Ikarus Among The Stars
Navona, 2023
8/10
Listen to Ikarus Among The Stars
The inestimable New York composer Debra Kaye explores themes of real and surreal, perpetual and fleeting, nonchalant, and profound across these very distinct 6 pieces that take influences from Spanish poetry and are highly focused on tonality.
“The Exchange” gets the listen off to an energetic start, where Charles Neidich’s clarinet and Hikaru Tamaki’s cello flow with much grace and adventurousness, and “String Quartet No. 1: Encountering Lorca” follows with 4 chapters of cautious and meticulous interaction from the Daedalus Quartet, i.e. Min-Young Kim and Matilda Kaul’s violins, Jessica Thompson’s viola and Thomas Kraines’ cello.
In the middle, “Ikarus — Duo for Binya” places Kinga Augustyn on violin and Jessica Thompson on viola for the soft intimacy of the emotive strings, while “Call of the Dance” is populated by Carl Gutowski’s flute and Marcia Eckert’s piano for the charming dreaminess of the colorful song craft.
The title track exits the listen, and pairs the Portland Youth Philharmonic with David Hattner’s conducting for a minimal versus busy presence of booming, soaring, cinematic qualities.
A rich and eclectic body of work, Kaye’s vision is represented with an unparalleled attention to detail and mood, and it makes for an exceptional chamber listen.
Travels well with: The Music J.A. Kawarsky- Dancing In The Palm Of God’s Hand; Edward Hart- Under An Indigo Sky