Fire and Blood

Chronique

The visual arts have long been a source of inspiration for composers, supplying the basis for numerous works based on paintings. American composer Michael Daugherty has taken his inspiration from not only the paintings of some of the 20th century's most cherished artists, but from the original subject matter, as well. This Warner Classics album features Fire and Blood, his concerto for violin and orchestra that provides a musical representation of Diego Rivera's murals depicting the automobile industry. Daugherty also depicts Georgia O'Keeffe's early New York skyscraper works in Ladder to the Moon, for solo violin, wind octet, bass, and percussion. In both cases, listeners can feel Daugherty's intentions even without knowing the subject matter. The mechanistic characters in Fire and Blood are clear, as are the ascending, high-reaching lines in Ladder to the Moon. Like Daugherty's writing, violinist Alexandre da Costa's playing is highly demonstrative, deftly taking on the roles assigned to the solo voice in both works. He plays with a big, penetrating sound that rises above even the most densely orchestrated sections without ever appearing forced and shrill. The Orchestre Symphonique de Montreal under Pedro Halffter does an admirable job of depicting these decidedly American soundscapes. Warner's sound is a bit quiet and subdued, but otherwise captures orchestra and soloist clearly.

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