CD: The Open Mind

CD of the month March 2019

THE OPEN MIND
Tenor Horn soloist: Anthony Galinier
www.anthonygalinier.com
 
In his latest CD project French tenor horn player, Anthony Galinier, takes the instrument away from the ‘norm’ with a collection of fascinating new arrangements and instrumentations.

The opening track, Concert Fanfare by Eric Ewazen, featuring a tenor horn sextet that includes Bernard Galinier, Jean Daufresne, Helen Varley, Siobhan Bates and Hilde Oian, is performed with poise and attention to detail - the excellent scoring utilising the range of the instruments to great effect. Helen, Siobhan and Hilde remain for Whilhelm Brandt’s quartet Landliche Bilder - a refined work, here excellently balanced and performed.

David Riniker’s arrangement of Dvorak’s Humoreske Opus 101, set for tenor horn, violin, and piano, is delightful in itself, and the interplay between the unusual horn and violin combination is effective, thanks to excellent arranging and execution. Another David Riniker arrangement follows - this time Tchaikovsky’s Melodia Opus 42 ‘Souvenir D’un Lieu Cher’. The success of this instrumentation continues with the flowing romantic lines and dramatic statements weaving between the two soloists to great effect, and the same can be said of Jean-Phillipe Ichard’s attractive Romantic Night.

Rhapsodie, by Alexis Ciesla, introduces clarinet septet as accompaniment to Anthony - a combination that works effectively as the music develops through a variety of styles, including yearning, agitato, and ethereal passages, before a lively dance brings this excellent work to a close. Meanwhile, Thierry Caens’ Danses Exotiques lives up to its name by offering a diverse array of animated styles with a distinctly French flavour, the soloist accompanied by string quintet, piano, percussion and accordion.

For something quite different, Selaouit by Youn Kamm, featuring electronics and singing with the occasional tenor horn instrumental interjection, provides an unusual, yet engaging listening experience. The disc signs off with Anthony’s only ‘nod’ to traditional repertoire - Philip Sparke’s Flowerdale, but with the twist of electronic dance music-style accompaniment, which proves to be tremendous fun, though perhaps not one for the traditionalist!

The disc design is smartly done and it is, therefore, something of a shame that no information is provided about the music, especially given the wonderful variety of styles and instrumentation on show. Notwithstanding this oversight, Open Mind, is an outstandingly creative project, which successfully breaks down the traditional boundaries of what the tenor horn can do with inventive imagination, hallmarked by some very fine playing.
 
THOMAS DUNNE

This review appeared in the March 2019 edition of BBW. For more reviews, articles and news subscribe to BBW Digital, available to read online (annual subscription: £30), or subscribe to BBW's printed magazine delivered by post: £40 (UK); £68 (Europe); £81 (Rest of the World). Alternatively, receive both the Digital and printed editions combined: £55 (UK); £83 (Europe); £96 (rest of the world) - saving 50% on the Digital edition! Click here to subscribe!