Vivaldi Sleep

by Orchestra of the Swan

Overview

Vivaldi Sleep was a project undertaken in the spring of 2020, during the United Kingdom's first national lockdown of the COVID-19 pandemic. The Orchestra of the Swan recorded the slow movement of Vivaldi's "Autumn" concerto, then asked several other musicians to record their own track at home to go with it. The name of the album comes from the section of the sonnet that goes with the concerto, describing how the harvest celebration has ended and everyone has fallen into carefree sleep. That idea was picked up by all of the guests, so the results are hazy, changeable, and follow a stream-of-unconsciousness. Bandoneon player Eduardo Garcia does this literally with his recitation, but what most would think of as a "carefree" mood is hard to achieve when Vivaldi's figured bass is rooted in minor chords. Morpheus by Klezmer clarinetist Susi Evans is perhaps the most bittersweet. Philip Sheppard plays electric cello over the sampled and processed orchestra track in a haunting way. Oboist Paul Sartin uses a pastoral folk song as part of his improvisation, that again becomes darker-hued when paired with the Vivaldi. The tracks by Yumi Kurosawa on koto and by Shahbaz Hussain on tabla are a little closer to being emotionally neutral because their instruments are an exotic contrast to the Western orchestral strings. Overall, the idea of the album is an interesting one, executed by skilled and thoughtful musicians, but your response to it depends on understanding what is behind it and reconciling that with your own idea of "carefree sleep." ~ Patsy Morita

Product Details

Release Date:	05/21/2021
Label:	Signum Classics
UPC:	0635212083925
Rank:	235196

Tracks

1. Sleep Walk (played over the 2nd movement of Vivaldi's Autumn, from The Four Seasons)
2. Morpheus (played over the 2nd movement of Vivaldi's Autumn, from The Four Seasons)
3. Adrift in a Sea of Sleep (played over the 2nd movement of Vivaldi's Autumn, from The Four Seasons)
4. Night Song (played over the 2nd movement of Vivaldi's Autumn, from The Four Seasons)
5. Stasis (played over the 2nd movement of Vivaldi's Autumn, from The Four Seasons)
6. REM (played over the 2nd movement of Vivaldi's Autumn, from The Four Seasons)
7. Slow Wave (played over the 2nd movement of Vivaldi's Autumn, from The Four Seasons)
8. Polyphasic (played over the 2nd movement of Vivaldi's Autumn, from The Four Seasons)
9. Night Shift (played over the 2nd movement of Vivaldi's Autumn, from The Four Seasons)
10. Nocturnal Transmissions (played over the 2nd movement of Vivaldi's Autumn, from The Four Seasons)
11. Circadian Clocks (played over the 2nd movement of Vivaldi's Autumn, from The Four Seasons)

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Orchestra of the Swan   Primary Artist,Orchestra
Aidan O'Rourke   Fiddle
Eduardo Garcia   Bandoneon
David Gordon   Piano
Jim Moray   Vocals
Shahbaz Hussain   Tabla
Yumi Kurosawa   Koto
Paul Sartin   Oboe
Philip Sheppard   Electric Cello
Susi Evans   Clarinet
Trish Clowes   Saxophone
Bruce O'Neil   Conductor
David Le Page   Violin

Technical Credits

David Le Page   Engineer,Mastering,Liner Notes,Artistic Director,Leader,Mixing,Editing,Composer
Matthew O'Malley   Engineer
John Rivers   Mixing,Mastering
Trish Clowes   Composer,Engineer
Aidan O'Rourke   Mixing,Composer,Engineer,Mastering
Eduardo Garcia   Composer,Engineer,Lyricist
David Gordon   Composer
Jim Moray   Mixing,Composer,Engineer,Mastering
Antonio Vivaldi   Original Material
Terry Carter   Producer
Shahbaz Hussain   Composer,Engineer
Yumi Kurosawa   Composer,Engineer
Paul Sartin   Composer,Engineer
Philip Sheppard   Mixing,Composer,Engineer,Mastering
Susi Evans   Composer,Engineer
Eddy Hewitt   Assistant Engineer