Sing to Me Again
Fierbois Duo
Leaf Music LM286 (leaf-music.ca/music/lm286)
Sing to Me Again, the debut album by the oboe and piano duo Fierbois, is a captivating exploration of lesser-known composers, many from the Soviet Socialist Realism movement, such as Gayane Chebotaryan and Fikret Amirov, and the Moravian composer Pavel Haas who was murdered at Auschwitz. Caitlin Broms-Jacobs (oboe) and Madeline Hildebrand (piano) create a beautifully intricate and emotionally charged soundscape, drawing out the lyrical essence of each piece with remarkable sensitivity.
The album showcases several striking compositions, starting with Chebotaryan’s 6 Preludes (Nos.1,3 and 6), where Broms-Jacobs’ dark, resonant oboe voice converses fluidly with the piano, producing hauntingly beautiful and contemplative melodies. Sevdana by Georgi Zlatev-Cherkin, a Bulgarian classic, highlights the mournful depth of the oboe, further emphasizing the duo’s virtuosity and emotional control. In Vítězslava Kaprálová’s 2 Pieces: Jitro, the pair brings forth the youthful yet poignant beauty of a 17-year-old’s art song, with a perfect balance of expressive character.
The album also features an engaging arrangement of Glinka’s Dances from Ruslan and Lyudmila, with quirky, sparkling energy, and Srul Irving Glick’s Suite Hébraïque No.6, where the duo beautifully interprets klezmer influences with elegance. Finally, the emotional depth of Haas’ Suite for Oboe and Piano resonates deeply, as the musicians stay true to the composer’s intended vision, offering a heartrending rendition.
Fierbois’ Sing to Me Again is a dynamic and evocative album, with performances that perfectly capture the rich timbres and cultural stories embedded in each piece.
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