Two artists represented by Blu Ocean Arts were named to The New York Times' list of the 25 Best Classical Music tracks of the year. Click here to see the complete list on The New York Times and listen to the tracks, or read below for excerpts of their recognition of Sandbox Percussion and Christopher Cerrone.
Andy Akiho: ‘Pillar III’
“Seven Pillars”; Sandbox Percussion (Aki Rhythm Productions)
"A lush, brooding celebration of noise, “Seven Pillars” is the sprawling result of a deep collaboration between a composer and a percussion quartet. Mixing antsy chimes and a low-slung beat below, “Pillar III” builds in force before collapsing in ferocious shudders, explosions and shivers — and an ominous lullaby coda." ZACHARY WOOLFE
Christopher Cerrone: ‘I Will Learn How to Love a Person and Then I Will Teach You and Then We Will Know’
“The Arching Path”; Timo Andres, piano; Lindsay Kesselman, soprano; Ian Rosenbaum, percussion; Mingzhe Wang, clarinet (In a Circle)
In his song cycle “I Will Learn to Love a Person,” Christopher Cerrone combines Minimalism and a casually profane confessional text by Tao Lin, initially suggesting a certain ironic detachment. But then Lindsay Kesselman’s anguish wells forth, spilling over the song’s brim. As in much of Cerrone’s best work, this unraveling is too exposed to be blasé, and turns the piece into a genuine weeper, worthy of early opera. SETH COLTER WALLS
