Visions and Variations (2018)

Chamber music sometimes seems to have a stronger set of traditions than other genres, and for that reason alone this release by the American small (20-player) orchestra A Far Cry is worth hearing: it's a genuinely innovative release in the chamber genre. The title Visions and Variations suggests the contents well enough: all three of the works involved are variation sets, but only one, the Variations on a Theme by Frank Bridge, is presented as written. The performance of that work by A Far Cry, both lush and precise, serves ... Read More

Chamber music sometimes seems to have a stronger set of traditions than other genres, and for that reason alone this release by the American small (20-player) orchestra A Far Cry is worth hearing: it's a genuinely innovative release in the chamber genre. The title Visions and Variations suggests the contents well enough: all three of the works involved are variation sets, but only one, the Variations on a Theme by Frank Bridge, is presented as written. The performance of that work by A Far Cry, both lush and precise, serves notice of strong ensemble playing throughout. The other two works, though, are modified from their original forms, in one case doubly so, and it is definitely a case where your mileage may vary. Ah, vous dirai-je, Maman: a folktale for 18 players based on characters created by W.A. Mozart (an all-instrumental work) is based on Mozart's 12 Variations for piano on Ah, vous dirai-je, Maman, K. 265, featuring the tune better known in English-speaking lands as Twinkle, Twinkle Little... Read Less