David Sanford: Black Noise on Classical CD Choice

Not for the casual listener, but those with a taste for the adventurous might give this unusual disc a try. BMOP is recognised as the USA’s foremost label launched by an orchestra and devoted exclusively to new music. Black Noise is performed by the enterprising musicians of the Boston Modern Orchestra Project (BMOP) and led by conductor Gil Rose. This disc will, in Sanford’s words, “promote and normalize the contribution and participation of Blacks in classical music.” Spanning 20 years of the composer’s career, the album features three pieces that have significantly contributed to the expansion of Sanford’s career and reputation: Black Noise, Prayer: In Memoriam Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.; and the orchestral version of the genre-bending cello concerto, Scherzo Grosso, with soloist Matt Haimovitz. The patient listener will be rewarded, though this will not be to every taste.