Invocation
Navona, 2023
8/10
Véronique Mathieu’s violin and Stephanie Chua’s piano come together for this collection of pieces from female-identifying composers of unique heritages, backgrounds, and cultures.
Amy Beach’s “Mazurka Op. 40, No. 3”, “Invocation Op. 55” and “Romance Op. 23” opens the listen with the keys and strings interacting with both grace and warmth for the flowing and intimate pieces, and “Sonata Da Camera”, by Grażyna Bacewicz, follows with a stirring emotional capacity populating the heartfelt musicianship.
Pauline Viardot’s “Sonatina In A Minor For Violin And Piano” arrives in the middle and pairs the mesmerizing keys with reflective violin for the album’s best, while “Four Seasons Ballade” is full of gentle, vulnerable song craft that’s poetic and absorbing thanks to Alice Ping Yee Ho’s thoughtful vision.
The listen exits on Florence Prices’s “Fantasy No. 2 in F-Sharp minor Based on a Folk Melody”, where the firm keys are met with playful strings in the upbeat, sometimes rumbling and very dynamic closer.
A very animated and exploratory listen, the duo highlight each composer’s unique perspective with meticulous and careful attention to detail and mood that is much appreciated.
Travels well with: Karel Martínek- Heavy Pedal Vol. 2; Meira Warshauer- Ocean Calling