All We Are Given We Cannot Hold
Blue Griffin, 2023
8/10
Listen to All We Are Given We Cannot Hold
This first portrait album from the composer David Biedenbender recruits the soprano of Linsday Kesselman, Pittsburgh New Music Ensemble, Garth Newel Piano Quartet, and settings of poetry by Robert Fanning for the 4 detailed chamber pieces.
“Shell And Wing” opens the listen with Fanning’s text and the Pittsburgh New Music Ensemble making for a very intimate and often bare delivery of twinkling keys and expressive singing, and the Garth Newel Piano Quartet follows with the instrumental beauty of “Red Vesper”, which welcomes Mingzhe Wang’s stunning clarinet to the string fueled balance of tension and grace.
The title track arrives on the back half, and unfolds across 7 chapters of music about the fleeting moments of parenthood via the warm keys, subtle clarinet and Kesselman’s gorgeous pipes, and “Solstice”, the second instrumental, exits with the Garth Newel Piano Quartet emitting much mystery and atmosphere via the dreamy keys and strings that interact with poise.
An indeed poetic body of work that’s gripping, sometimes bare and other times textured with more intensity, Biedenbender’s vision is fleshed out with much care here.
Travels well with: Lowell Liebermann- Works For Violin And Orchestra; Duo Shu- Duo Shu