A Breath Between the Strings
Music By Gordon Jacob, James Moody and Tony Kinsey
Gianluca Littera (harmonica), Quartetto Energie Nove
The combination of harmonica and string quartet might seem eccentric, but the effect is often charming and whimsical. The former’s association with jazz cafés and bluesy folk music gently encourages...
A Breath Between the Strings
Music By Gordon Jacob, James Moody and Tony Kinsey
Gianluca Littera (harmonica), Quartetto Energie Nove
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The combination of harmonica and string quartet might seem eccentric, but the effect is often charming and whimsical. The former’s association with jazz cafés and bluesy folk music gently encourages...
About
The three British composers in this programme all found very different ways to integrate the harmonica with that most aristocratic of ensembles, the string quartet. Gordon Jacob’s Divertimento is a delicious musical tableau, full of his characteristic melodic ease and playfulness. James Moody was devoted to the harmonica, for which he wrote a number of works, and his Quintet has a Classical structure that includes both highly virtuosic and deeply introspective episodes. Renowned as a jazz drummer, Tony Kinsey adopted a late-Romantic stance in his Quintet but also looked to Gershwin and Piazzolla, ending the work with the blues and an unforgettably catchy riff.
Contents and tracklist
- Gianluca Littera (harmonica)
- Quartetto Energie Nove
- Gianluca Littera (harmonica)
- Quartetto Energie Nove
- Gianluca Littera (harmonica)
- Quartetto Energie Nove
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Awards and reviews
January 2023
The combination of harmonica and string quartet might seem eccentric, but the effect is often charming and whimsical. The former’s association with jazz cafés and bluesy folk music gently encourages the strings to indulge in lush, relaxed sounds. A breath of fresh air indeed!
December 2022
Littera and the Quartetto Energie Nove have been attractively recorded in Lugano and have selected their repertoire adroitly. It’s not an obvious choice for the general market but that may make it more attractive.