Sheer Loveliness

A new Naxos CD release has me straining for superlatives to describe it.  Titled "French Flute Chamber Music," it presents a bit more than one hour of pieces for a chamber ensemble comprising flute, harp, and three string players.  They go collectively as Mirage Quintet, but I'm uncertain whether this is an ad hoc ensemble put together for this recording or a group of soloists who regularly come together for chamber music.  Some of the individual names are familiar, especially flute player Robert Aitken, who has made many solo recordings, and violinist Jacques Israelivitch.  The other musicians are harpist Erica Goodman, who has made her own recordings, violist Teng Li from the Toronto Symphony Orchestra, And cellist Winona Zelenka, who is also temporarily affiliated with the Toronto SO as Acting Principal.

The program is eclectic but all of a piece - that is, all the French composers here write in a style similar enough that sitting through the entire disc without a break is not recommended.  This music does best if the disc is heard in stages.  But each piece on its own is stunningly beautiful, and there is at least one composer discovery - Marcel Tournier, of whom I had not previously heard, and whose Suite leads off the disc with style.  The other, more familiar, names are Florent Schmitt, Gabriel Pierne, Jean Francaix, and Albert Roussel.  Maybe not household words among more casual classical music fans, but reasonably well known to the more dedicated listeners.  And each is represented by an excellently made, beautifully arranged piece.  This sounds like it will be compulsive listening for me.  Great for the iPod!

PS - Another Naxos recently heard for the first time, and another composer discovery, is a disc by Dmitry Yablonsky and the Russian Philharmonic Orchestra in the label's Japanese Music series, the first Symphony and two shorter pieces by Komei Abe (1911-2006).  I'll make no claims that this is really deep, philosophical music.  Rather, it is pure entertainment, beautifully orchestrated with listener-friendly harmonies and catchy melodies.  I think it would go over big on a Boston Pops concert program.  The Japanese Music series has been full of discoveries -- where have all these talented composers been hiding the past century? -- and this is definitely one of them.