CD and Book Reviews - my/maSCENA

CD Review | O Sun O Moon (True North Records, 2023)

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By Zenith Wolfe on 31 July 2023 CD and Book Reviews, Contemporary, Folk, Strings, Vocal

O Sun O Moon Bruce Cockburn, vocals and guitar True North Records, 2023 O Sun O Moon marks Bruce Cockburn’s 37th album, an incredible feat for any musician. While some of the songs on this new release serve as a reminder of why Cockburn is considered among Canadian folk-music greats, others suggest he is aiming for quantity over quality. The guitar in O Sun O Moon is naturally where his writing shines most. Cockburn turns even the simplest chord progressions and rhythms into wonderfully transfixing experiences, most noticeable in Haiku – Instrumental. He pairs his distinct lyricism with varied vocal…

CD Review | Moongate (Self-published, 2023)

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By Zenith Wolfe on 31 July 2023 CD and Book Reviews, Ottawa, Romantic, Strings

Moongate Victor Anastacio, guitar; Philippe Charbonneau, bass; Colleen Leslie, flute Self-published, 2023 Moongate, the debut album by composer and acoustic guitarist Victor Anastacio, is a hidden gem. The work sounds deceptively simple at first. The titular Moongate, as well as Amethyst Sky and Northern Lights, are easy to digest: light and peaceful, with an emphasis on the play between Leslie’s disjunct flute melodies and Anastacio’s fingerpicking. Gathering Wind’s more staccato performance breathes energy into the album before the deep, slow notes of Charbonneau’s bass rein in the two treble instruments for a few compositions, creating a more melancholic experience. The…

CD Review | A Dream of Colour (Self-published, 2023)

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By Kristen Whittle on 31 July 2023 CD and Book Reviews, Strings, Visual Arts

A Dream of Colour Emma Rush, guitar Self-published, 2023 Emma Rush is a renowned Canadian classical guitarist who has spent the past two years living between Halifax, N.S., and Hamilton, Ont. Her newest album, A Dream of Colour, includes the works of seven Canadian composers that Rush commissioned, with inspiration for each piece stemming from William Blair Bruce’s impressionist paintings. The album showcases the different identities and styles of the various composers, uniting them through the imagery of Bruce’s paintings. This unifying theme gives the album cohesion, despite the composers having complete artistic freedom over their compositions and the paintings…

CD Review | Weyn Allah (Self-published, 2023)

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By Zenith Wolfe on 31 July 2023 CD and Book Reviews, Contemporary, Vocal, World Music

Weyn Allah Al Qahwa ensemble Self-published, 2023 Their first album explored the traditional songs of the Middle East; the second, Egypt, and the third, South Africa. Al Qahwa’s latest addition to their discography, Weyn Allah, is a much more ambitious venture: uniting humanity through original world music. No two songs are alike on this album. The titular Weyn Allah (Where is God) addresses social issues of inequity and racism to the tune of a qanun, saxophone and busy backing choral group singing in Arabic and English. Peace and Safety (Salma Ya Salama) incorporates French lyrics that promote acceptance, and Humanity…

CD Review | Néo-Romance (Secret City Records, 2023)

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By Zenith Wolfe on 31 July 2023 CD and Book Reviews, Piano, Romantic

Néo-Romance Secret City Records, 2023 Alexandra Stréliski, piano and organ; Natalia Kotarba, violin; Fayçal Cheboub, viola; Julia Kotarba, cello; Pierre-Olivier Rioux, double-bass Although Néo-Romance plays with the romantic genre in inventive ways, the musical fidelity is overshadowed by a glaring audio quality issue. The works on this album are initially reminiscent of slow, meditative, romantic solo piano repertoire until The first kiss surprises the listener with the addition of cello and violin. These bring a great deal of emotional weight and dynamism to the album. In Air de famille, however, listeners may begin hearing the felt striking the piano’s strings…

CD Review | Baroque Arias from Europe (ALEA III, 2023)

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By Justin Bernard on 31 July 2023 Baroque and Early, CD and Book Reviews

Baroque Arias from Europe Thalia Moutopoulou, soprano; Michel Cardin, theorbo; Chrysostomos Kalogridakis, tenor and guitar ALEA III, 2023 This album, the result of a collaboration between soprano Thalia Moutopoulou and theorbo player Michel Cardin, was born during the annual ALEA III Summer Encounter, which took place, as always, on the Greek island of Naxos. Along with guitarist and tenor Chrysostomos Kalogridakis, the duo offers baroque arias from Italy, France and England, via Bohemia, represented by Johann Heinrich Schmelzer. The selected repertoire features subtle, refined accompaniment. Cardin expertly brings resonance and colour out of the music to create a charming, intimate…

CD Review | 2023 Syli d’Or Compilation (Les Disques Nuits d’Afrique, 2023)

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By Hassan Laghcha on 31 July 2023 CD and Book Reviews, Montreal, World Music

2023 Syli d’Or Compilation La Tribu Salsa Band; Abondance; Lil K HPB Les Disques Nuits d’Afrique, 2023 This compilation includes nine tracks by the three world music finalists of the annual Syli d’Or competition, recorded during the gala evening at La Tulipe on April 27, 2023. One of the best salsa band in Quebec, La Tribu (Syli d’Or winner) presents beautiful pieces that remain true to the salsa tradition of 1970s New York, where this music took root. Thanks to the talents of its quartet of singer-actors, this colourful band stands out for its original blend of humour and fiery…

CD Review | Les Nuits de Paris: Dance Music from Folies Bergère to Opéra (Bru Zane, 2023)

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By Paul E. Robinson on 31 July 2023 CD and Book Reviews, Orchestral

Les Nuits de Paris: Dance Music from Folies Bergère to Opéra Les Siècles (conducted by François-Xavier Roth) Bru Zane BZ2005, 2023 Bru Zane is devoted to the rediscovery and international promotion of French repertoire dating from 1780-1920. Les Nuits de Paris is the French equivalent of the Vienna Philharmonic’s New Year’s Concert, devoted to music by Johann Strauss and his Viennese contemporaries. Les Siècles, the orchestra featured on this album (conducted by François-Xavier Roth), interprets this music on period instruments. The label and orchestra have collaborated on a number of successful recordings; this CD is no exception. The release pairs…

CD Review | Calcutta 1789 (Atma Classique, 2023)

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By Hassan Laghcha on 31 July 2023 CD and Book Reviews, World Music

Calcutta 1789 Notturna; Christopher Palameta, conductor Atma Classique, 2023 As the most recent addition to its world music catalogue, Atma Classique presents Calcutta 1789: À la croisée de l’Europe et de l’Inde, by Notturna, conducted by Christopher Palameta. A portrait of musical life in colonial India, this work illustrates early associations between Indian classical music, with its voluptuous, haunting melodies, and compositions by Purcell, Handel and J. C. Bach, among other European composers. The project highlights the complicity between the Notturna ensemble and musicians Uwe Neumann (sitar) and Shawn Mativetsky (tabla). Both Neumann and Mativetsky bring a musical depth and…

CD Review | Clara, Robert, Johannes: Atmosphere and Mastery (Analekta, 2023)

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By Kristen Whittle on 31 July 2023 CD and Book Reviews, Classical, Orchestral, Romantic

Clara, Robert, Johannes: Atmosphere and Mastery National Arts Centre Orchestra (directed by Alexander Shelley) Analekta, 2023 Conductor Alexander Shelley and the National Arts Centre Orchestra present the third recording of a four-volume collection featuring three of the most iconic composers in the romantic-era: Clara Schuman, Robert Schuman and Johannes Brahms. Bru Zane is devoted to the rediscovery and international promotion of French repertoire dating from 1780-1920. Les Nuits de Paris is the French equivalent of the Vienna Philharmonic’s New Year’s Concert, devoted to music by Johann Strauss and his Viennese contemporaries. The opening, Robert Schumann’s Symphony No. 3 in E-flat…

Browsing: CD and Book Reviews

CD Review | O Sun O Moon (True North Records, 2023)

CD Review | Moongate (Self-published, 2023)

CD Review | A Dream of Colour (Self-published, 2023)

CD Review | Weyn Allah (Self-published, 2023)

CD Review | Néo-Romance (Secret City Records, 2023)

CD Review | Baroque Arias from Europe (ALEA III, 2023)

CD Review | 2023 Syli d’Or Compilation (Les Disques Nuits d’Afrique, 2023)

CD Review | Les Nuits de Paris: Dance Music from Folies Bergère to Opéra (Bru Zane, 2023)

CD Review | Calcutta 1789 (Atma Classique, 2023)

CD Review | Clara, Robert, Johannes: Atmosphere and Mastery (Analekta, 2023)

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