Duos-Alone
Naxos, 2023
9/10
A musical love letter to his later mother, this highly personal effort from Tri Nguyen brings piano and the Vietnamese zither known as theđàn-tranh for these songs that explore hopes, worries and loneliness.
“Weeping Mango Leaves” opens the listen with warm keys and the plucked zither for very intimate and reflective songwriting, and “Rainfall” follows with a mesmerizing spirit that mixes the strings and keys with much beauty in a twinkling fashion.
Further along, the strong attention to atmosphere on “Faded Rose” makes for a lush and cultured album highlight via the swirling melodies, while “Slipping Away” emits hypnotic keys that are as poetic as they are stirring in Nguyen’s very capable hands.
Deeper still, “Our Last Waltz” features passages from Ravel's Piano Concerto in G for the absorbing and emotive progressions on piano, and “Your Flight To Heaven” exits with firmly plucked strings and waves of gorgeous keys for the stunning, animated finish.
Nguyen illustrates incredible control over the instruments, and his unique take on life, family, culture, the value of memories is expressed eloquently across these 14 involved pieces.
Travels well with: Joann Falletta- Elfman-Hailstork Concertos; Florent Schmitt- La Tragédie de Salomé