A new recital disc entitled Being Golden comes from well-known Canadian musicians: Suzanne Shulman on flute and Erica Goodman on harp.
In an intriguing fusion of musical styles, the programme nestles a unique new work from Toronto-based Scottish composer Eric Robertson in the midst of a diverse recital of music from France.
Robertson's 25-minute suite in eight movements, The Rings, creates a series of musical impressions of the role and meanings of wedding rings at different stages of a relationship. It was commissioned by Shulman to commemorate her golden wedding anniversary. It can also be taken as a landmark to celebrate the upcoming fiftieth anniversary of Shulman's and Goodman's artistic collaboration.
For inspiration, Robertson turned to poet Gary Dault, a frequent collaborator. Dault wrote a series of brief but thought-provoking poems which became the source and framework of the composition. The poems are included in the leaflet accompanying the CD, along with Robertson's notes about the various movements.
Not surprisingly for a Scot, the rhythms and melodic turns of Scottish folk music crop up in numerous spots in Robertson's music. It's certainly not the first time that I've realized the aptness of the flute-harp combination for this musical style. The "Scottishness" is most overt in the opening movement, Flame (A Sultry Strathspey), replete with traditional "Scotch snap" rhythms. Another classic moment comes in the sixth movement, Seasons (Ae Fond Kiss), with the use of the traditional Scottish melody to which Burns set his well-loved song.
Mind you, The Rings is certainly neither all Scottish nor all folk-based. Robertson's music keeps ranging in and out of many and diverse sound worlds. The third movement, Coming Around, incorporates the "Scotch snap" again, in the context of a kind of passacaglia in which the harmonies, while remaining mainly diatonic, keep turning in the most unexpected and magical directions. The seventh movement launches into an exuberant outburst of dancing Handelian energy.
In the final movement, A Geometry of Love (Bells), Robertson works with the traditional art known as "ringing the changes" on a chime of six bells, and the resulting and varied bell peals permeate the first and last parts of the movement, shared between both instruments and highlighted by the contrasting calmer central section in which the slower bell tones in the harp accompany a lyrical melody in the flute.
Although this is a studio recording, the love and emotional commitment of the artists for this beautiful new score comes through loud and clear in every movement of the work. With its blend of apparent simplicity and great subtlety, Shulman's and Goodman's performance of The Rings will give much pleasure through repeated listening.
This is equally true of the diverse selections of French music surrounding the main offering. The disc opens with the lively and upbeat Swing No. 1 by Jacques Bondon, an aptly vigorous curtain raiser.
Cinque piccoli duetti by Jean Françaix showcase the witty, occasionally ironic, manner for which this composer is well-known. Just look at the bilingual title!
La plus que lente by Debussy is a good example of this composer at his most poetic.
The concluding group after The Rings is given over to music by Maurice Ravel: the Pièce en forme de Habanera, the famous and well-loved Pavane pour une infante défunte, and the less-frequent but intriguing Deux mélodies hébraïques.
Being Golden is one of the most engaging (pun intended) and delightful new recordings which has come my way in many a moon. Shulman and Goodman give involving performances in all the varied styles of music in this recital. Throughout the programme, the fluid tones of the flute and harp are clearly captured, set against the warm acoustic of the historic St. Mark's Church in Niagara-on-the-Lake to magical effect.
This new release can be purchased, either as a download or in the limited-edition compact disc, at this link:
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