Errollyn Wallen: Orchestral Works

Errollyn Wallen is one of the most individual, exciting voices composing today, her reputation surely substantially enhanced by this collection of a selection of her many orchestral works. Stylistically, Wallen traverses from Britten and Tippett (This Frame is Part of the Painting, a playful tribute to British abstract artist Howard Hodgkin) over to Reich and Copland (Wallen’s eloquent celebration of freedom, Mighty River). Everything she touches is supremely orchestrated, each piece brimming with intriguing sonic effects and genuine popular appeal. The skittish Orchestral Dances that open the album are unabashedly joyful, drawing on blues, spirituals, jazz, musicals, and more. In “Dance VIII” Wallen brilliantly marries the worlds of pop and classical, and Handel even gets a look-in in “Dance X.”