There are some albums that seem to bear the mark of a higher level of execution and creative importance. Such is the case with this latest opus from Montreal’s masterful Quatuor Bozzini, accompanied here by Toronto’s six-handed (yes, six!) piano ensemble JunctQin (pronounced Junction). You might say that this is often the case with the Bozzinis. Of course it is. But let’s focus on this exceptional proposal, built around the performance of two Canadian works: Rebecca Bruton’s The Faerie Ribbon and Jason Doell’s to carry dust & breaks through the body.
While both pieces are experimental in every respect, they are nonetheless soft and hushed. The more accessible of the two is by Calgary composer Rebecca Bruton. She invites us into her glittering universe with pointillist gestures that light up the space in a pleasing way. In addition to the six-hand piano and strings, the performers are asked to sing softly here and there. The result is a work of great beauty, certainly contemporary, but accessible thanks to an oscillating ‘tonal centrality’ that is inspiring rather than directive. The work’s discursive syntax is divided into easily identifiable textural episodes: it begins in voluble abundance, then moves on to a mechanical, monotonous monologue before a kind of synthesis of the two, in a charged counterpoint whose recitation in repetitive formulas recalls Morton Feldman. But the main thing to remember is the haunting, sophisticated beauty of The Faerie Ribbon. The remarkable contrasts of texture, performing touch and resonance imposed on the performers are fully mastered by the seven musicians, particularly the Bozzinis, who have to redouble their efforts to convey all the almost ultrasonic nuances of the score.
The Composer’s Kitchen series by the Bozzini Quartet :
Second (and only other) piece on the programme: to carry dust & breaks through the body, without capital letter, by Toronto-based Jason Doell. I’ll come back to Feldman again for the comparison, this time more forcefully. Tempered piano chords are laid over repetitive descending glissandi. The difference with the well-known American composer is that Doell makes his string chords flow very subtly through microtonal interstices. This creates a very finely perceptible impression of strangeness and instability that makes you wonder whether it’s the strings that are out of tune, or the piano! It’s brilliant and, once again, strangely seductive.
The meticulousness of the interpretation is excellent and the Bozzinis, with their friends from JunctQin, perform small miracles of sweetness and infinitesimal clarity.
Not to be missed under any circumstances if you love the best of today’s music.
