River of light

Album review

Violinist Tim Fain and pianist Pei-Yao Wang present an appealing recital of short American compositions on this 2011 Naxos release and give a fairly representative selection of contemporary chamber works by prominent and rising composers. Certainly the best-known pieces are "Knee Play 2," a perpetuum mobile for solo violin from Philip Glass' minimalist opera Einstein on the Beach (1976), and William Bolcom's engaging Graceful Ghost Rag (1979), both well on their way to being classics. Aaron Jay Kernis, Richard Danielpour, and Jennifer Higdon are familiar names of the postmodernist generation of American composers, and their respective works, Air (1995), River of Light (2007), and Legacy (1999), show a strong propensity for long-breathed melodies, which is also shared by Kevin Puts in his Aria (200) and Lev Zhurbin in his Sicilienne (2000). The dominant tone of the program is therefore one of calm reflection and neo-Romantic lyricism, and even though Ruth Shaw Wylie's Wistful Piece (1953) is a bit spicier in its modernist harmonies, it also conveys a gentle, introspective mood. The most balanced piece is Patrick Zimmerli's The Light Guitar (2006), which goes through contrasting expressions in the manner of a sonata, and the solo violin is given a variety of textures and techniques, which add interest. Naxos provides its customary fine sound, and the performances are attractively enhanced by responsive acoustics.
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