The music of
Kenneth Fuchs
has been championed by conductor
JoAnn Falletta
, who does it proud, but it is now being programmed by orchestras in various countries and earning attention from other conductors. The
Sinfonia of London
and conductor
John Wilson
have been better known for film scores, but
Wilson
seems to have a real affinity for
Fuchs
' well-crafted pieces, and the results here are excellent.
' music is rooted in the past and is tonal, but it couldn't be called neo-Romantic; the listener's attention is drawn toward the detailed orchestral shadings rather than to melody. He is influenced by
Copland
,
Britten
, and, in the flute concerto
Solitary the Thrush
Vaughan Williams
(the title is from
Walt Whitman
, whom
also loved). That work has a different structure from that of
The Lark Ascending
, but it is attractive enough that it could become a modern substitute for audiences that have heard the
work too often. It may be the most immediately appealing thing on the program, but the orchestral works are also absorbing. Consider
Cloud Slant
, whose three movements were inspired by paintings of
Helen Frankenthaler
(although they are emotional impressions rather than programmatic depictions). Classes exploring the relationship between music and art (or just enthusiasts interested in the same) might check these out. In general,
seems a composer likely to be heard more often on both sides of the Atlantic in the coming years, and this release made classical best-seller lists in the summer of 2023. ~ James Manheim