Volume 31 Issue 2 - November & December 2025

DISCOVERIES | RECORDINGS

DISCOVERIES | RECORDINGS REVIEWEDDAVID OLDSDAVID OLDSAs I write this my street is adorned with ornamental lights,pumpkins, goblins, skeletons and gravestones in advance ofHallowe’en, so perhaps it is fitting that I begin my column witha work based on ghost stories. Alice Ping Yee Ho is one of Canada’smost prolific composers, and surely one of the most recorded, with adiscography encompassing 13 CDs devoted to her songs and solo pianoworks, electronic dance scores, chamber music, orchestral pieces andseveral operas. There are also some two dozen compilations thatinclude her compositions.A recent case in point is Alice PingYee Ho – Dark Tales, the latest from DuoConcertante (Navona Records navonarecords.com/catalog/nv6748),an evocativefive-movement work inspired by TomDawe’s story collection An Old Man’s WinterNight. Each movement channels a ghoststory rooted in Newfoundland folklore. TheNewfoundland-based duo of violinist NancyDahn and pianist Timothy Steeves whocommissioned the work is in top form here, giving each movement adistinctive colour.From the brash opening of the title work, through the eerieLandwash Spirits telling of shipwrecks and ghosts at sea, Sheba, inwhich the narrator is saved by the dog he had previously had to putdown, the hauntingly beautiful Woman in the White Dress, to theconcluding House in the Drook which tells of the misfortunes thatbefall a house built upon a “fairy ring,” the hour-long cycle captivatesour imaginations.Originally premiered in an immersive performance with threedimensionalprojections, the audio CD captures the intensity andmystery of Ho’s vision, bristling with the enchantment of thespirit world.Although not eerie in the same way, FiveScenes for Orchestra by Azores- andNew York City-based Canadian composerNathan Henninger (rich records nathanhenninger.com/music)is equally dramatic.The recording features the Scoring BerlinOrchestra, session musicians drawn fromBerlin’s most prestigious orchestras, withconducting duties shared by the composerand Bernhard Wünsch. Although we are not given clues to a specificstory line from the movement titles – Misterioso, Maestoso, Brightly,Misterioso and Gently – if you close your eyes you can likely invent ascenario to go with the lushly orchestrated sounds.The 20-minute suite is introduced with a brief prelude entitledHorn (Henninger’s own instrument), setting the stage for the adventureto come. I’ll let the composer’s descriptions give you a senseof the drama that ensues: Scene 1 – a primordial or primitive spaceout of which emerges the principal melody in the flute; Scene 2 –opens eerily and develops the material in a spirited way; Scene 3 – adiatonic space… drawing to a serene orchestral glow; Scene 4 – a moredramatic, cinematic and dissonant exploration… as we encounterdarker elements; Scene 5 – shimmers as the celesta softly chimes[and] the horn and flute share a poignant dialogue [before returning]to the romantic theme in full bloom.Toronto-born Henninger is a composer and conductor of music forfilm, TV and the concert stage, all of which is reflected in this impressiveorchestral debut recording.Another debut recording, Shades ofMouring, features Israeli-born, New YorkCity-based cellist and composer Tamar Sagiv(Sono Luminus SLE-70041 sonoluminus.com/sonoluminus/shades-of-mourning).In the notes Sagiv says “I am writing thesewords while the Middle East, my place ofbirth, is bleeding. Like me, my friends,family, and neighbours who live on the otherside of fences built to divide us carry excruciating pain that flows deepas the wars continue.”The title work and the following Roots include a plaintive voice –presumably Sagiv’s – rising above the solo cello line in a haunting,evocative melody interrupted at times by yelps and brutal outburstsfrom the cello. Intermezzo is a brief, peaceful meditation forcello quartet in remembrance of her grandmother, with all linesplayed by Sagiv.For the next four pieces Sagiv is joined by Leerone Hakami, violinand Ella Bukszpan viola. The first and fourth – And Maybe You NeverUsed to Be and Imaginary World – show the influence of Philip Glass,in particular his Mishima Quartet in the latter. My Clouds of Griefcaptures the heaviness that follows mourners when “colors drain fromthe world around you” and The End of Times in which Sagiv grapples“with uncertainty. Will we find relief in our final movements, or willpain be our lasting legacy?”Inspired by Chet Baker’s Almost Blue the final two tracks – a solocello work and cello quintet, again with all parts played by Sagiv –maintain the overall sense of grief, but Sagiv says “I wanted to end thisalbum not in sorrow, but with the same quiet hope that music hasalways given me. The possibility that even after profound loss, we canstill move forward. Together.” Let’s hope she’s right.There are some minimalist aspects toDavid Occhipinti’s Camera Lucida (elasticrecords davidocchipinti.bandcamp.com/album/camera-lucida-elastic-recordings),a collection of chamber works thatbrings to my mind the music of the lateMichael J. Baker, longtime artistic director ofToronto’s Arraymusic ensemble. The CameraEnsemble comprises some fine Toronto jazzplayers – Occhipinti on guitar, Michael Davidson, vibes and marimba,Dan Fortin contrabass, Aline Homzy violin and Virginia MacDonaldclarinet – with special guests from the classical world on selectedtracks: Max Christie on clarinet and bass clarinet, Fraser Jacksonbassoon and Andy Ballantyne piccolo.Well-known in the jazz world for his electric guitar work with MikeMurley, Lorne Lofsky, Terry Clarke and others, this is not Occhipinti’sfirst foray into chamber music – a previous recording with the CameraEnsemble dates from in 2012. This current project combines composedworks with his guitar improvisations, and in the case of Southwarka group improv. Occhipinti says “I don’t think of music as havingborders or labels. I like pictures of the earth that are taken from themoon, or from space, where we see a big planet with no borderlines ofthe countries. […] I think of music as a whole thing, and we can takeelements that have influenced us to create our own musical world.”Camera Lucida is a successful blending of a number of styles, notquite fitting into prescribed categories. Of particular note is themarimba-centric Promised Kiss, with exhilarating solos from violinand guitar. Although there is no rhythm section per se, there is no lack40 | November & December 2025 thewholenote.com

of rhythm in these often boisterous tracks. One notable exception isthe quirky Playtime, an ethereal sound design piece utilizing windsounds from clarinet, vibraphone and glockenspiel, radio sounds andwhistling. But my favourite is Octavia where Jackson’s dancingbassoon is given free reign.And this just in… As the deadline for filingmy column fast approaches I have justreceived a disc that is inspiring a nostalgicromp down memory lane. Art Decade(Cantaloupe Music contaqtnewmusic.bandcamp.com/album/art-decade)comprisingsome fabulous music from the time I spentat CKLN-FM in the late ‘80s, is a wonderfulrevisioning by Evan Ziporan and Toronto’sContaQt (formerly Contact). Compositionsby Robert Fripp, Harold Budd, Brian Eno and David Bowie are featuredin stunning arrangements by Ziporan and/or ContaQt founder JerryPergolesi.Ziporan’s clarinet and bass clarinet are integral parts of the mix,with ContaQt members Allison Wiebe (piano, Rhodes, organ),Andrew Noseworthy (electric guitar and electric bass), Pergolesi(drums, percussion, trumpet), Mary-Katherine Finch (cello) andSarah Fraser Raff (violin) all contributing to the sometimes gentleambience and sometimes overpowering wall-of-sound. Fripp’s Redand Larks’ Tongues in Aspic Part Two best fit this latter description,guitarist Joao Carvalho adding to the forces on the former and electricbassist Alex Kotyk supporting the bottom end in both. There isan astounding energy here, and that’s not just my opinion – KingCrimson composer and guitarist Fripp calls Larks’ Tongues In Aspic,Part Two “a triumph,” and describes Pergolesi and Ziporan’s versionof Red as having “a wonderful manic quality that many of those whocover Red fail to get. By the end, all is good. The world may or may notbe in a better place, but it feels like it is.”These head-bangers are contrasted beautifully by Not YetRemembered (Budd/Eno), Sense of Doubt (Bowie), and Moss Gardenand Neuköln (Bowie/Eno) with their calming and melodious textures.The disc is brought to a gently scintillating conclusion with Fripp andEno’s Evening Star in an arrangement by Ziporan and Andrew Keelingwith guitarist Rob MacDonald added to the ensemble. All in all, this isa surprising and satisfying disc. Thanks for the memories!We invite submissions. CDs and DVDs should be sent to:DISCoveries, The WholeNote c/o Music Alive, 192 SpadinaAve, Toronto, ON M5T 2C2*. Comments and digital releasesare welcome at discoveries@thewholenote.com.*Please note new mailing address.What we're listening to this month:STRINGSATTACHEDI’m not always sold on how artists describethe genesis of their CDs – violinistNancy Zhou, for example, describesher new release STORIES (re)TRACEDas a personal response to the question“What does it mean to be human?” – butwhen it results in a recital as stunning asthis, who really cares? (Orchid ClassicsORC100379 orchidclassics.com/releases/orc100379-stories-retraced).Zhou has a strong, clear tone and virtuosity to spare, but alwayswith a striking musicality and interpretative power. Works by twocomposers who were close friends open and close the disc: Ysaÿe’sSonata No.4 in E Minor, Op.27 No.4, which was dedicated to FritzKreisler, and the latter’s Recitativo & Scherzo-Caprice, Op.6, bothsuperbly played. The Bartók Sonata for Solo Violin, Sz.117 and Bach’sPartita No.1 in B Minor, BWV1002 form the middle section, the Bartókin particular a towering and memorable performance.It’s a really outstanding CD, with the remarkable Zhou at timessounding anything but human.On Another Night – A Celebration of SvendAsmussen the Danish violinist NiklasWalentin and the Snorre Kirk Trio ofdrummer Kirk, pianist Calle Brickman andbassist Anders Fjelsted present “a heartfelttribute” to Svend Asmussen, one ofDenmark’s greatest jazz violinists whodied in 2017 aged 100 (Orchid ClassicsORC100320 orchidclassics.com/releases/orc100320-another-june-night).There’s a deep personal connection here: the 10-year-old Walentinmet the 90-year-old Asmussen back-stage after a concert, with thetwo violinists later sharing a unique friendship. Asmussen giftedthewholenote.com/listeningTERRY ROBBINSGame of CouplesOmar DanielWorks that were written over the lasttwenty years for the composer’s wifeErika Raum, performed with some ofher most cherished colleagues.Dark TalesDuo Concertante: Nancy Dahn, violinand Timothy Steeves, pianoPerformed by Duo Concertante, DARKTALES, is Alice Ping Yee Ho’s evocativeand powerful five-movement workis inspired ghost stories rooted inNewfoundland folklore.Art DecadeEvan Ziporyn & ContaQtComposer, producer, arranger,and multi-instrumentalist EvanZiporyn and Toronto's renownedContaQt ensemble celebrate "artrock" icons David Bowie, Brian Eno,and Robert Fripp.The almond tree duosMelia Watras18 pieces for violin and viola, withthe title referencing the symbolof hope, forgiveness and newbeginnings in Oscar Wilde’s "TheCanterville Ghost."thewholenote.com November & December 2025 | 41