Duos And Trios
New Focus, 2022
8/10
An outfit whose inception was steered towards making music for national parks and historic sites, the American Wild Ensemble brings cello, flute and clarinet to these nature-esque pieces that draw reference from the natural world.
“Stillwater March”, by Aaron Travers, opens the listen with quivering flute and meticulously bowed cello, and is inspired by a waterfowl in Bloomington, Indiana as it flutters with swift moments, as well as calm ebbs of mystery. “Avaloch Sketches” then unfolds across 3 chapters of dreaminess that benefits from carefully plucked strings in its intimate gestures, that, near the end, erupt into more firm areas in the David Clay Mettens original.
David Liptak’s “Two Nocturnes” lands on the back half, and emits a playful melody, where the strings, flute and clarinet interact with much attention to space and tonality, while Margaret Brouwer’s “Fear, Hiding, Play” exits with a stirring emotive quality that’s very particular about its mood.
The players in attendance include Emlyn Johnson (flute), Daniel Ketter (cello) and Ellen Breakfield-Glick (clarinet), and they certainly illuminate the creativeness of these composers on this organic and harmonic, often animated affair.
Travels well with: Kimia Hesabi- Nemāno Gaona; Steven Ricks- Assemblage Chamber