Journaling

Journaling

Description: 
Intimate confessions
Composers: 
Cornelius Dufallo
John King
Joan Jeanrenaud
Huang Ruo
Vijay Iyer
John Luther Adams
Kenji Bunch
Performers: 
Cornelius Dufallo
Catalog Number: 
#831
Genre: 
new classical
new music
Collection: 
violin
music for dance
soundtrack
Location: 

New York City,

Price: 
$15.00
Release Date: 
Jun 26, 2012
Liner Notes: 
View
1 CD
One Sheet: 

Journaling, the follow-up to violinist Cornelius Dufallo’s solo innova debut Dream Streets, presents six of the most compelling pieces from his concert series of the same name alongside two of his own works for violin and digital loops.

Dufallo began the Journaling series in 2009 as a way for the violinist to draw from his rich experiences in renowned ensembles such as ETHEL, the Flux Quartet, and Ne(x)tworks, and to create a new repertoire of violin music. Encompassing compositions by established and up-and-coming luminaries, Vijay Iyer, John Luther Adams, Joan Jeanrenaud, John King, Huang Ruo, and Kenji Bunch, the series displays a tremendous breadth of influence and direction—a riveting display of what is possible with a violin in today’s musical universe.

Sometimes dazzlingly pyrotechnic, at other times spare and lyrical, at still others jagged and sonically challenging, these pieces capture the full range of the violin and even extend it into other realms through the use of electronics and looping. Journaling as a whole is an intimate and rewarding cross section of today’s most imaginative musical minds.

Reviews: 

"…Mr. Dufallo demonstrated the rich sound he produces on an unmodified fiddle. But his playing is no less alluring on the electric violin…he showed how much amplification can expand the instrument’s palette. Far from robbing the violin of its beauty, electronics add textural elements and gradations of timbre that the acoustic instrument cannot approximate.” – Allan Kozinn, NY Times

"As a violinist and a composer in the string quartet ETHEL and the collective ensemble Ne(x)tworks, Cornelius Dufallo has made substantial contributions to New York’s burgeoning new-music scene." - Steve Smith, The New York Times

I CARE IF YOU LISTEN
"Violin Loop V is a particular standout on this disc ... The improvisatory melody has a freedom to it that is a nice contrast to the steady loops—-there is a floating quality to Dufallo’s soaring melodic fragments and a rhythmic looseness that gives it a gorgeous calm … Journaling highlights Cornelius Dufallo’s unique strengths as a performer [and] also makes for a good introduction into the music of several significant contemporary composers who have all cultivated their own style." [FULL ARTICLE]
David Pearson 

THE LINDY HOPPER NYC
"[W]hether Dufallo wanders in the past or tinkers with the future, he passionately revives the art of the one-man band … Laced in 'fiendishly difficult passages of harmonics,' ['Playlist One (Resonance)'] undergoes erratic evolution, oscillating from pitchy whines to organic plucks.  Part of its appeal lies in this slight angularity. But approximately five minutes in, Dufallo’s urgent tone gathers momentum until it transforms, conjuring the sound of bagpipes with startling accuracy. At once, the violinist reveals a new dimension of his craft that transcends textural manipulation. Dufallo’s journey may be a solo endeavor, but it is anything but solitary.  On his humble violin, he unites the past and present with undiscovered futures, forging a path of strident yet heartfelt innovation." [FULL ARTICLE]
Sharon Mizrahi 

MEDIATAPPER “[A] truly sonic view of the modern violin as observed by many modern perspectives.” —Chris McGovern

WQXR “[A] diary of sorts, used for recording the musician’s impressions of the living composers who have collaborated with or else inspired him. The lineup of names is impressive in its diversity.” Album of the Week for 8/13/12 —Seth Colter Walls

TEXTURA
“[A]n excellent record of both the violinist's artistry and an overview of the work of eight living composers. … [T]he recording confirms Dufallo's virtuoso status and also shows how skillfully he incorporates electronics so as to enhance the textural richness of his playing, but Journaling captures him using that formidable technique in deferential manner to bring his chosen composers' works to life.” [FULL ARTICLE]