Modern and Contemporary

Kaleidoscope – Contemporary Piano Music by Female Composers from Around the World
Isabel Dobarro
Grand Piano GP944 (naxos.com/CatalogueDetail/?id=GP944)

The Spanish pianist Isabel Dobarro has long championed music by contemporary female composers. Born in Santiago de Compostela in 1992, she studied at the Madrid Royal Conservatory and has been a prize-winner in several competitions. While she has frequently taken part in premieres, this recording, titled Kaleidoscope and featuring the music of 12 female composers all born between 1943 and 1996 is even further proof of her commitment to modern music. The names are perhaps unfamiliar to the average listener and come from different backgrounds, but all are composersDobarro particularly admires for their individualism. 

These compositions may have been written during the last 25 years, but there is little of the avant-garde here; instead, a decidedly neo-Romantic flavour pervades the program, which is marked by contrasts. The disc opens with the languorous Nocturne by the Grammy-nominated Bulgarian composer Dobrinka Tabakova – do I hear echoes of Rachmaninov? Very different in style is the Estudio 3 by Gabriela Ortiz, an angular perpetuum mobile composed in 2007. While Nkeiru Okoye’s Dusk and Suad Bushnak’s Improvisation are quietly introspective, Tania Léon’s Tumbao is all frenetic energy.

Clearly, Dobarro has a deep love for this repertoire. She truly makes these works come alive, combining a sense of tonal warmth with a fine resonance, while demonstrating a flawless technique in the more demanding compositions. At almost 14 minutes, the lengthiest piece on the program is Gustav le Grey by the American Grammy and Pulitzer Prize winner Caroline Shaw. Just as Tabakova’s Nocturne harkens back to Rachmaninov, this piece is more than a nod to Chopin in its quasi-extemporary style and use of mazurka-type rhythms.

Kaleidoscope is aptly titled - a fine performance of engaging music by 12 living female composers whose works deserve greater

Passages
Blackwood
Sanctuary Concerts (jeffreilly.bandcamp.com/album/passages)

For over 25 years, the Canadian instrumental duo Blackwood has performed their lyrical music touching on jazz, classical, improvisation, minimalism and contemporary soundscapes. Talented musicians/improvisors/composers Peter-Anthony Togni (pipe organ/piano) and Jeff Reilly (bass clarinet) work closely together “inspired by plainchant, improvisation and holy minimalism.” Passages features Togni on three different Atlantic Canada pipe organs, and Reilly on bass clarinet in three Togni, and two Togni and Reilly compositions. They are joined by special guest cellist India Gailey on two tracks. 

Togni/Reilly’s Passages is a colourful accessible duet. Repeated lower organ notes form an accompaniment to a glamorous bass clarinet  melody.  The piece builds much louder and then, after a a short silence, birdlike clarinet sounds and organ flourishes are enchanting. Togni’s multi-sectional Benedicite (To Alison Howard) opens with Gailey’s calming cello lines above organ sounds. A short silent break is followed by reflective slow clarinet and cello conversations above organ held notes. It makes for gratifying listening as organ chordal modulations, lyrical cello melody, clarinet flourishes and organ volume builds to another silent break. The next “orchestral” section is highlighted by lyrical cello and clarinet lines to an intriguing closing low organ stop. There are mysterious cello and clarinet lines, cello slides, hilarious low clarinet notes and held organ notes in Togni’s To Look Out Beyond Oneself. Togni’s duet Silentio features contrasting lower clarinet below higher organ notes. Togni/Reilly’s Feathery Spirit is mood-lifting, subtle jazz flavoured with slow/fast bass clarinet, and loud wide-ranging pitched organ. 

Blackwood performs their musical sections as one, creating calming, mesmerizing music.

Esfahan – Chamber Music of Reza Vali
Various Artists
Navona Records NV6647 (navonarecords.com/catalog/nv6647)

At the University of Toronto’s recent New Music Festival, Reza Vali (b.Qazvin, Iran 1952), professor emeritus at Pittsburgh’s Carnegie Mellon University, was the Roger D. Moore Distinguished Visitor in Composition. This two-CD collection of his music is named for its longest work, the rhapsodic 15-minute Esfahân (Calligraphy No.17) for string quartet. Persian-infused modal melodies and rhythms celebrate the cultural riches and architectural splendour of everyone’s favourite Iranian city (mine, too; I visited there in 1996). The Carpe Diem String Quartet also performs Vali’s melismatic Châhârgâh (Calligraphy No.19) and the drone-filled Dashti (Calligraphy No.18), featuring vocalises by the musicians and contralto Daphne Alderson.

The shortest work, the four-minute Zand (Calligraphy No.2) for ney (end-blown flute) and string trio is sweet and soulful. I found the over-repetitive, minimalist figurations of Hajiani (Reality Music No.1) for karnâ (valveless trumpet) and electronics less pleasing. Four Persian Mystic Poems for mezzo-soprano, guitar, percussion, harp and piano are set to verses about “love,” “sorrow,” and “eternity” by Hafez, Rumi and Sepehri. They’re sung in Farsi by Kara Cornell, the instrumentalists occasionally adding their voices to the fervent, ecstatic music.

The five-movement Persian Suite No.2 for flute(s), piano and string quintet contains lighter fare, suggesting cinematic travelogue music, except for the fourth movement, a mournful solo for alto flute. Winds and percussion dominate Vali’s four-movement Sornâ (Folk Songs. Set No.17) for Persian wind instruments and ensemble, ending this intriguing collection with a richly exotic, colour-drenched sonic barrage.

From the Sea to the Stars
Lindsay Flowers; Andrew Parker
Navona Records NV6666 (navonarecords.com/catalog/nv6666)

In From the Sea to the Stars, Americans Lindsay Flowers and Andrew Parker present a rich and varied exploration of works for oboe and English horn. The album showcases both contemporary and classical compositions, highlighting the expressive potential of these often overlooked instruments.

Andrea Clearfield’s Daughter of the Sea, a seven-movement piece for oboe and English horn, opens the album with quirky charm. The work is a fascinating blend of timbres, featuring moments where the musicians vocalize to enhance the emotional depth of the piece. Flowers and Parker’s playing is beautifully expressive, with a rich tone color that allows the instruments to blend seamlessly.

Alyssa Morris’ Brokenvention, accompanied by pianist Satoko Hayami, offers a lyrical, introspective moment in the album. This short duet is delicate, with subtle interplay between the oboe and English horn. Erin Goad’s Overheard on a Saltmarsh takes a more melancholy turn, with pensive melodies and dissonant interjections. The work evokes the imagery of nature, with the oboe and English horn creating haunting, almost otherworldly sounds.

Federigo Fiorillo’s Sinfonia Concertante is a delightful nod to the Classical era, showcasing the technical skill and stylistic playing of both performers. The album concludes with Eugene Bozza’s lush Shepherds of Provence: Sous les Étoiles, a beautifully atmospheric duet that complements the unique timbres of the two instruments.

From the Sea to the Stars is a captivating celebration of musical diversity, demonstrating Flowers and Parker’s artistry and the versatility of the oboe family.