Taub makes the Edge an alluring place to explore. A beautiful errie-ness, as the listener takes a musical travelogue through through the works of composers from the different former Soviet republics. It is engaging, experimental, magical, and exotic.
Paul Taub is the pacific Northwest’s premiere flutist and founder of The Seattle Chamber Players. He is often a soloists with the Northwest Chamber Orchestra, the Olympia Chamber Orchestra, Philharmonia Northwest and the Everett Symphony.
A promoter of ex-Soviet/Russian composers, what Taub has assembled here is pieces from Armenia, Latvia, Georgia, Azerbaijan and Russia composed by Artur Amanesov, Peteris Vasks, a new work by Giya Kanchelli – “Ninna Nanna Per Anna”. as well as works by Elmir Mirzoev and Sergie Slonimsky.
Taub is a rake, with a flute for a rapier, that will lull you into a peaceful boat ride down exotic rivers and then, in turn fence with your ears as he thrusts and parry's with the tune and the accompanying musicians.
Featuring
- Mikhail Shmidt, violin
- Natasha Bazhanov, violin
- Julie Whitton, viola
- David Sabee, cello
- Roger Nelson, piano
- Matthew Kocmieroski, percussion, Nathan Whittaker, cello, Valerie Muzzolini-Gordon, harp this “new” classical presentation captivating, never boring, always dramatic and totally satisfying.
Taub is a professor Cornish College Of Arts in Seattle, and has been a featured performer at National Flute Association conventions in Los Angeles (1992), Atlanta (1999), and Las Vegas (2003). He is currently a member of the Boards of Directors of both Chamber Music America and the National Flute Association. He has worked extensively to promote Soviet/Russian composers in America and American composers in the former Soviet Union. His Soviet repertoire has been featured on National Public Radio’s Performance Today, at the Goodwill Arts Festival, and in a solo recital at the Leningrad Musical Spring International Festival. He has also performed four times in Russia with the Seattle Chamber Players and twice at the Warsaw Autumn Festival in Poland, as well as in Costa Rica, Denmark, Estonia, Italy, Lithuania, and Ukraine.
This collection is available from CDBaby. Hopefully we will hear more of his recorded works sometime soon and I’d like to thank Tom Baker at Present Sounds for providing this review copy. Wonderful music.
Copyright © 2011 Robert Carraher All Rights Reserved
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