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Secret City Records3.5
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 when Stréliski plays notes more emphatically. Initially, this adds impact to the frequent pauses, and calls to mind the idea of the dramatic romantic musicians, inserting themselves into the performance. One last dance makes good use of this effect, as it contributes to a cacophony of sounds and mounting tension.
It becomes distracting, though, in In the air, and downright overwhelming in BORDERS and The Breach. This second work also emphasizes how muted the piano sounds, with notes failing to resonate properly as a result of how hard they’re being struck. Only the infrequent string instruments provide listeners with satisfyingly unmuted notes. Where romantic music is meant to elicit strong emotions, Stréliski’s neo-romantic music might draw attention to the ways the music is emotional in the first place. Intriguing as a concept, its practical application is not consistently enjoyable.
This page is also available in / Cette page est également disponible en:
Francais (French)
