I didn’t listen to all 78 minutes of solo flute music on this disc at once, but so varied is the repertoire and so characterful are Bezaly’s performances (and so easy on the ear the absolutely perfect sonics, both in stereo and SACD formats) that in retrospect I easily might have. This third volume of Bezaly’s survey of flute music “From A to Z” contains no less than three world-premiere recordings. The first, Brett Dean’s Demons, is (as the title implies) a virtuosic exploration of impishness requiring a whole repertoire of advanced playing techniques that amazingly never sound merely gratuitous or noisy. Songlines, by Carl-Axel Dominique, offers the strongest possible contrast with its alternating meditative, quasi-minimalist, dance-like textures. I’ve already enjoyed it several times. Caspar Diethelm’s Zodiak contains 12 short, highly contrasted character pieces, surrounded by a slow prologue and epilogue.
Among the more familiar composers there are also some fascinating rarities. Who knew that Ernst von Dohnányi wrote a Passacaglia for solo flute? It’s a haunting work based on a chromatic main theme, and Bezaly clearly relishes every note. Her fullness of tone and ability to play loudly in her upper register without ever sounding irritatingly shrill remains a source of wonder. Chaminade’s Pièce romantique and Jean Donion’s Le chant du vent provide charming interludes, and out of Devienne’s acres of flute music Bezaly has, in the G major sonata (No. 4), chosen particularly well. The program closes with Debussy’s Syrinx, a sweet and limpid farewell to another remarkable collection. It seems only logical to assume that this disc will appeal primarily to flutists and their followers, but there also is enough musical substance to sustain the interest of the more casual listener. Bezaly’s virtuosity and adventurousness are just marvelous. [2/18/2005]
