Volume 10 Issue 7 - April 2005

DISCS OF THE MONTH
snowfall!). Run out and get this
brilliant CD immediately!
Tiina Kiik
Their new CD consists of two
separate compositions by Canadian
composer Christos Hatzis
NOW AVAILABLE ON CD
Bach - Sonatas for Violin and
Harpsichord, Vol.1
James Ehnes; Luc Beausejour
Analekta AN 2 9829
Like his contemporaries during the
early Baroque, J.S. Bach took an
interest in the trio sonata, a form
developed out of a desire to write
for the violin and harpsichord, two
new instruments that emerged during
this period. Even though Bach
wrote trio sonatas for other combinations,
it is the four violin and harpsichord
sonatas (BWV 1014-1017)
that the brilliant Canadian instrumentalists
James Ehnes and Luc
Beausejour feature in this release.
Bach's compositions are so perfectly
designed that even the most
amateur performer will have an
acceptable performance, even i.n
transcriptions on instruments not
yet available during the Baroque
era. In the hands of Ehnes and
Beausejour however, the perfect
performers meet the perfect compositions.
They soar through their
performances with a musical maturity
beyond their years.
Even though each sonata has the
same form of four contrasting
movements, slow-fast-slow-fast,
the duo never succumbs to musical
drudgery - each movement
within each sonata makes a moving
and unique statement.
Born in Brandon, Manitoba, violinist
James Ehnes is a Canadian
musical treasure. The liner notes
provide his extensive musical
resume. He is an exceptional talent
whose honest musicality comes
from a place that leaves me in
awe. His approach to Bach here is
to be heard time and time again.
Harpsichordist Luc Beausejour has
his own stellar musical resume -
his accompaniment is unwavering
in its sensitivity and support.
James Ehnes and Luc Beausejour
perform with such a flawless
technique, intertwined contrapuntal
chamber playing and
limitless musicality that I was oblivious
to everything (including
yet another mid-March Toronto
Concert Note: James Ehnes performs
with the Toronto Symphony
on April 19 and 20. Luc Beausejour
performs "Concerti for One
and Two Harpsichords" with Olivier
Fortin at Glenn Gould Studio
on April 5.
Devienne - Bassoon Quartets
Mathieu Lussier
ATMA ACD2 2364
I don't know if most classical music
listeners realize how blessed we
are in Canada with top-notch bassoonists.
We have Chris Millard,
Nadina Mackie Jackson, Michael
Sweeney and the Caliban Quartet,
and all of them have released superb
recordings within the past few
years. ls there room for another?
Of course there is. Add Mathieu
Lussier to our list of illustrious bassoonists.
Lussier is an active performer
in early music with such
groups as Les Violons du Roy and
Tafelmusik. He's also quite an accomplished
composer. I was previously
familiar with Lussier's
works for solo bassoon and bassoon
quartet, and they are wonderful
pieces.
The works on this CD include
three quartets by Franois Devienne
( 17 59 - 1803) for bassoon and
strings, plus two arrangements by
Lussier. Devienne's bassoon concerto
in Bb is skillfully reduced for
the quartet, as are a pair of excerpts
from Devienne's comic opera
Les Visitandines.
I cannot stress how enjoyable it
is to hear Lussier's gorgeous bassoon
sound beautifuUy balanced by
the strings of Olivier Thou in, Jean­
Luc Plourde and Benoit Loiselle. I
want morel
My hat is off once again to
ATMA Classique - this Canadian
label is putting out some of the best
produced chamber music I've
heard in recent years.
Merlin Williams
82
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APRIL 1 - MAY 7 2005