by Stephanie Manning
To create their latest album, violinist Edwin Huizinga and guitarist William Coulter drew inspiration from the natural world. The duo, known as Fire & Grace, recorded their third project together among the redwoods of Northern California.
“We were both moved by the deep beauty, profound passion and joy, and the soul that we found in this music,” Coulter said when the album was announced. The result, Alma (Spanish for “soul”), is full of folksy charm, combining Baroque music with melodies from Argentina, Spain, Italy, Germany, and Sweden.
What might LvB have thought of having 90 young musicians — led by a professional string quartet — perform the fugue that ends his Quartet Op. 59, No. 3?
“Carols Around the World” doesn’t quite capture the breadth of the Cleveland Chamber Choir’s holiday program. The group sang more than just Christmas music on December 11 at Old Stone Church.
Singing was regarded as one of the riskiest of activities in the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, and both the 2020 Art Song Festival — scheduled for May of that year — and its replacement were scuttled.
There’s something so engaging about watching Handel’s Messiah performed live — especially in the capable hands of Apollo’s Fire and Apollo’s Singers. The movement of the instrumentalists, the stage presence of the singers, and the enthusiastic response from the audience all elevate the experience of listening to this familiar music. On the evening of December 8 at Federated Church in Chagrin Falls, guest conductor Nic McGegan led the ensemble in a breathtaking performance of one of Handel’s cornerstone works.
As a guide to gift-giving (and don’t we all need a little help!), enjoy a chronological look over the CD reviews our correspondents have written over the last twelve months — plus a look ahead at some reviews to come in early 2022.
At first glance, the inclusion of Dvořák’s 
Emerging from a dispiriting silence of twenty months, Quire Cleveland raised its eighteen voices in bright music written in honor of the Virgin Mary on Saturday evening, December 4. The third and last performance of its program “Mary’s Song” took place in the impressive, marble-columned nave and resonant acoustic of St. Ignatius of Antioch Church on Cleveland’s West Side.
One of the latest instrumental ensembles to announce a new season of concerts, BlueWater Chamber Orchestra began 2021-2022 with an imaginative program on November 20 at the Breen Center at St. Ignatius High School in Ohio City. The time was unusual — Saturday afternoon at 3:00 pm.
Even the best pianists only share a keyboard in performance with someone they trust. Fortunately for Cleveland audiences, the bond between two players doesn’t get much deeper than the duo of Antonio Pompa-Baldi and Emanuela Friscioni.