Release Date: November 9, 2018
Catalog #: NV6197
Format: Digital & Physical
21st Century
Chamber
Clarinet
Flute
Oboe

Gentle Winds

Chamber Music Of Samuel A. Livingston

Samuel A. Livingston composer

Arcadian Winds
Pedroia String Quartet
Yhasmin Valenzuela clarinet

International folk dances and Western film scores meet in GENTLE WINDS, a richly tonal collection that is as pleasing to hear as it is to perform. With the melodic, songlike phrases that highlight each instrument equally, one can hear the joy emanating from every performer.

Each piece moves through syncopated rhythms that add lift and airiness without feeling contrived. Inspired by international folk dances, where uneven rhythms are a natural element, Livingston’s compositions create a sense of energy as each measure leaps from its final beat to the first beat of the next. Gentle Winds, the title track featuring flute, oboe, clarinet, and horn, opens the album with a pleasant, smooth sound through which one can almost picture meadow-grass gently swaying in a summer breeze. In The Old Man is Dancing, the flute, clarinet, and oboe effortlessly hand the main theme back and forth, as if taking turns on the dance floor. Call to the Mountains reflects the influence of classic Western film scores, with the flute, clarinet, oboe, and bassoon responding to the rich call of the horn. Quiet Summer Night for string quartet and clarinet follows a similar structure to The Old Man is Dancing, passing the melody through the quartet to the second violin and viola — instruments often delegated to less interesting sections. This equal inclusion of each instrument creates a full, rich sound that delightfully carries listeners from the opening moments of a piece all the way to the lingering final notes.

Lyrical, joyful, and lighthearted, GENTLE WINDS is the epitome of feel-good chamber music. Every instrument shares an equal voice, coming together in a performance that is as timeless as it is breathtaking.

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Artist Information

Samuel A. Livingston

Composer

Samuel A. Livingston was born in 1942, and served from 1966-1967 with the U.S. 4th Armored Division Band. Livingston currently resides in New Jersey and plays the clarinet in a community band, traditional jazz groups, and chamber music groups. As a composer, he is entirely self-taught. His recent (21st century) compositions include works for concert band and several chamber pieces, mostly for wind instruments.

Arcadian Winds

Ensemble

Arcadian Winds was founded at Boston University in 1987. Originally a woodwind trio consisting of flute, clarinet, and bassoon, the ensemble expanded to a wind quintet in 1989. Since its formation, Arcadian Winds has premiered almost 50 new works and championed many others. With a strong commitment to education, the group has brought chamber and contemporary music into the public, private and community schools in the Boston Area.