Instrumentaion: Oboe

PAS DE TROIS explores the possibilities of unique instrumental combinations for oboe, violin, viola, and piano within the intimacy of chamber music. The title work, Pas de Trois, is a playful yet challenging neo-romantic work featuring Ned Rorem’s lyrical melodies and a tonal language all his own, blending American boldness with French influence. Hans Gál’s Trio for Oboe, Violin, and Viola, Op. 94 is a lush late-Romantic work and an homage to his beloved adopted home, Scotland. The final piece, Dorothy Howell’s Air, Variations and Finale features exquisite, expressive phrasing and intricate interplay between the three solo instruments.

It’s a rare treat to hear exceptional recordings of double reed ensembles; no trio could know this better than bassoonist Kristin Wolfe Jensen, oboist Andrew Parker, and pianist Collette Valentine, who’ve accomplished a delightful performance on their new release, MARIE DE GRANDVAL’S GRAND TRIO. A popular composer in her day, de Grandval’s works are given a breath of fresh air, handled delicately in a collaboration with remarkable natural blend. Jensen’s warm treatment of the song-like bassoon passages highlights the elegant pizzicato oboe passages serviced by Parker, the fluttering and dramatic musicality in Valentine’s piano playing tying the ensemble together with a bow.

Few instruments are as viscerally associated with the idea of grace and beauty as the harp, and few are as apt to express a sense of yearning as the oboe. So what could possibly capture the feeling of love better than a duo composed of these two instruments? Possibly nothing, as harpist Rita Costanzi and oboist Alex Klein rivetingly demonstrate on AMOROSO, an archetypally romantic album of intimate chamber music. Well-known classics by Debussy, Fauré, Massenet, Rachmaninoff, Piazzolla, and Rodrigo shine in a new light, and two new, fittingly romantic pieces by contemporary composers Michael Cohen and Michael Amorosi perfectly complete this wonderful picture.

TEXTURES IN CLASSICS from renowned pianist and music scholar Sang-Hie Lee explores the rich musical possibilities offered by the piano. To do so, Lee performs works from some of the seminal composers in Western music including Mozart, Beethoven, and Brahms. The album captures Lee’s unique pianism at the height of her maturity as an artist. While contemporary performers often place an outsized emphasis on virtuosic technical skill, Lee’s performances examine the notion of texture in piano music; this ranges from the clean, crisp soundscape of Mozart’s early pianoforte to Beethoven’s exacting technique and lush harmonies. There is little doubt that TEXTURES IN CLASSICS will cement Lee’s legacy as a scholarly-artistic pianist.