press release Aleksander Peci

1. Alb-Postmortorium (1997) 10:10
(Albanian Lament)
for speaker, vocalist, soprano and electronics
Bujar Lako, speaker, Irini Qiriako, vocalist,
Suzana Frasheri, soprano

Rimodelazh
(Remodeling)
for piano
2. Çast poetik (1996) 3:47
(The Poetic Moment)
Rudina Ciko, piano

3. Transparencë (1998) 3:51
(Transparency)
Merita Rexha, piano

4. Duke ndjekur ritmet e dites (1998) 2:20
(Feeling the Pulse of the Day)
Merita Rexha, piano

5. Heteroondulacion (1996) 14:02
(Polymotion)
for two cellos and electronics
Pjetër Guralumi, cellos

6. Spectrum (1998) 5:01
for flute, clarinet cello and piano
Ensemble Spectrum

7. Rrënjëte tingujve (1995) 7:00
(Sonic Roots)
for clarinet solo
Fatos Qerimi, clarinet

8. Policentrum (1999) 14:43
for strings
The AMRA Ensemble
Zhani Ciko, conductor

Aleksandër Peçi
"Albanian Lament" / New Music from Albania I

Albanian Lament, the first recordings of contemporary Albanian music available in North America, is the subject of a new CD release by Labor Records.

The title piece of this recording of music by Aleksandër Peçi is based on a tragic incident in recent Albanian history. In 1997, an Albanian refugee ship went down in the Adriatic, drowning 80 women and children including a new-born child who came into the world just as the ship was sinking. The emotions stirred by this event are expressed through the voices of a sonorous text from the ancient Sumerian epic of Gilgamesh, by the traditional singing of a well-known Albanian folk singer, by the soaring voice of a classical soprano and by the extraordinary electronic score that accompanies them. The keening spirituality of the music provides a haunting backdrop to the tragic story.

Albanian traditional music, marked by searing laments, the so-called mountain cries and an ancient tradition of singing in parts, reappears in Peçi's music combined with modern instruments, electronics and other modern musical techniques, only recently introduced into Albanian after years of extreme repression and lack of artistic freedom. The result is a new voice in European music, truly fresh and emotional.

The three piano works, The Poetic Moment, Transparency, Feeling the Pulse of the Day, are instantly accessibly pieces made by the composer out of themes from his highly-regarded film music. Sonic Roots for solo clarinet and Polymotion for two live cellos with electronic accompaniment continue this remarkably evocative mixture of the very ancient and the very new with an emotional intensity that is characteristic of the composer. Polycentrum for strings is a work defined by multiple centers and sources.

This CD represents, not only the creative achievements of one of the most significant composers to emerge from Albania, but also the extraordinarily high music level of Albanian performers. All the works have been performed and recorded in Tirana by major Albanian artists. It is a first for Albania and a first for the rest of the world as well.