Search - Owen Middleton, Gwyneth Walker, Libby Larsen :: Celestials: American Music for Flute and Guitar

Celestials is Exciting, Entertaining and Just Plain Fun

John Dowdall | Cedar Rapids, Iowa USA | 10/12/2003

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Let's cut right to the chase. Buy this disc-you will be glad you did! From the opening notes of the the guitar's bluesy bass line, the repertoire and the performers draw you into a musical experience which is exciting, entertaining and just plain fun. I have given Celestials: American Music For Flute And Guitar multiple listenings and it becomes more enjoyable each time. Flutist, Annette Heim and guitarist, Bret Heim, give strong individual performances throughout Celestials and their ensemble communication and nuance is excellent. The selection of repertoire is particularly inviting. If you are like me, you will be anxious to get the music in front of you and start learning it yourself. Gwyneth Walker, former professor of composition at the Oberlin and Hartford conservatories, contributes two wonderful, multi-movement works called Silvermine Suite and Five Pieces For Flute And Guitar. To my ear, both works draw distinct inspiration from the folk idiom, although the four movement Silvermine Suite, the disc's opening selection, is more overtly folk-influenced. As someone who was drawn to become a musician because of the beautiful clarity and chamber-like nuance of Peter Paul and Mary, the Kingston Trio etc., Walker's compositions are right up my alley. The energetic, swinging opening movement of Silvermine Suite, is followed by a gently syncopated waltz, which would have been a wonderful addition to the soundtrack of Titanic. The movement captures a real sense of Irish folk music and both performers do a wonderful job with style throughout the disc. Silvermine Suite, closes with a jazzy, undulating arrangement of Swing Low Sweet Chariot which is sure to leave you tapping your toe. While each of the movements of Walker's Five Pieces For Flute And Guitar are distinctly different, they each carry elements of folk music in the accompaniment, stylistic approach or melodic conception. Of particular interest is the second movement, Flowing, with its folk-picking accompaniment and melodic reference to I Am a Poor Wayfaring Stranger. The final movement, Quickly, uses guitar glissandi and an innocent, descending flute line to capture the essence of English folk song. Robert Baksa's Celestials, after which the disc is named, is a striking, 5-movement work of exceptional quality, which reminds me of Gustav Holst's The Planets. Each movement strives to capture the character of celestial objects including the Moon, Sun, Rain, Stars, and Wind. Bret Heim's opening introduction offers some of the sweetest guitar playing you'll ever hear and makes the Moon sound like a beautiful place indeed! Annette Heim answers in Star Drops with a gorgeous, shimmering tone which reminds me of why I love the flute. The movements focusing on Rain and Wind each have their own exuberant energy which uncannily draws to mind the appropriate images. Bravo to Mr. Baksa and the performers!Cordillera by Owen Middleton is a very attractive, single movement work; both bold and tender at the same time, featuring a wistful, contemplative melody, supported by a forceful guitar part.Celestials closes with the beautifully-constructed Three Pieces For Treble Wind and Guitar by Libby Larsen, a friend and former classmate of mine at the University of Minnesota. Ms. Larsen's composition is one of great depth and emotional energy. The opening movement, Presto Digital, is driving, jazzy music which relentlessly explores the development of a six note motive. The Heims do a great job of making the piece swing and highlighting the intensity of the melodic development. The middle movement, Circular Rondo, is haunting, like an opium-induced nightmare which shifts between a disorienting, swirling rhythm and a hypnotic waltz. The final movement, Canti Breve, is a serene, beautiful song which resolves the tension and emotional Angst created by the first two movements.In terms of the disc's recording quality, I would have preferred a better balance between flute and guitar. The guitar seems to have been miked quite close, giving it a very crisp, direct sound. The flute, in contrast, has a more distant, reverberant sound quality. The strength of the repertoire and the performances carries the day, however, and makes Celestials a valuable and welcomed addition to the recorded literature for flute and guitar."