This impressive collection of works by Yehudi Wyner (b. 1929) begins with On this Most Voluptuous Night, masterful settings of five poems by William Carlos Williams. The title song, with its extended chromaticism spilling over into atonality, creates an eerie and strikingly vivid nocturnal atmosphere. Soprano Dominique Labelle’s mesmerizing beauty of tone, mastery of line, and intensity of focus makes this cycle a deliciously evocative experience. Wyner’s brilliant instrumental arrangements (for string quartet, flute, horn, and piano) evolve throughout the cycle to the angry dance riffs of the closing Puerto Rico Song.
The Lydian String Quartet takes center stage for the following Brandeis Sunday (1996), a work that instantly captivates through a throbbing drone that brings to mind the opening of Sibelius’ Second Symphony. Then, in a complete surprise, the piece breaks out into an upbeat jazz rhythm for its remainder. Wyner’s 1985 String Quartet is noticeably harsher in expression, employing a language that, although primarily atonal, contains occasional fleeting references to tonal centers and features sufficient textural and dramatic contrast to make it both emotionally involving and intellectually intriguing (it’s this aspect of the work that brings to mind Alban Berg’s powerful Lyric Suite). Three Informal Pieces (1961) for violin (Daniel Stepner from Lydian) and piano playfully explores these “unpretty” sonorities even further.
Last comes Dances of Atonement (1976) for Violin and Piano. This subdued and darkly calm piece serves, not least through its return to tonality, as a soothing balm after the troubling angularities of the previous works. But, consonant or no, all the music in this collection is of exceptionally high-quality, and it’s played with utmost expertise and affection by the assembled performers. New World’s recording vividly projects the players into your listening space. A most compelling release.
