Then And Now: Chamber Music Of Richard Festinger
New Focus, 2025
9/10
Listen to Then And Now: Chamber Music Of Richard Festinger
The esteemed composer Richard Festinger presents 5 chamber selections that all feature different line ups for the elegant and timeless songwriting.
“Invocation” opens with the Calefax Reed Quintet’s strong chemistry that radiates fluid alto sax and clarinet amid a flowing oboe solo, and “To A Pilgrim” follows with Alan R. Kay’s moody bass clarinet and Michael Nicolas’ bright cello emitting attention to timbre and harmonics.
The middle track, “Hidden Spring”, recruits the Cygnus Ensemble and blends the flute, oboe, violin, cello, guitar and mandolin via dreamy textures and plucked strings, while “II était une fois…” benefits much from Collage New Music’s restlessness and meticulous strings that suit the firm keys.
“Windsongs” exits, and allows for Windscape’s quick winds to fill 3 movements of 16th notes, chord voicings and even haunting moments.
A highly diverse outing that uses chamber and classical nods with much imagination, Festinger’s balancing of sophistication and powerful song craft is very much admirable.
Travels well with: Ecce Ensemble- Remembrances- Chamber Music Of Trevor Weston; Ciompi Quartet- A Duke Moment