Title: Barry Dog Wherever You Are
What is it? Poem
Technical Quality: Average
Innovative Quality: Nothing new in style here.
Review: Straigthforward poem with four lines to the verse and 27 verses is the sentimental remembrance of a favorite coon dog named Barry by Jack Winters Hamilton. The unrhymed verse has 4 beats to the first and 3rd lines, with 3 for the 2nd and fourth. Barry, a favorite coondog, gets old and misses a big hunt, his place taken by the younger pups. Two days later he wanders off and dies. The poem is not great poetry but it is heartfelt and honest. And any reader can sense the love between man and dog that gives the poem it ring of truth.
Sample verses:
So sleep the long sleep partner
Your body got weak and old
But your memory will live forever
Your story told and retold
The campfires will be lonely
The hunt won't be the same
Your every effort was for me Barry
So thanks I'll remember your name
Contact Info:
Jack Winters Hamilton
www.coondawgs.com
Overall Grade: 3.3
Title: Chamberworks b>What is it? CD of compositions by Brian Clement-Foreman, peformed by assorted musicians.
Technical Quality: High all around. Nice cover art featuring a photo of the artist over sheet music of his work, extensive liner notes on each work and each performer - even noting who built the guitars that were used; and, fine performances by all the artists.
Innovative Quality: Above average. Most notable is the idea of a composer's CD with all performances by other musicians.
Review: Dallas composer in the classical vein, Brian Clement- Foreman, has assembled performances of his compositions by a group of first rate players. Let's look at the pieces:
'Euterpe' for piano and guitar, was commissioned by Marla Urrea, piano, and Carlo Pezzimenti, guitar. The piano begins the piece then the music shifts to guitar as it repeats the last passage by the piano, and ends with both playing. The music is impressionistic with reserve and coolness to it. But it also has that sparkling feel to it like some of Ravel's works. And somehow it all seems more relaxed than those European composers. Perhaps this comes from his Louisiana background. The guitar has the most playful parts of the two. The performance builds nicely to a rousing finale.
'Thorntree (suite for guitar). Solo guitar here by Pezzimenti again. 'Cantilene' jump starts the suite. 'Meditation' is a melodic and touching piece that takes its time with a wonderful one note ending. 'Dance' is a bit jazzy and more upbeat. 'Aria' meanders like an improvisation. 'Badinage' ends the suite with quick point and counterpoint.
'Les Chenes Jumeaux (The Twin Oaks, for Soprano and Piano) is an art song sung by soprano Lucy Tamez Creech, with Marta Urrea on piano. It tells the story of a childhood impression on a Lousiana farm. "What beauty sprang forth from them/ and what unending splendor they presented/to the imagination, and the inspiration of this dear child!/ The twin oaks." The melody has an oriental tinge to it, the lyrics are clear and poetic, and the voice is strong and expressive. 'Six Preludes for Guitar'- Carlo Pezzimenti.
Prelude #1 (Soliloquy) is a melancholy piece.
#2 methodical. #3 wistful and reflective. #4 March-like.
#5 relaxed and serene. #6 The most dynamic and stormy
of the lot.
'Divertissment for Oboe, Violoncello and Piano'.
Oboe Cecille Lagarenne, Violoncello, Jim Higgins,
piano, Marta Urrea. This piece is more strident than the
guitar work and reminds me of the cool methodical
approach of the French master Poulenc - precise, aloof,
and somewhat mournful, though it relaxes nicely towards
the end.
Overall all performances were first rate, concert- hall quality, with music that is gemlike, sophisticated, cool and: more splarkling than emotional more wistful than aggressive, more impressionistic than direct. I think he excels in guitar work, and has created a notable achievement for this or any year. I'll end with this quote from the back cover, "Let us begin to tell of the Muses, singing with blended voices of the things that are and will be and were before this." Hesiod (8th Century B.C.)
Contact Info: Brian Clement-Foreman
Overall Grade: 6.1 Grading system: 9-10 Highest grade - Life's work of a master (ex. Collected plays of Shakespeare, collected symphonies of Beethoven) 8-9 Single best work of a celebrated master's career. 7-8. Best work of an era or genre or decade. 6-7 Best work of the year. 5-6 Very good. 4-5 More good than bad. 3-4 Average amount of good = amount of bad. 2-3 Mostly bad with some redeeming parts. 1-2 Nothing redeemable. 0-1 So bad it is offensively bad and outrages the reviewere for taking up that time in his life - just awful.
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Tom Hendricks tomhendricks474@cs.com
http://musea.us
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