Sequenza21/The Contemporary Classical Music Weekly

Tuesday, August 29, 2006

Emotional Rescue: Music of Belinda Reynolds

Cover
Belinda Reynolds
New Millennium Ensemble; American Baroque; Sergio Puccini, guitar; Teresa McCollough, piano; Thomas Burritt, Peggy Benkeser, percussion; Citywinds; Claricello
Innova Records

Although Belinda Reynolds' name sounded vaguely familiar to me (perhaps due to her frequent contributions to NewMusicBox), I had not previously heard any of the San Francisco-based composer's music. Only a few minutes into the first track of her CD entitled Cover, I was wondering how this oversight had occurred.

The disc opens with the title track, scored for flute, cello and piano. A whirlwind tour through multiple tonalities, this trio is a prime example of Reynolds' post-minimalist aesthetic. Although her works frequently rely on repetitive patterns and syncopated rhythms, their coolly reserved outer shell barely masks an inner tempest of raw emotion and passion. Reynolds has perfected a unique brand of visceral minimalism that wears its heart on its sleeve.

Solace is the first of a pair of works on this disc for Baroque ensemble. It starts simply, as if the instruments (Baroque flute, Baroque oboe, viola da gamba and harpsichord) are tentatively initiating a conversation. As the piece progresses and the instruments begin to sound more comfortable with each other, their energetic contrapuntal lines intertwine before the exchange ultimately dissipates. Middle Eastern and Spanish tinges recall the keyboard sonatas of Domenico Scarlatti.

The Latin flavor continues with the guitar solo Yawp, masterfully performed by Sergio Puccini. Play, for piano and two percussionists, quickly became my favorite work on the recording. I was surprised to realize (courtesy of Kyle Gann's typically insightful notes) that the material for each section was based on a game Reynolds uses with her students in which tunes are fashioned from simple words. Here the melodies spell out CABBAGE, BED, and EDGE. Atypical rhythmic groupings prevent the hypnotically static harmonies from becoming tedious.

Turns and Dust again showcase the concept of discourse between instruments. The latter work, for clarinet and cello, was written shortly after September 11, 2001. Reynolds manages to craft a touching cenotaphic memorial without resorting to garish theatricality. The disc concludes with another piece for Baroque instruments, this time replacing the oboe with a violin. Circa reverberates with nervous, kinetic energy.

What makes this music sound modern and unique is the composer's gift for infusing an inherently mechanistic technique with human qualities. It is this flair for personification that allows Belinda Reynolds to surpass all of the minimalist imitators and enter a class of her own.

posted by Carol Minor 7:22 PM