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www.parnassusrecords.com
Katherine Hoover was trained as a professional
flautist and leads a busy career as conductor and flautist. She
is also a distinguished and prolific composer. She is by no means
an exclusive flute specialist. She has also written some substantial
orchestral works, some of which are recorded on Parnassus
9619. Information concerning the life and works of
Katherine Hoover may be found on the www.papagenapress.com
website.
The present disc features Hoover’s flute music.
This is a somewhat mixed affair. Part of it is in fact the re-issue
in CD format of recordings released during the LP era (SONAR SD
140). The vinyl disc coupled four flute sonatas by Pleyel, J.C.
Bach, the young Mozart and Abel. Most interestingly it also includes
three works by Hoover as well as two snippets from Bizet’s Carmen
and from Berlioz’s L’Enfance du Christ respectively,
the former expertly arranged for two flutes and harp. The short
Berlioz excerpt was actually written for that very combination.
Kokopeli Op.43 and Winter Spirits Op.51,
both for solo flute, are indirectly inspired and influenced by
Native American music. Masks Op.56 for flute and
piano is a more substantial piece, actually a suite of several
short contrasting movements. This is a beautiful piece of music,
quite varied, colourful and – needless to say – most idiomatically
written for the instrument.
This is a thoroughly enjoyable, superbly played
disc in its own right, though some might object to the works’
disparity of styles.
Hubert Culot
Katherine Hoover (flute);
Don Bailey (flute)c; Victoria Drake (harp)c; Scott
Dunn (piano)a; Stoddard Lincoln (fortepiano)b