World Map
Navona, 2020
8/10
A very worldly effort, the composer Shuying Li takes us on a global adventure here, where 5 mini concertos are dished out by the players Joshua Anderson (clarinet), Erika Boysen (flute), Heewon Uhm (violin), Jeremy Crosmer (cello), Christina Adams (violin), Horatio Contreras (cello) and Annie Jeng (piano).
“American Variations” starts the listen with flute, cello, violin and piano interacting in very mature, often dreamy ways as Anderson’s clarinet soloing adds much to the skilled climate that embraces jazz, rock, ragtime, pop and Klezmer, and “The Dryad” follows with Boysen’s solo flute steering the very charming, cinematic appeal of the varied delivery in the European song.
The second half of the listen offers the darker qualities of “Matilda’s Dream”, where Crosmer’s cello prowess is front and center as the landscape gets both tense and mysterious in the Australian bush ballad, while “Canton Snowstorm” showcases Jeng’s piano acrobatics as flute, violin, cello and clarinet complement her skill with adventurous and surreal ideas present.
An extremely diverse effort where plenty of soloing is much appreciated, World Map lives up to its title with sharp, cultured and always dynamic song craft that resonates with a timelessness that will be relevant for decades to come.
Travels well with: Dieter Flury- Aero; Quatra Duo- Painted Music