Sunset at Noon is Sergio Cervetti's sixth release through Navona Records. A diverse composer, his works range from instrumental and vocal music to electronic compositions, often reflecting his South American, French and Italian heritage...

With Sunset at Noon, Cervetti focuses on keyboard-based compositions for half of the album, with a foray into chamber music on the other half. On 'Ofrenda Para Guyunusa' for Harpsichord, Cervetti delivers a peaceful and slightly meditative piece that very occasionally veers into Bachian territory. Some 'Realms I Owned' is split into three piano movements – the first starts with a lively melodic line before landing on a relentless pedal point while Cervetti solos in a restrained manner; the second is the more contemplative of the three; and the third is a frantic piece featuring rapid arpeggios before settling on a more linear melodic sequence.

'I Can’t Breathe', while based on a wild piano performance, centres around a pulsating rhythm that at times sounds like the fervent keys of a typewriter. 'And The Huddled Masses' is a three-part suite, while 'Sunset At Noon', for violin and viola, as an 18-minute opus that serves as the album’s grounding centrepiece.

As albums go, they don't come much more diverse than this. There's elements of spontaneity and improvisation as well as rigid, conventional compositions. If you're a true lover of modern classical music you'll get a lot out of this album.

The album contains 13 tracks (1 hr, 06 min, 58 sec).

Track listing:

Some Realms I Owned, piano (2010)
Sergio Cervetti (piano)

01 - I. The art of losing isn’t hard to master
02 - II. ...à ceux qui ont perdu ce qui ne se retrouve jamais...
03 - III. Even losing you...

And The Huddled Masses, clarinet quintet (2015)
Alden Ortuño Cabezas, (clarinet); Leonardo Pérez Baster, (violin I);
Luis Alberto Mariño Fernández, (violin II); Yamed Aguillón Santa Cruz, (viola);
Lester Monier Serrano, (cello); Enrique Pérez Mesa; (conductor)

04 - I. The Tired, the Poor, and the Huddled Masses
05 - II. Hâves, déguenillés  0:00
06 - III. Noemí Álvarez Quillay  0:00

07 - Ofrenda Para Guyunusa, harpsichord (2011)
María Teresa Chenlo, (harpsichord)

Sunset At Noon, violin and viola (1995)
Vit Muzik, (violin); Dominika Mužíková, (viola)

08 - I. In Memoriam Jon Mensinger
09 - II. In Memoriam Michael Aiken
10 - III. In Memoriam Patrick Kelly
11 - IV. Hymn, In Memoriam Drew Dreeland

12 - I Can’t Breathe, piano & percussion  (2014)
Sergio Cervetti, (piano)

13 - Lux Lucet In Tenebris, a cappella choir (2002)
Kuhn Choir  |  Marek Vorlicek, (conductor)

7

Darren Rea