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Unsung Praise - On Philippe Boesmans

Kris De Ruysscher | Brussels, Belgium | 05/04/2001

(4 out of 5 stars)

"It's odd how people like to pigeonhole others. It confirms their first impressions and gives them the luxury to never again question these opinions. Philippe Boesmans, Belgian XXIst century composer. Honestly, are there any composers in Belgium at all? Yes, even more, Boesmans probably is the most gifted opera composer in the whole of Europe. POLEMIC!!! This CD shows us how far a composer can go in renewing form and substance of string quartets: the second was created in 1995 at the Brussels Ars Musica Festival of contemporary music. One hears linear writing at its most floating with an occasional modal twist, yet underneath the soothing waves lies a solid structure rhythm and even harmony. And this precisely can describe Boesmans' music: it's kind of deceptively -easily- audible, not unlike Mozart or Alban Berg write. The Shakespeare songs sung by Dale Duesing [another La Monnaie/De Munt, i.e. The Brussels Opera House, habitue] can be considered as studies for the opera Wintermaerchen, created in December 1999 in Brussels and so far already staged in Paris, Lyon and Stuttgart. Boesmans' vocal writing is dramatically sumptuously lyrical and be it said, his style is his own. For people searching an original composer at the hight of his powers."