Andile Khumalo: Tracing Hollow Traces

by Ensemble Dal Niente, Wet Ink, Argento New Music Project

Overview

South African composer Andile Khumalo, a professor at the University of Durban, gained some attention for the title work on this album, a piece for solo clarinet, but this may be the first overview of his music. It is not easy to classify this music, which is all to the good. Khumalo shows some influence from the spectralist movement; the pieces here are full of structures or sections that explore the implications of a single sound. There are hints of South African indigenous styles. The representational aspect of Khumalo's music also draws on traditional classical styles. Sample Bells Die Out, which doesn't contain any bells but suggests the idea more subtly with quiet string washes. Khumalo's textures are sparse, and the three-part Schau-fe[r]n-ster is quite short; in general, there isn't a wasted note. The last two pieces on the program have text and feature soprano Carrie Henneman Shaw. Sample Shades of Words as it unpacks the sonorities of the quizzical text "the ink sores sting." The music here was recorded by several contemporary music ensembles between 2017 and 2022 in various venues and with various engineers, but everything holds together, and this is not just a result of good mastering; Khumalo is an entirely distinctive new voice. ~ James Manheim

Product Details

Release Date:	09/20/2024
Label:	NEW FOCUS
UPC:	0690277901126

Tracks

1. Broken Mirrors of Time for a large ensemble
2. Bells Die Out for a large ensemble
3. ISO[R] for piano, cello and flute
4. Wade Through Water for clarinet and piano
5. Tracing Hollow Traces for clarinet solo
6. Schau-fe[r]n-ster II for piano solo~Movement 1
7. Schau-fe[r]n-ster II for piano solo~Movement 2
8. Schau-fe[r]n-ster II for piano solo~Movement 3
9. Cry Out for viola with oboe, marimba and piano
10. Shades of Words for narrator with seven instruments
11. Beyond Her Mask for soprano with a large ensemble

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Wet Ink   Primary Artist,Ensemble
Argento New Music Project   Primary Artist,Ensemble
Ensemble Dal Niente   Primary Artist,Ensemble
Argento Ensemble   Primary Artist
Carol McGonnell   Clarinet
Carl Christian Bettendorf   Conductor
Michel Galante   Conductor
Carrie Henneman Shaw   Soprano (Vocal)
Michael Lewanski   Conductor
Andrew Nogal   Oboe
Mabel Kwan   Piano
Peter Cartwright   Piano
Kyle Flens   Marimba
Danre Strydom   Clarinet
Ammie Brod   Viola
Constance Volk   Flute
Juan Horie   Cello
Cezarre Strydom   Piano
Mun-Tzung Wong   Piano

Technical Credits

Caley Monahon-Ward   Engineer
Jean-Jacques Rousseau   Liner Notes
Martin Scherzinger   Liner Notes
Derek Louw   Engineer
Derick Louw   Engineer
Michael Lewanski   Executive Producer
Igor Santos   Assistant Engineer
Ben Melsky   Executive Producer
Marco Giugliarelli   Cover Photo
Andile Khumalo   Composer,Executive Producer
John Smith   Engineer
Marc Wolf   Design
Peter Rahe   Engineer
Daniel Lippel   Executive Producer
Dan Nichols   Engineer