Sonix and Other Tonix

Album review

The music on this album of works by composer Jan Järvlepp is less technologically oriented than the title and the graphics may lead one to believe; the title work Sonix is so called simply because it was originally written for a Mexican ensemble called Ónix. There are no electronic elements; rather, Järvlepp writes in a propulsive neoclassic idiom that may appeal to fans of Michael Daugherty, although the style is dialed back in the direction of traditional tonality. Sprinkled through the music are bits of jazz, rock, and television and film score influence, and the pieces are generally lively and listenable. Hearers should know that the two-movement Trio No. 5 is explicitly intended as a protest against public health measures implemented in Canada during the COVID-19 pandemic, although one would not guess this from listening to the music alone. Probably the strongest work is Shinkansen, an evocation of Japan's famed bullet train written for and performed here by the Nishikawa Ensemble; it falls into the long tradition of train pieces stretching back to Honegger's Pacific 231. The music was recorded in four different times and places as long ago as 2002; it is reasonably well mastered. Those unfamiliar with Järvlepp will welcome this chance to sample his music.

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