CD Review | Tzimtzum (Leaf Music, 2023)

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Leaf Music
5
User Ratings (7 Votes)
3.7

Tzimtzum
Jaap Nico Hamburger, composer and bells; Matt Dupont, harp; Yegor Dyachkov and Juan Sebastian Delgado, cello; Magali Simard-Galdès and Measha Brueggergosman-Lee, soprano; Marie-Andrée Mathieu, alto; Gideon Zelermyer, tenor; William Kraushaar, bass; Ilya Poletaev, Janelle Fung, Michael McMahon, and Philip Chiu, piano; Axel Strauss, violin; Victor Fournelle-Blain, viola; Lara Deutsch, flute; Ensemble ArtChoral; Orchestre classique de Montréal; Ensemble Caprice
Leaf Music, Nov. 17, 2023

“Tzimtzum”: a Hebrew word describing the first step God takes in the process of creation, a contraction of His infinite light into a space ripe for a new realm.

Tzimtzum: an album composed by Jaap Nico Hamburger that contracts an impressive list of featured artists into eight tracks to transport listeners into a magical musical realm.

Hamburger instantly sets a heavenly scene on the titular track, and while this concept might be cliché for an introduction, the execution is anything but. Delgado’s deep cello and Dupont’s low harp glide effortlessly through Ensemble ArtChoral’s enchanting, wordless choral performance, with resonant bells to boot. This is Hamburger’s moment of light, where the beautiful melodic layers begin to form a natural realm. These exclusively optimistic tones cannot exist in perpetuity, however, and soon give way to the sombre, challenging tones of Quartet for Violin, Viola, Violoncello, and Pianoforte, and later Cloches Sourdes (for Two Pianos and Bells) and Souvenirs Fugaces pour piano solo. Without the darkness, anxiety, or uncertainty presented by these tracks, the power of the light is not nearly as meaningful, Hamburger argues. The quartet’s second movement stands out for its compelling combination of Poletaev’s low, staccato piano with Strauss’s frantic violin.

Hundreds of years of rich musical history, timeless compositions and technological advancements are explored in the 11 minutes of the final work, Concerto Antico. This loving send-off reflects on the importance and impact of creation, and Hamburger’s light shines through just as much at the end of the album as at the beginning.