Music For English Horn Alone
New Focus, 2020
8/10
Listen to Music For English Horn Alone
The exceptional oboist Jacqueline Leclair treats us to 7 works by 7 composers, where a double reed listen showcases technical and diverse musicianship.
Meera Gudipati’s “Ashakiran ‘Ray Of Hope’” starts the listen with the elegant and warm wind making for a graceful opener, and “Joe”, by Hannah Kendall, follows with both mournful and exciting gestures that draw us in immediately.
Arriving in the middle are “Layered Lament” and “In The City At Night”. The former, by Faye-Ellen Silverman, emits a haunting mood that’s also highly articulate, while the latter, by Jenni Brandon, embraces melody and groove for the album’s best selection.
Close to the end, “Synopsis #10: I Know This Room So Well” floats with a dreamy demeanor via Lisa Bielawa’s vision, and the effort exits with Cecilia Arditto’s “Música Invisible”, where vocalizations and utterances alongside percussive nods add another dimension to the unique record.
An eclectic effort that touches on Hindustani Indian classical music, photographic portraits and literary references, each track here is engaging, unique and illustrates many angles of the English horn.
Travels well with: Louis Karchin- Dark Mountains/Distant Lights; counter)induction- Against Method