One of the nice things about this job is the ability to go back and discover enjoyable recordings that you might have missed on first release. Here’s one. A friend of mine told me I should hear this disc, and he was right. Eric Ewazen’s (b. 1954) affable, stylish music will appeal to anyone who enjoys, say, Walter Piston, David Diamond, or the American neo-classical school in general. The Classical Concerto for Tenor Saxophone and Orchestra has great verve, and it’s spectacularly well written for (and played by) soloist James Houlik. The Flute Concerto and the Chamber Symphony (a concerto grosso for piano and orchestra in all but name) also abound in sprightly rhythms and distinctive tunes that never sound facile or cheap. For my money, though, the real prize here is the Ballade for Clarinet, Harp, and Strings, as luscious a pastoral interlude as anything from the celebrated English school of Delius or Vaughan Williams (though it sounds like neither). The music’s sheer prettiness is really quite striking, and as with all of the music here it’s beautifully played and recorded. So I can only second my friend’s advice: give Ewazen’s music a shot. You won’t be sorry. [6/29/2004]
