Browsing: Winds

Canadian Scenes: New Works for Oboe & Piano Charles Hamann, oboe; Frédéric Lacroix, piano Leaf Music, June 2023 Five works for oboe and piano were commissioned by oboist Charles Hamann for this album, which depicts various aspects of Canadian identity. In collaboration with pianist Frédéric Lacroix (who also wrote one of the pieces on the album), Hamann sought to capture various aspects of Canada’s landscapes, and asked each composer to write a piece using nature as an inspirational starting point. Over the course of the album’s genesis, changes in climate and environment impacted the way works panned out. In the…

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Since woodwind quintet Pentaèdre created its Carte blanche series for each musician in 2017, the oboe has not yet been put in the spotlight. But that’s about to change. Oboist Élise Poulin, who joined Pentaèdre in 2019, will finally have the opportunity to present a complete concert.  “I’m delighted that Pentaèdre has given me the opportunity to explore chamber music repertoire for oboe in such depth for this Carte blanche concert. It’s quite rare to present concerts featuring the oboe and English horn! I’m very happy to introduce these more obscure instruments to the public.” She has invited some Orchestre…

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Clara et Robert Schumann: Musique de chambre pour cor Louis-Philippe Marsolais, horn; David Jalbert and Philip Chiu, piano; Cameron Crozman and Stéphane Tétreault, cello Atma Classique, June 2023 The gentleness of the Schumanns’ romantic compositions is not lost on the Orchestre Métropolitain’s principal horn player, Louis-Philippe Marsolais. He demonstrates a great deal of restraint on this album through his muted performance. Marsolais’s soft notes drift along peacefully above an enthusiastic piano, played by David Jalbert. When Marsolais is prompted to play with more force, Jalbert is careful to maintain a similar volume and intensity, creating a gentle synergy between the…

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Wanderlust Lara Deutsch, flute; Adam Cicchillitti, guitar Leaf Music, August 2023 Flutist Lara Deutsch and guitarist Adam Cicchillitti bring travel to life in Wanderlust. The concept for the album originated during the pandemic, when travel was virtually impossible. The duo tactfully uses music’s ability to transport listeners, embarking on a journey through sound. The album opens with Jason Noble’s “Folk Suite, ” in which each movement features extended techniques, performed by flute and guitar, to emulate a different part of the world. The third movement, “Ceilidh,” which is meant to emulate the joy and business of a Newfoundland kitchen party,…

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Around Baermann Maryse Legault, clarinet; Gili Loftus, fortepiano Leaf music, 2023 Upcoming clarinetist Maryse Legault is specialized in period instruments. She released her first album, Around Baermann, on the Leaf Music label. The album is “a love letter to the tumultuous music of the early nineteenth century,” she wrote on her website. According to Legault, the album is the culmination of years of research and a testimony of her unshakeable desire to perform recitals that feature period instruments. Pianist Gili Loftus, Legault’s friend and collaborator for over 10 years, has joined her on this recording, playing the fortepiano. The album…

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In 2022, young trombonist Robert Conquer has an outstanding ­accomplishment to show for his decades of musical training: the Michael Measures First Prize, available annually to one exceptional musician enrolled in the National Youth Orchestra (NYO) summer training program. Though he has only been part of the NYO for four years, it has quickly become one of the most influential parts of his musical career. “The NYO Canada program is, hands down, one of—if not the—best orchestral training (opportunities) one can receive in Canada,” he said. “It’s been a musically transformative experience every time I’ve ­participated in it.” The key…

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Chasing Light & Sound: The Tuba Music of Elizabeth Raum Tom McCaslin, tuba; Akiko Tominaga, piano Centrediscs, 2022 Originally commissioned by tuba maestro John Griffiths in the 1990s, the works composed by Elizabeth Raum and featured on the album Chasing Light & Sound have become staples of the solo tuba repertoire. Since Tom McCaslin was a student of John Griffiths, he is aiming quite high by recording this album. When paired with Akiko Tominaga’s strong piano-playing style, McCaslin’s gentle tuba-playing style tends to get overpowered. He opts to give Tominaga room to express herself, so the busy piano melodies make…

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