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

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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 they look to for inspiration. The intertwining of music and art creates an evocative experience for the listener. The music itself is colourful, conveying impressionist landscapes and scenery.

The opening piece by Christine Donkin is titled “Moonlight in Canada.” The arpeggios and minor tonality throughout the piece clearly depict moonlit scenes. While the accompanying painting is small in size, Donkin and Rush do not let this limit them musically. The small melismatic rhythmic gestures that open the piece mimic light, while the chord structure remains rooted in the darker colours.

Dale Kavanagh’s “Reflections on Afterglow” is another highlight. The music’s rhythm and line, which are both ascending and descending, create a sense of movement that contrasts against the inspiration painting’s depiction of a rather flat, icy seascape. Despite the calming, lullaby-like air to the piece, cleverly employed dissonances and extended techniques lend a unique sound to the whole of the work. This furthers the sense of dreamscape which runs throughout the whole CD. While the album is unique in concept, and perhaps personal and close to Rush’s own life, the album’s overarching themes of landscape and artistry work to create a universally beautiful collection.

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