra, White Rabbit Sinfonietta, and has also performed various piano recitals ranging from the music of Bach to contemporary repertoire. Hagino is a prize winner of the Steinway Society Piano Competition, the First International Chamber Music Competition, the All-Japan Selective Competition of the International Mozart Competition, and Chamber Music Competition of Japan.
Notes
Toccata-Miami_Notes-1
SRU Flute Ensemble, on no tears, and no remorse, from left to right: Grace Smith, Jordan Lilly, Sydney Eastman, Samantha Kochis, Ferdinando DeSena, Cassandra Eisenreich, Nicole Laborie, Rachael Kovaly, Frances Orteza, Nikki Kammer, Kellie DeLorenzo, Kalista Heidkamp
Toccata-Miami_Notes-2
Liubov Ohrimenco at Futura Productions, Roslindale MA
It is my belief that art is that which enables the human spirit. I know that there are good aesthetic arguments that can be made against this position; this is not an aesthetic judgment, but a moral one. My great teacher Dennis Kam believed that the composer is responsible for how the listener reacts to the music. This was a singularly moral judgment made by someone whose career began when ultra-modernism was in vogue. Kam was a prize-winning wunderkind in modernist composition, but he later came to believe that if music sounds ugly and aggressive to the listener, it is the composer’s fault. I recommend the music of Kam as the most elegant I know, as modern as anything, but beautiful.
— Ferdinando DeSena
