DDA 25149
Lydia Kakabadse is a contemporary composer of Russian and Greek ancestry whose music as portrayed here is entirely written in modal minor keys. Most of it is for violin, viola, cello & double bass—an interesting combination. The only pieces scored otherwise are the two songs, ‘Spellbound’ (text by Emily Bronte) and ‘Eldorado’ (Edgar Allen Poe). These are sung with beauty by Jess Dandy and accompanied by the quartet. Concertino [sic] is an 11-minute work for cello and bass viol in four movements lasting about 12 minutes.
All of this music was written between 2004 and 2015, though you wouldn’t guess that to hear it. It is distinctly influenced by styles of the Renaissance and seems almost totally modal. These musicians of the Sound Collective play it with beauty of tone and conviction.
David W. Moore – June 2017