Apollo Chamber Players releases their seventh album, Trace of Time, via Azica Records. In this project featuring works by Héctor Del Curto, Julia Smith, Jessie Montgomery, Adolphus Hailstork, Astor Piazzolla and Agustín Bardi, Apollo brings together a diverse patchwork of cultural stories seen partly through the lens of how they linger in our memories as time passes. Of the seven pieces featured on the album, three were commissioned by Apollo Chamber Players with the request that each composer craft a piece reflecting their heritage – yielding an album capturing influences ranging from Argentine Tango music to West African drumming patterns and African-American spirituals...

Over the course of these seven pieces (spread over nine tracks - 58 min, 04 sec) Apollo Chamber Players further cement their well deserved reputation for being an important and influential four-piece that continue to strive to produce evocative works.

Trace of Time contains a combination of specially commissioned pieces alongside adaptations of already available works. Apollo commissioned the title track, 'Trace of Time', from Argentine bandoneonist Héctor Del Curto. It combines key musical styles from Argentina’s Rio de la Plata – the Tango, the Milonga and the Waltz – while reflecting influences from his mentors and longtime collaborators Osvaldo Pugliese, Astor Piazzolla and Pablo Ziegler.

The quartet also commissioned Del Curto, to compose the piece 'Bien Curiosa' (“Very Inquisitive”). Constructed in the Milonga rhythm – a lively, upbeat style that has remained nearly unchanged since the origins of Tango music – the piece charts its own course through dissonance and chromaticism, bringing an adventurous new twist to the traditional rhythm.

Composer Adolphus Hailstork was also commissioned by Apollo to compose a work for the ensemble’s expanding new music catalog. 'Deep River: Rhapsody for String Quartet' is a culmination of Hailstork’s love of spirituals and the gift of musical craftsmanship.

Julia Smith’s 'Quartet for Strings', composed in 1964, was selected for this album for its musical themes reflecting the character and landscapes of Texas, home state to both Smith and Apollo Chamber Players. Composed in three movements – 'Allegro Ritmico', 'Lento Espressivo' and 'Allegro Giocoso' – this eclectic work captures the majesty of the Lone Star State. Its musical architecture moves from frenetic energy – with a pizzicato accompaniment evoking the sound of banjos – to melancholic dissonance to a buoyant mixed-meter dance.

In a totally different vein, Jessie Montgomery’s 'Voodoo Dolls' captures West African drumming patterns and lyrical chant motifs in a work commissioned and choreographed by the Jump! Dance Company of Rhode Island.

Above everything else here, for me, the diverse styles on display make this an essential purchase. There's plenty of engaging material for everyone. A wonderfully presented collection of richly layered mini works of art.

Track listing:

01. Hector Del Curto – Trace of Time (2021) [9:36]

Julia Smith – Quartet for Strings (1964)
02. Allegro Ritmico [4:11]
03. Lento Expressivo [5:44]
04. Allegro Giocoso [3:02]

05. Jessie Montgomery – Voodoo Dolls (2008) [5:18]

06. Adolphus Hailstork – Deep River: Rhapsody for String Quartet (2021) [10:47]

07. Astor Piazzolla – Tango Ballet (1956) [11:58]

08. Hector Del Curto – Bien Curiosa (2022) [3:43]

09. Agustín Bardi (Arr. Víctor Lavallén/Jisoo Ok) – Gallo Ciego (2020) [3:45]

8

Darren Rea