Customer Reviews

Eric Ewazen: (Down) A River of Time

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Oboist Andrea Gullickson and conductor Lucia Matos give us a gorgeous performance on this disc of little-known but exquisite music for oboe and chamber orchestra. While all the selections are rewarding, my favorites are the first and the last. The first is Telemann's elegant Concerto in D Minor, alternately stately and sprightly, suggesting strongly that Telemann's music merits more of a hearing than it's received in our era. The last--the piece from which the disc takes its name, and for which I bought it--is Eric Ewazen's meltingly beautiful concerto, "Down a River of Time." Written in 1999, "Down a River of Time" flows as its title suggests, its lovely melodies buoying the listener on a journey of pure pleasure. Anyone who heard this piece would realize that modern classical music has a great deal to offer even the casual listener. Ewazen, a composition professor at Juilliard, is still a relatively young man; here's hoping he gets the public acclaim he deserves while he can still enjoy it!

I purchased this CD for the Ewazen concerto, which I heard on the radio. I seem to need listening to it nearly all the time. This is entirely owing to oboe playing of Andrea Gullickson. It's extremely focused, clean and musical. The orchetra accompanies very clearly & sympathetically. I am not a fan of baroque music but for the first time in 40 years I listen the entire CD just hear the oboe once more. The recording is also first class. This is fantastic oboe playing & the CD is a must for every music lover. Great discovery.

Drawn to this after hearing as the other reviewer the title track by Ewazen on Colorado Public Radio, I was pleasantly surprised to find all the pieces selected of high quality both in performance by Oboist Gullickson and chamber orchestration led by Matos.

Dittos on all selections providing transcendant introspection with soothing, flowing sounds. Am particularly into the Telemann and Ewazen, however, the more I listen to Ferlendis' Concerto, especially the Adagio, I fine myself really connected to its grace and lively flow. This fine CD should enjoy a wider audience than it will likely receive, as it is so pleasant to listen and especially to cruise down highway with. Enjoyed the fine notes Gullickson provides which provide not only notes on composer and composition but her stylistic interpretations of them.