Volume 16 Issue 9 - June 2011

Chamber Music for HarpValérie Milot; Antoine Bareil; FrançoisVallières; Raphäel Dubé; Jocelyne RoyAnalekta AN 2 9985MODERN & CONTEMPORARYGifted young artistValérie Milot heretwentieth-centuryworks with vigourin Quebec and atJuilliard, Milot openswith Germaineturingtelling moments in this occasionally reading of the march-like opening movement,changing moods for the sultry habaneraMilot’s accomplished technique fully realizesRavel’s piano SonatineSalzedo’s transcription, as reworked by violistFrançois Vallières who joins Milot and-His impeccable voice-leading and harmonic- Wild Bird (1997)received its title from violinist dedicatee among other birdcalls characterize theleading violin, the harp playing a supporting Philippe Hersant’s chant-based ChoralEvocative harp sonorities undergirdpassionate cello outcries, resolving in a—Roger KnoxMusic of Stefan Wolpe Vol. 6David HolzmanBridge Records Bridge 9344(www.BridgeRecords.com) (1902–1972) is stillone of the underappreciatedgreatcomposers of thehas all the complex- Pianist David Holzman is a persuasiveand range from epigrammatic to large-scalesense, rigorous intellect, lightness and wit allFour Studies on Basic Rowswork for only the most intrepid pianists, exploringparticular intervallic relations whileThe fourth of these, Passacaglia is a masterlyconstruction of tempestuous drama andityto bring clarity to the dense counterpointdifferent interpretation from Peter Serkin’slabel, Holzman brings an earthiness to thisToccata in Three PartsThe disc also features many aphoristicPastoraleinterest in Jewish folk music is representedby the dance-like Palestinian NotebookOne very enjoyable feature of both ofliner notes, with a personable and sometimesThe concluding miniature Lively. Why not?—Stephen ClarkeLand of Living Skies –Canadian Woodwind TriosMembers of Estria Woodwind QuintetCentrediscs CMCCD 16811 an intriguing discfeaturing Étiennede Médicis, oboeand Michel Bettez,bassoon – all mem- recent works by Quebec composers show thegroup’s commitment to commissioning newDenis Gougeon’s poetic Le Chant dePaulinesolo clarinet section onward the composerdisplays an assured voice, maintaining anactive line that carries through the breakswork’s dedicatee, handles everything con-playing oboe d’amore in the ensuing duet,Ensemble and intonation are impeccable and Sudbury-based Robert Lemay’s atonalFragmentssuch arresting effects as microtonal pitchLand of Living Skies II, and the use of chantand chorale in Marc O’Reilly’s Le poissonrougeclassicalSerenata Estria to the reed trio’srepertoire, his mastery of free counterpoint—Roger KnoxJAZZ & IMPROVISED33Alex PangmanJustin Time JTR 8569–2(www.justin-time.com)Toronto teemswith jazz vocalists,but few, if any,are as faithful tothe genre’s earlyReminiscent of youthful recordings of Fitzgerald and O’Day,smooth-voiced Pangman has carved out herniche by charming listeners the old-fash-the seldom-sung I Found a New Baby, this, bum’sbest cuts include a cheerful homageHummin’ to Myself),a timeless Jack Teagarden specialty (AHundred Years from Today) and a pair ofThanks and I SurrenderDear, the latter a poignant duet with Rontion,delivered ever so earnestly, that makesher an ideal candidate to rescue these titlessuccess of this recording owes plenty toPianist Peter Hill swings mightily as always,as does Drew Jurecka, who skilfully doublessensational throughout are clarinettist RossJune 1 – July 7, 2011 thewholenote.com 53