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Sonix and other Tonix

Jan Järvlepp composer

Trio Casals
Benda Quartet
Nishikawa Ensemble

Chelsea Meynig flute
Antonello DiMatteo clarinet
Lumír Kavík double bass

Release Date: March 15, 2024
Catalog #: NV6603
Format: Digital
21st Century
Chamber
Flute
Percussion
String Quartet

SONIX AND OTHER TONIX is a collection of innovative chamber works from composer Jan Järvlepp. The title refers to his piece Sonix for Ónix, composed for the Ónix Ensamble of Mexico. It combines elements from his most popular chamber and orchestral works, Pierrot Solaire and Garbage Concerto, respectively. The album also features Trio No. 3, a three-movement work for violin, cello, and piano which protests the rise of the surveillance state. SONIX AND OTHER TONIX also includes Shinkansen, which takes listeners for a ride on a Japanese bullet train, and In Memoriam, written for the composer’s late brother. Spanning a diverse range of topics and influences, SONIX AND OTHER TONIX exemplifies the iconoclastic creativity for which Järvlepp is known.

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Track Listing & Credits

# Title Composer Performer
01 Sonix Jan Järvlepp Chelsea Meynig, flute; Antonello DiMatteo, clarinet; Trio Casals | Alexandr Kislitsyn, violin; Ovidiu Marinescu, cello; Anna Kislitsyna, piano 9:00
02 Trio No. 3: I. Surveillance Cameras Everywhere Jan Järvlepp Trio Casals | Alexandr Kislitsyn, violin; Ovidiu Marinescu, cello; Anna Kislitsyna, piano 7:57
03 Trio No. 3: II. Constant Telephone and Internet Surveillance Jan Järvlepp Trio Casals | Alexandr Kislitsyn, violin; Ovidiu Marinescu, cello; Anna Kislitsyna, piano 7:19
04 Trio No. 3: III. Drones Jan Järvlepp Trio Casals | Alexandr Kislitsyn, violin; Ovidiu Marinescu, cello; Anna Kislitsyna, piano 6:14
05 Trio No. 5: I. Strength in the Face of Adversity Jan Järvlepp Benda Quartet | Jakub Černohorský, violin; Petr Benda, viola; Tomáš Svozil, cello 8:30
06 Trio No. 5: II. Freedom Jan Järvlepp Benda Quartet | Jakub Černohorský, violin; Petr Benda, viola; Tomáš Svozil, cello 5:36
07 Shinkansen: I. Waiting Jan Järvlepp Nishikawa Ensemble | Kohei Nishikawa, flute & shinobue; Hideko Nara, piano; Patrick Graham, percussion; Jan Järvlepp, cello 4:06
08 Shinkansen: II. Bullet Train Jan Järvlepp Nishikawa Ensemble | Kohei Nishikawa, flute & shinobue; Hideko Nara, piano; Patrick Graham, percussion; Jan Järvlepp, cello 6:07
09 Insect Dance Jan Järvlepp Anna Kislitsyna, piano 5:15
10 In Memoriam Jan Järvlepp Benda Quartet | Jakub Černohorský, violin; Petr Grabovský, violin; Petr Benda, viola; Tomáš Svozil, cello; Lumír Kavík, double bass 7:51

Tracks 1-4, 9
Recorded June 15, 16, 2023 at the Madeline Wing Adler Theater at the West Chester University US
Session Producer & Engineer Brad Michel
Assistant Session Engineer Melanie Montgomery
Editing and Mixing Melanie Montgomery

Tracks 5-6
Recorded August 21, 2023 at Czech Radio Ostrava in Ostrava, Czech Republic
Session Producer, Editing Jan Košulič
Session Engineer Aleš Dvořák
Additional Editing & Mixing Melanie Montgomery

Tracks 7-8
Recorded December 1, 2002 at Salle des Jeunesses Musicales in Montréal, Québec, Canada
Session Producer Jan Järvlepp
Session Engineer John Winiarz
Assistant Session Engineer Ryan Patterson
Editing & Mixing Jan Järvlepp

Track 10
Recorded February 2, 2021 at Dům Kultury města Ostravy (The Ostrava House of Culture) in Ostrava, Czech Republic
Session Producer Jan Košulič
Session Director Levi Brown
Session Engineer Aleš Dvořák
Editing & Mixing Brad Michel

Mastering Melanie Montgomery

Executive Producer Bob Lord

VP of A&R Brandon MacNeil

VP of Production Jan Košulič
Audio Director Lucas Paquette
Production Manager Martina Watzková
Production Assistant Adam Lysák (Tracks 1-6, 9)

VP, Design & Marketing Brett Picknell
Art Director Ryan Harrison
Design Edward A. Fleming
Publicity Aidan Curran

Artist Information

Jan Järvlepp

Composer

Composer Jan Järvlepp creates a genuine European/American musical fusion by combining the excitement of rock and jazz rhythms with the large-scale classical structures found in orchestral and chamber music. The seriousness of his well-thought-out forms and the immediacy of contemporary rhythmic and melodic ideas make a potent brew that is appealing to both open-minded classical listeners and pop music listeners who are searching for something new.

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Trio Casals

Ensemble

Since making a highly-praised debut at the 1996 edition of the Pablo Casals Festival in Puerto Rico, Trio Casals has delighted audiences with spectacular virtuosity, engaging enthusiasm, and exquisite musical elegance. Consisting of pianist Anna Kislitsyna, violinist Alexandr Kislitsyn, cellist Ovidiu Marinescu, Trio Casals has released several commercial albums with PARMA Recordings and Navona Records to critical acclaim, from the beloved MOTO series to A GRAND JOURNEY and more.

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Anna Kislitsyna

Pianist

Pianist and harpsichordist Anna Kislitsyna made her solo debut at age 10 with the Omsk Symphony Orchestra. She remains in high demand as a soloist, collaborative pianist, and educator. Recent season highlights include five new album productions with PARMA Recordings and two release concerts in Carnegie Hall’s Weill Recital Hall, performing Haydn and Shostakovich Piano Concertos with Helena Symphony and Southeastern Pennsylvania Symphony Orchestra, and returning to the Omsk Philharmonic as a soloist to give the inaugural performance on the new harpsichord.

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Ovidiu Marinescu

Cellist, Composer

Ovidiu Marinescu, a native of Romania, is active as a cellist, conductor, composer, and educator. He has performed at Carnegie Hall, Merkin Hall, the Great Hall of the Moscow Conservatory, Rachmaninov Hall, Holywell Room in Oxford, Oriental Art Center in Shanghai, and many other venues around the world. He has appeared as a soloist with the New York Chamber Symphony, the National Radio Orchestra of Romania, Moscow Chamber Orchestra, Helena and Newark Symphonies, Southeastern Pennsylvania Symphony Orchestra, the Cleveland Philharmonic, Limeira Symphony in Brazil, Orquesta de Extremadura in Spain, and most orchestras in Romania.

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Benda Quartet

Ensemble

Since the Benda Quartet began performing in 2012 they have achieved a wide variety of musical successes and established themselves among highly respected Czech ensembles. Their first significant landmark was the concert debut they performed at the 60th Jubilee of the Janacek Philharmonic Orchestra in Ostrava in April 2014. The concert was recorded by Czech Radio and garnered a huge audience acclaim. Since then has the collaboration with the studio of Czech Radio continued on regular basis and resulted in a number of publicly appreciated recordings. The Benda Quartet have worked intensively together with the Janáček Philharmonic Orchestra and artist management agency Janáčkův Máj on numerous chamber music and educational projects.

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Notes

Sonix was composed for the Ónix Ensamble of Mexico in 2016, thus the title Sonix for Ónix. Since Pierrot Solaire is my most popular chamber music work and the Garbage Concerto is my most popular orchestral work, I decided to use elements of both pieces in this new composition. The influence of popular music is heard in the parallel chord movements and in the rock rhythms. There is even a little influence of the theme from the 1960s TV show Batman. The hard rocking sections, such as the beginning and the ending, contrast with the more lyrical flute and clarinet solos. This 9-minute juggernaut unfolds relentlessly until it finally runs out of gas.

— Jan Järvlepp

Trio No. 3, for the classic combination of violin, cello, and piano, was composed in 2013 funded by a City of Ottawa Arts Grant. It was first performed at the 2015 Music and Beyond Festival in Ottawa. At the time I noticed that things were becoming strange in society and it was starting to bother me. These influences worked their way into my music.

The first movement is called “Surveillance Cameras Everywhere.” I noticed that cameras were popping up in public places and it bothered me. The second movement, “Constant Telephone and Internet Surveillance,” made me feel like I was in the Soviet Union or Nazi Germany. For several years I had been aware of the Echelon surveillance program, which operates by tracking keywords. I even managed to obtain a list of their keywords at one point. Technically, I use a variable ostinato bass which is always similar but never quite the same. So you never quite know where you stand yet you are stuck in the same kind of situation and can’t escape. The third movement, “Drones,” refers to spy drones for tracking the public using video cameras and facial recognition software. I have attended an outdoor political meeting where such drones were in use.

In a way, this is like protest music of the 1960s except that I don’t use words. I set moods of resentment and defiance. We should all be insulted when someone inspects our email messages and phone calls without permission using keyword searches. It is a major invasion of privacy. So that is what this trio is all about. It is a trio for our times.

— Jan Järvlepp

I started composing Trio No. 5 in 2021 and completed it in 2022 as the COVID-19 lockdown was coming to an end. I had been offended by how us ordinary citizens were treated like cattle. We were ordered to wear masks, use hand sanitizer, and we were told what direction to walk in grocery store aisles. Many of us were excluded from restaurants, bars, funerals, and churches while liquor stores and big box stores remained open. I never expected to see such totalitarian measures in my life. Most disappointing was the cowardly compliance, gullibility, and conformity of my fellow citizens. The first movement, “Strength in the Face of Adversity,” expresses the strength required to weather this storm without losing oneself.

The second movement, “Freedom,” offers relief from the tense feelings of the first movement. One can cast worries aside (along with one’s mask) and play in a more happy-go-lucky fashion. Each player gets a solo and everyone can express themselves freely.

— Jan Järvlepp

Shinkansen was composed for the Nishikawa Ensemble’s North American tour of 2002. In honor of this group, I decided to use some Japanese instruments and a Japanese theme that interested me. The shinkansen is the famous high-speed train that was developed in Japan.

The percussionist plays five Japanese temple blocks and the high-pitched hyōshigi, in addition to four Chinese wood blocks and three frame drums. The flutist plays both the western flute and the shinobue, a Japanese wooden flute. The pianist produces a koto effect in the first movement which is made by laying a flat object on the strings resulting in a kind of buzzing sound.

The first movement, “Waiting,” depicts passengers peacefully waiting in the train station thinking their own private thoughts. The second movement, “Riding the Bullet Train,” depicts the train ride. Having never visited Japan, I tried to imagine what a ride on such a fast train would be like. Was I wrong! Instead of being exciting, it was very smooth and uneventful, like the moment when a plane takes off from a runway, prolonged for a couple of hours. I am glad that I composed this piece before I actually rode on a shinkansen. Otherwise it might have turned out to be quite dull.

This recording was first released in Japan on the Live Notes label in 2005 on the album Flutist from the East Vol. 4.

— Jan Järvlepp

Insect Dance was composed in 2021 during the lockdown. Since concert life had come to a halt, I decided to do a piece at home that didn’t involve other musicians. For some reason I concentrated on treble sounds and bouncy rhythms. This seemed to imply something small and lightweight. After a while I imagined a little insect with spindly legs hopping around to my notes.

— Jan Järvlepp

In Memoriam was composed in the palliative care ward of Credit Valley Hospital in Mississauga as my brother Harry was dying of cancer. As the days went by, I consumed many cups of coffee and read every newspaper, magazine, and computer article that I could get my hands on. Finally I pulled out some manuscript paper and started jotting down notes, not knowing if they would amount to anything. After my brother passed away, I returned home and entered the notes into my music notation program. I was delighted to find that an expressive piece of lyrical romantic music popped out when I played it back. So this serves as my memorial to him. The string orchestra version of this piece can be heard on the Navona Records recording of CONCERTO 2000 (NV6291).

— Jan Järvlepp

NV6603-notes-1

Trio Casals at recording session at West Chester University