Eclecticism

Description

Product Description Beethoven, Seven Variations on the Theme "Bei Männern, welche Liebe Fühlen" from Mozart's Magic Flute; Ravel, Pavane pour une infante défunte (arr. For English horn and piano); Richard Lane, Introduction and Allegro; Patricia Morehead, Elegy; Rolf Rudin, Rezitativ und Arie; Jeffrey Rathbun, Suite for Oboe and English Horn; John Steinmetz, Suite from an Imaginary Opera. Vicki Ray, Piano; Rebecca Henderson, Oboe. Review From start to finish, the program is imaginative and impressive, but, most important, her playing is exemplary and enjoyable. Few come close to the sound, tone, control and technique that she has on the English horn --American Record Guide, Nov/Dec 2011Solo recordings for the English horn are about as common as hockey players with front teeth. It goes without saying, they should be a lot more common (English horn recordings) since, as all right-thinking music-lovers know, it's easily the most beautiful of all musical instruments. Carolyn Hove, solo English horn of the Los Angeles Philharmonic, is probably the greatest English hornist in the world today. (That, incidentally, is the considered and - by definition - authoritative opinion of Nicholas Daniel, who many consider the world's finest oboist.) Not only is her tone as large, liquid, and sensuous as they come, but she plays with a finesse, agility, and all-encompassing musical intelligence that make her one of the most completely satisfying musicians of our time. From the Beethoven Variations on Bei Männern, Welche Liebe Fühlen from Mozar's The Magic Flute - and after hearing this arrangement, you probably won't want to bother with the original cello version again - to the more recent works that were actually written for the English horn, Hove's third album for Crystal is another textbook example of how this difficult instrument can and should be played, but rarely, if ever, is. The two big works - Jeffrey Rathbun's Suite for Oboe and English horn and John Steinmetz's Suite from an Imaginary Opera - are obviously important additions to the instrument's scant solo repertoire; what a pity there was neither space (nor money) to include the wonderful English horn concerto written for her by William Kraft. In short, to hear this instrument played as really no one else plays it these days, look no further than here. --Jim Svejda, Classical KUSC Members GuideThe entire CD shows both tasteful artistry and outstanding technical skill and is an excellent example of superb English horn playing. --The Instrumentalist, Oct. 2011