Alicia Terzian founded the six-person group Grupo Encuentros in 1978. Over the years, they helped introduce the music of avant-garde Argentinean and Latin American composers to the world. 40 Years of Contemporary Music sees the group combine compositions from Latin American composers including Heitor Villa-Lobos, Alberto Ginaslera, and Terzian herself with works by an international array of composers that ranges from Anton Webern (Germany) to Luciano Berio (Italy) to Franz Schreker (Austria) to Pierre Boulez (France)...

Grupo Encuentros consists of mezzo soprano Marta Blanco, pianist Claudio Espector, flutist Fabio Mazzitelli, clarinetist Matias Tchicourel, violinist Sergio Polizzi and violoncellist Carlos Nozzi. In this CD, saxophonist Maria Noel Luzzardo, oboist Ruben Albornoz, bassoonist Ernesto Imsand and percussionist Arauco Yepes join Encuentros Group.

I'm not usually a huge follower of avant-garde composer's work - they tend to see the world through lens that can appear to make them self indulgent and self absorbed - but in spite of myself, I rather enjoyed this release. It rather neatly opens and closes with the album's two most "conventional" classical music pieces, before moving into "darker" territory.

It's really an album you have to grow to love. It's doubtful you'll get a huge buzz out of it on the first play through, but if you're looking to grow your library of classical music this is a wonderful introduction to the avant-garde.

Track listing:

Heitor Villa-Lobos
01 - Chôro N°7
Fabio Mazzitelli (flute), Ruben Albornoz (oboe), Matias Tchicourel (clarinet), Maria Noel Luzzardo (saxophone), Ernesto Imsand (bassoon), Sergio Polizzi (violin), Carlos Nozzi (violoncelo)

Alberto Ginastera
02 - Pampeana N°2 Opus 21
Carlos Nozzi (violoncelo), Claudio Espector (piano)

Anton Webern
Ach Jüngen Lieder
Marta Blanco (mezzo soprano), Claudio Espector (piano)
03 - Tief von Fern
04 - Aufblick
05 - Blümengruss
06 - Bild der Liebe
07 - Sommerabend
08 - Heiter
09 - Der Tod
10 - Heimgand in der Frühe

Alicia Terzian
11 - Yagua Ya Yuca
Arauco Yepes (percussion)

Luciano Berio
12 - O King
Marta Blanco (mezzo soprano), Fabio Mazzitelli (flute), Matias Tchicourel (clarinet), Claudio Espector (piano), Sergio Polizzi (violin), Carlos Nozzi (violoncelo)

Pierre Boulez
13 - Dérive
Fabio Mazzitelli (flute), Matias Tchicourel (clarinet), Sergio Polizzi (violin), Carlos Nozzi (violoncelo)  Claudio Espector (piano)  Arauco Yepes (percusion)

Alicia Terzian
14 - Les Yeux Fertiles
Marta Blanco (mezzo soprano), Fabio Mazzitelli (flute) Matias Tchicourel (clarinet), Claudio Espector (piano), Sergio Polizzi (violin), Carlos Nozzi (violoncelo)

Franz Schreker
15 - Der Wind
Sergio Polizzi (violin), Matias Tchicourel (clarinet), Gaston Frosio (horn), Carlos Nozzi (violoncelo), Claudio Espector (piano)

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Darren Rea