Serenades of the Unicorn
There is a commonality between the two composers represented on this recording that may not be readily apparent to the casual observer, and the two would probably never come up in the same discussion except for this one obscure link. Both Einojuhani Rautavaara and Nikita Koshkin have found completely unique voices in writing for the compositionally difficult and often cliché-ridden guitar. A generation and completely different backgrounds and cultures separate the two composers, yet they both find inspiration in fantasy and mysticism to create their compelling soundscapes.
Einojuhani Rautavaara, born in Helsinki in 1928, is one the best known and most performed Finnish composers. Rautavaara, who studied with Vincent Persichetti at Juilliard, Roger Sessions and Aaron Copland at Tanglewood, and Wladimir Vogel in Switzerland, has gone through a number of stylistic periods in his career: Neo-Classicism, extreme constructivist/dodecaphonic, Neo-Romanticism and mysticism and presently, a synthesis period that draws from all of his previous musical experience. He is a prolific composer who is most noted for his symphonies, operas and choral works along with various chamber and solo piano works. One would not expect this master of large ensembles to compose well for the innocuous guitar, especially since he is not a guitarist himself. In a few relatively brief solo and chamber works for the instrument, he has created a very original and diverse palette of sound and color. He uses this to great effect in creating the programmatic and fantastical world of the unicorn in Serenades of the Unicorn and in a pure music form for the economical and loosely dodecaphonic Partita for guitar.
Nikita Koshkin was born in Moscow in 1956. Until he was fourteen, his only musical interest was Rock but he was given a classical guitar and a Segovia recording from his grandfather that had a profound effect on his career path. The guitar, both playing it and composing for it, became his primary goal. Koshkin studied guitar at the Moscow College of Music with George Emanov. At the Gnesin Institute, he studied composition with Victor Egorov and guitar with Alexander Frauchi. He is an accomplished concert guitarist in his own right and a prolific composer for solo guitar and guitar chamber music. One of his foremost compositional goals was to expand the vocabulary of effects on the instrument and broaden the spectrum of sound and color, not to be used as mere gimmicks but to become tools of musical expression. The present scores and recordings of his music readily reveal his success in this endeavor. He has created a compelling and unmistakable voice for the guitar. His works often draw on the fantastic, myths, fairy tales, and literature for inspiration. This is quite apparent in the haunting Usher Waltz, after Edgar Allan Poe's The Fall of the House of Usher, the impish frolicking of the Elves Suite, and in the highly programmatic and intense The Prince's Toys. His portfolio of guitar works continues to grow at a rapid pace and continues to push the envelope of technical possibilities on the instrument.
Brian Luckett, Atlanta, 2005
Brian Luckett
Classical guitarist Brian Luckett has performed in solo and chamber music recitals throughout the United States. His post graduate work emphasized chamber music equally with solo repertoire, and he has continued down this same path in his professional career with a particular interest in contemporary solo and chamber repertoire. Recent performances have paired him with guitarist Eliot Fisk and Atlanta Symphony Orchestra flutist Carl Hall. Other recent highlights include performances on Emory University's Schwartz Center Opening Festival, the Emory Chamber Music Society of Atlanta's Noontime and Family Concert Series, and numerous solo and chamber recitals at Emory, Agnes Scott College and throughout the Atlanta metro area.
Brian has been featured in many programs on both NPR and Minnesota Public Radio and has premiered several new works for the guitar including a concerto and several large chamber works.
In 2005 Brian founded duoATL with flutist and composer, Nicole Randall. The duo is intent on exploring the wealth of music from the 20th and 21st centuries written for this pairing while creating new additions to the repertoire through commissions and original works. Since its inception, duoATL has performed on classical and chamber music series and guitar festivals throughout Georgia and the Southeast and has ventured into more non-traditional venues, drawing audiences among fans of popular and alternative forms of music as well.
In addition to performing, Brian is an occasional composer and has had several original guitar works premiered in Cincinnati, Minneapolis and Atlanta. He has written for solo guitar as well as guitar and flute, guitar and violin and various guitar ensembles.
Brian's primary guitar studies have been with Douglas Jones, renowned guitar pedagogue and Segovia student Clare Callahan and acclaimed guitarist and composer, Jeffrey Van. He earned a Doctorate of Musical Arts Degree from the University of Minnesota with Mr. Van in 2000.
Brian lives with his wife, Kelly, in the historic Grant Park neighborhood of Atlanta, Georgia and is on the faculty of Emory University and Agnes Scott College.
