TRIO VERLAINE
Fin de Siècle… the music of Debussy and Ravel
On this thoughtfully constructed recital disc, one of Debussy’s final masterpieces, the Sonata for flute, viola and harp, stands alongside Salzedo’s arrangement of Ravel’s Sonatine, created during Ravel’s lifetime and approved by the composer. Following on in this spirit, Trio Verlaine commissioned Jocelyn Morlock to arrange several gems of the repertoire – Debussy’s Ballade and Ravel’s Tombeau de Couperin and Menuet Antique, both providing a strong link to the French baroque era, so beloved by both composers. The shorter duo works featured on the disc, Debussy’s La Plus que Lent and Beau Soir, and Ravel’s little Prelude for solo harp, allow the individual members of the trio to shine. One can clearly understand why their musicianship and sensitivity have placed them among the top ranks of Canada’s musicians.
DAVID HARDING
Brahms Viola Sonatas
Renowned Canadian violist David Harding joins forces with pianist Phillip Bush in a sensitive and compelling interpretation of Brahms' viola sonatas. These much-loved works represent the pinnacle of the instrument's repertoire and show the composer at his most personal. Also included in this disc is Brahms' rarely heard arrangement of the Horn Trio for violin, viola and piano, with former Montreal Symphony concertmaster Jonathan Crow on violin. This is a sumptuous chamber music disc filled with rich tone colours and depth of feeling. David Harding is " a player of rare ability and finesse." SEATTLE TIMES
KRUTZEN/McGHEE DUO
Canada, New works for flute and harp
“Canada, New Works for flute and harp” is the latest release on the Skylark Music label from the acclaimed Krutzen/McGhee Duo, one of North America's leading ensembles of this instrumental combination. Committed to broadening the repertoire for their instruments, they shine the spotlight here on Canadian talent, including works by renowned composers R. Murray Shafer and Marjan Mozetich, three of the Duo’s own commissions from Owen Underhill, Jocelyn Morlock and Cameron Wilson, a harp solo written for Heidi Krutzen by Marc Armanini and a solo flute work by Milton Barnes. In short, the choice of repertoire is a personal one -- reflecting the composers that have inspired both Heidi and Lorna. The result is a smorgasbord of differing musical styles, a window on Canadian diversity, from the Asian-influenced Pacific Rim to the Celtic music of the Eastern seaboard, from the Arctic Circle to the heart of Ontario.
KRUTZEN/McGHEE DUO
Taheke, 20th Century Masterpieces for flute and harp
This rich recital disc gathers together an eclectic body of work that carries us from Gareth Farr’s musical depiction of New Zealand’s most beautiful waterfalls in Taheke, to the bordellos and café’s of Buenos Aires in Piazzolla’s Histoire du Tango; from the grandeur of Handel’s Prelude and Toccata to the limpid impressionism of Debussy; from the French joie de vivre of Damase to the the Russian romanticism of Schaposhnikov and from the Bartok-like folk influence of Lutoslawski to the dark expressionism of Hendrik Andriessen.