Someone Who Loves You Throws Me At You
New Focus, 2023
8/10
Listen to Someone Who Loves You Throws Me At You
The Boston artist Julia Werntz has a particular ear for microtonality, and these chamber pieces that sometimes uses voices tweak language in a very personal manner that welcomes plenty of guests on strings, winds and keys, too.
“Five Vignettes From The Garden By The Sea” opens the listen with Gabriela Diaz’ violin and David Russell’s cello interacting with a tremendous emotional capacity that emits a very stirring presence, and “Tantrum” follows with John McDonald’s charming piano making for an unpredictable and warm 2+ minutes of bright and low registers.
“Songs Of Thumbelina” and “Flying, Nesting, And Calling” land in the middle, where the former spotlights Stephanie Lamprea’s powerful soprano amid Kevin Price’s moody clarinets and Anna Griffis’ aching viola, while the latter shines a light on the Ludovico Ensemble, McDonald’s atmospheric keys and Jeffrey Means’ conducting for the melodic yet mysterious album highlight that’s inspired by birds.
The final piece, “Kaspoleo Melea”, meshes Lamprea’s soprano, Rose Hegele’s soprano and Katherine Growdon’s mezzo-soprano for the harmonic and expressive exit.
Werntz seeks to make listeners feel animated by her art, and these very in depth pieces certainly achieve that, where the pitch, tonality and very particular tension is unparalleled.
Travels well with: Zohn Collective- John Liberatore: Catch Somewhere; Lee Weisert- Recesses