Working in Concerto With Tower

The common heritage of these striking pieces is quite apparent in their shapes and dimensions and in their remarkable combinations of orchestral color and solo verve. Yet so is the distinctive character of each--the intense Violin Concerto, lyrical Flute Concerto, dramatic Piano Concerto and mysterious Clarinet Concerto. An accomplished pianist and veteran ensemble player, Tower provides substantial interpretive opportunities for her soloists, as well as imaginative but idiomatic technical challenges, all within an audibly purposeful framework. The soloists--Elmar Oliveira, violin; Carol Wincenc, flute; Ursula Oppens, piano; David Shifrin, clarinet--match Tower’s own boldness of expression, providing the kind of fire and nuance that would distinguish even standard repertory. There is nothing reductive about the orchestral parts either, and the Louisville group plays with eager assurance for its two conductors.

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Albums are rated on a scale of one star (poor), two stars (fair), three stars (good), four stars (excellent).