Elliott Carter at 100: Oppens Plays Carter (2008)

Cedille Records celebrates composer Elliott Carter’s 100th birthday (December 11) with Oppens Plays Carter, the only fully-complete CD survey of Carter’s solo piano works, including two world premieres, performed by one of his leading interpreters — American pianist Ursula Oppens. The disc features Carter’s pivotal Piano Sonata (1945–46), the breakthrough work in which Carter found his voice and projected the scope of his talent, and his transcendental Night Fantasies (1980), written for a group of four pianists including Ms. Oppens, who gave the premiere. Seven shorter pieces written between 1994 and 2007 complete the disc, which concludes with the world premiere recording of Carter’s virtuosic Caténaires (2006), a harmonically compelling, fiendishly difficult, toccata-like succession of rapid-fire 16th notes.

Tracklist

1 90+ (1994) (4:55)

2 Retrouvailles (2000) (1:38)

3 Night Fantasies (1980) (19:48)

Two Diversions (1999) (7:28)
4 I. (4:03)
5 II. (3:21)

6 Matribute* (2007) (2:05)

Piano Sonata (1945–46) (23:31)
7 I. Maestoso; Legato scorrevole (10:22)
8 II. Andante (13:03)

Two Thoughts About the Piano (2005–06) (10:55)
9 Intermittences (7:04)
10 Caténaires* (3:48)

*World Premiere Recording

Cedille Records 108