Used Bin Troll Tweets VVV.

Ethelbert Nevin

[May 2025.]

“Chamber Music for Wind & Piano.” Malcolm WILLIAMSON: Gallery (1966)¹; Pas de quatre (1967)²; Vocalise in G major (1985)³; A Year of Birds: December (1995)⁴; Vocalise in G minor (1973)⁵; Trio for Clarinet, Cello and Piano (1958)⁶; Pietà (1973)⁷; Music For Solo Horn (1947)⁸; Concerto Fragment (1966)⁹; Concerto for Wind Quintet and Two Pianos (Eight Hands) (1966)¹⁰. Sally Lundgren⁷ (m-sop), Sarah O’Flynn^2,10 (fl), Melanie Ragge^2,7,10 (ob), Neyire Ashworth^2,3,4,5,6,10 (clar), Meyrick Alexander^2,7,10 (bsn), Roger Montgomery^8,10 (hn), Simon Tong¹, Laura Garwin¹, Richard Knights¹, Thomas Hewitt¹, Samuel Ewens¹, David Carnac¹ (tpt), Jon French¹ (perc), Joely Koos (vlc)⁶, Antony Gray^{1,2,3,4,5,6,7,9,10}, Joe Howson^1,9,10, Iain Clarke^9,10, Hamish Brown^9,10 (pno), Matt Scott Rogers^1,10 (cond.). Divine Art DDX 21120 (1 CD) (www.divineartrecords.com).

Prolific but waning, Williamson’s a dissonant Poulenc with an attitude. Some startling instrumental combinations (Gallery, Concerto). MAYBE.

MOLÉCULE (aka Romain DE LA HAYE-SERAFINI): Symphonie No. 1, “Quantique” (2023; arr. Sinan ASIYAN). Orchestre National de Lille, Alexandre Bloch (cond.). Alpha 1082 (1 CD) (www.outhere-music.com).

DJ samples orchestra, builds collage. Another transcribes. Lucky musicians play. Listener tolerates, speculates who made devilish pact. NO.

J.S. BACH: The Art of Fugue, BWV 1080 (1749). Phantasm: Laurence Dreyfus, Emilia Benjamin, Jonathan Manson, Markku Luolajan-Mikkola (viol), Daniel Hyde (org). Linn Records CKD759 (1 CD) (www.outhere-music.com).

Might Walt have approved? Bach’s ultimate statement achieved with elegant simplicity. The contrapuncti given on viols, canons on organ. YES.

“The Space Between Us.” Jacob TER VELDHUIS: Jesus is Coming (2003). David BIEDENBENDER: Refraction (2015). Rob DEEMER: Gallimaufry (2015). Gregory WANAMAKER: The Space Between Us (2015). John STEINMETZ: Sorrow & Celebration for Reed Quintet & Audience (2015). Akropolis Reed Quintet: Tim Gocklin (ob), Matt Landry (sax), Ryan Reynolds (bsn), Andrew Koeppe (b-clar), Kari Landry (clar). Innova 969 (1 CD) (www.innova.mu).

A blistering collection for a well-blended ensemble: The first work adds tape, the concluding item slows the pace, adding its audience. YES.

“Three Curious Loves.” Isidora ŽEBELJAN: Concerto for Violin and Orchestra, “Three Curious Loves” (2017/19)¹; Sarabande (2001/13)²; Hum Away, Strings! (2014)³; Dark Velvet (2005)⁴; Polomka Quartet (2009/11)⁵; Intimate Letter from Judean Desert (2018)⁶; Song of a Traveller in the Night (2003)⁷; The Cherry Orchard (2000/21)⁸; Andrey’s Violin (2006)⁹. Daniel Rowland^1,2,3,9 (vln), Maja Bogdanović² (vlc), Arethusa Quartet^4,5,6,7,8: Daniel Rowland, Floor Le Coultre (vln), Dana Zemtsov (vla), Maja Bogdanović (vlc), Nino Gvetadze^2,8,9, Anna Fedorova³ (pno), Aleksandar Tasić⁷ (clar), Žebeljan Orchestra¹, David Cohen¹ (cond.). Challenge Classics CC72993 (1 CD) (www.challengerecords.com).

A varied portrait: The bold string quartet Polomka and the eclectic clarinet quartet, Song of a Traveller, jump out for their rigor. MAYBE.

“Clavichords Harpsichords.” Makiko NISHIKAZE: clavics-more (2018-20); carta marina more  (2018-20). Coviello Classics COV 92114 (1 CD) (www.covielloclassics.de).

Multitracked plucked keyboards, scrambled and shuffled. Nothing to see here. Sounds exactly as you’d expect. Perhaps a few decades late. NO.