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4.5
James Oswald : Airs for the Seasons
Rezonance Baroque Ensemble
Leaf Music, 2023
The new CD by the Toronto-based Rezonance Baroque Ensemble features Airs for the Seasons by Scottish composer James Oswald (1710-1769).
The work in its entirety consists of two sets for a total of 96 sonatas in various movements (two to four). Each of the songs bears the name of a flower or shrub typical of that season, an extremely creative and rigorous idea.
The structure of the work proposed in the disc (Spring, Summer, Autumn and Winter) allows us to appreciate the succession of atmospheres and moods within the same season, as well as the transition from one season to another.
The atmosphere of this work is undoubtedly Vivaldian, not only in the title but also in the conception of dynamics and phrasing, which the Rezonance ensemble conducts with musicality and a certain energy.
The group shows a tasteful sound and good understanding between the various members, and succeeds in transmitting sometimes the excitement, sometimes the melancholy that the different movements propose. Sometimes the two feelings coexist in the same song, as in the case of Snow drop, an aria contained in Winter, extremely dynamic and dark at the same time. A very interesting choice of repertoire.
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