New York based cellist, Michael
Nicolas http://michaelnicolascellist.com
is of mixed French-Canadian and Taiwanese heritage. A graduate of the Juilliard
School, he has forged a diverse career as soloist, chamber musician, recording
artist and improviser, performing masterpieces of the past in the world’s most
prestigious concert halls, free-form improvisation in a downtown New York
experimental venue with giants of the genre and working with contemporary
composers of all styles.
He is the cellist of the genre-defying string quartet Brooklyn Rider http://brooklynrider.com , which has drawn
praise from classical, world music and rock critics alike. He is also a member
of Ensemble Ditto www.facebook.com/ensembleditto , a chamber group based in South Korea
that has achieved extraordinary success in reaching young and new classical
music audiences, selling out concert halls all over Korea, Japan, and China. As
a member of the acclaimed International
Contemporary Ensemble (ICE) http://iceorg.org
he has worked with countless composers from around the world, premiering and
recording dozens of new works. Another group, Third Sound, which Michael helped found, made its debut with an
historic residency at the 2015 Havana Contemporary Music Festival, in Cuba.
Highlights of the
upcoming season include performances across South Korea with Ensemble Ditto and the Vienna Chamber
Orchestra, U.S, European tours with Brooklyn
Rider and a six night residency at New York’s experimental music venue The Stone in December 2016 and the release
of Nicolas’ debut solo album Transitions
on the Sono Luminus label www.sonoluminus.com
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Michael Nicolas opens his new disc with Mario Davidovsky’s http://huseac.fas.harvard.edu/-history/HCMC/mariobio.htm
Synchronisms No. 3 for Cello and
Electronic Sounds which brings rich,
resonant chords before developing through some virtuosic moments for the
cellist as the theme leaps around with pizzicato interventions. Electronic
sounds appear that cleverly dove-tail into the excitable cello line before
finding longer phrases that bring a rather wistful character. The interaction
between soloist and electronics is remarkable as the music moves through
passages of fast moving short phrases that dart around for both soloist and
electronics before a low pitched note from the electronics heralds the
quick-fire coda.
Steve Reich’s www.stevereich.com Cello Counterpoint brings an insistent theme that soon expands as
it drives steadily ahead with its multi-tracked cello textures, Reich finding
some attractive melodic variants and harmonies. The music develops some very
fine harmonies and textures with this cellist achieving terrific results, each
line blending wonderfully. Later a tender little theme appears that still keeps
the same tempo, whilst moving around and soon picking up a thrust before eventually
slowing and finding a little relaxation. There are subtle rhythmic changes before
the music regains its impetus to drive to the coda.
The soloist brings a whimsical little opening motif to David Fulmer’s http://fulmermusic.com Speak of the Spring before slowly
developing the music, finding some exquisite little detailed cello sounds
whilst creating a whole sound world where a myriad of lovely little sounds
appear. Suddenly the music finds a stridency but falls back to discover new
textures and colours. This soloist creates some exquisite little shapes and
sounds, aware of every little colour and texture, every nuance his instrument
can produce. The music later moves through a violent, strident passage where
the soloist fairly tears into the strings of his instrument before subsiding and
gently and quietly moving through a dark world of subtly shifting ideas to a
gentle conclusion.
In Annie Gosfield’s
www.anniegosfield.com Four Roses, for cello and electronic sampler,
a firm rhythmic theme is taken forward to a pause before the theme recommences
with electronic accompaniment, this soloist bringing a terrific rhythmic pulse,
finding so many colours from his cello and using so much of its lower range.
Along with the electronics some strange, often wiry sounds are produced
including a sound very much like an old piano that brings some terrific
dissonances. Soon there is a slower section with discordant harmonies from the
cello and electronics with the electronic sampler taking the theme over a long
drawn dissonant cello before weaving a lovely undulating theme. The rhythmic
stance returns to take us to the coda.
Annie Gosfield’s ...and
a Five-spot for cello and electronic sampler was written as a companion
piece to Four Roses and given its world premiere by Michael Nicolas and the
composer at The Stone, New York City in September 2015. The cello brings a fine
theme that is soon taken forward in a rhythmic dissonant manner, accompanied by
electronic sounds. Soon the opening theme returns to be accompanied by the
electronics finding many little detailed ideas. Again it is remarkable how this
soloist weaves around the electronic sampler with the sound of an old piano
returning. Long drawn, mournful cello sounds increase in tempo combining with a
mesh of electronic accompaniment around which the cello weaves, finding so many
textures and colours. Later the music finds a rhythmic nature with the sampler
generated piano sounds discordantly accompanying a pizzicato cello line in a
remarkable passage that takes us to the coda.
Anna Thorvaldsdottir
(Þorvaldsdóttir) www.annathorvalds.com
: Transitions was written in 2014. The
cello appears with a high, long held note before a gentle wavering sound is
heard. There are taps on the cello before more hushed sounds over which the
cello rises, pulling out a mournful theme. Fleeting wiry string sounds appear
as well as more taps on the cello. Anna Thorvaldsdottir always finds an underlying
melodic base with this soloist bringing some exceptionally fine string
textures, beautifully shaped and controlled, extracting so many lovely colours
and textures. The sad theme expands a
little before the material is developed, bringing deep rich sonorities very
evocative of nature, through passages of rich sonorous melody. Later there is a
more quizzical, short phrased passage and more taps on the cello before the
theme is drawn through a dissonant passage. A rhythmic tapping sequence is
interspersed by longer cello phrases with the taps continuing over a held cello
note at the coda
This is a particularly fine work, quite brilliantly
performed.
Jaime E. Oliver La
Rosa’s www.jaimeoliver.pe Flexura leaps in with a rapid descending
cello motif that soon quietens. This is repeated before being developed through
the most amazing, often very free passages. Electronic sounds are heard subtly in
the background before the cello brings much aggressive and virtuosic playing.
The electronic sounds develop with a rather haunting accompaniment, the cello
bringing higher phrases with lower growls. Michael Nicolas again achieves some
remarkably fine cello effects, many subtleties as he eventually brings long
drawn dissonant phrases around which strange electronic sounds flow. The music develops
through some quite lovely, unusual passages with little melodic ideas
appearing. Later the electronics bring some disturbing sounds around an anxious
cello. There is a long held electronic sound over the cello before the soloist
and electronics bring a wild passage with low growls, out of which the cello
brings a lovely theme, a long, slowly rising and falling cello line that is
surrounded by electronic sounds, creating a strangely mournful effect before
descending to the coda.
Michael Nicolas’ debut disc is a remarkable achievement. He
has a terrific technique as well as an ear for subtle beauty, texture and
colour, shaping these works so well. This is adventurous programming that works
brilliantly.
The recording is very immediate and detailed. The booklet
notes are brief but the artist and composers featured all have websites.
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