A complete album of original works for English horn is a rare thing, but an album of Canadian works for English horn is almost a miracle. The musical quality of the pieces on the program, and above all the beauty and finesse of the playing of Mélanie Harel, also soloist with Montreal’s Orchestre Métropolitain, are worthy of celebration.
The genesis of Envols is another pandemic story. Confined to her home, Mélanie Harel wanted to delve into the English horn repertoire, in order to broaden her horizons and, of course, stay in shape! It was the Canadian repertoire that caught her attention, and the result was ten works either for solo English horn, or with piano, with tape or with percussion and tape. From Ian McDougall to Brian Cherney, from Tawnie Olson to François-Hugues Leclair and others, Mélanie Harel first deploys a full, beautifully mellow sound, as this instrument demands. Her easy technique makes it easy to understand the musical discourse of the various creators represented. But above all, she reveals an affinity for consonance and melancholy throughout the program. None of the pieces is overtly difficult to approach. On the contrary, and like an undulating Ariadne’s thread running through the whole album, the elegance and pleasant delicacy of the melodic curves that define most of the works make listening to the sixty-odd minutes of Envols a moment of soothing meditation. Only the 3rd movement of Christopher Tyler Nickel’s Sonata will stir you a little on the couch, while Emily Doolittle’s Social sounds from whales at night will plunge you into a strange aquatic world of glissandos and fleeting cetacean echoes.
The recording is to the performers’ advantage, rich and velvety.
This is a very attractive and important release for Canadian music.
