Writing about Yehudi Wyner in the liner notes of this CD, Martin Brody asks, "what other composer is so hospitable to the rudiments of music, and yet is so intensely steeped in the mercurial substance of Modernism, so restlessly stimulated at every musical moment?" Yehudi Wyner’s is an artistic sensibility that is passionately engaged by musical materials that range from popular song to complex polyphony. This recording presents three recent works of Wyner’s that cover a huge expressive range. "The Second Madrigal: Voices of Women" sets texts by or about women. The composer writes that "the work was conceived with the particular voice of Dominique Labelle in mind. Her beautiful sound and expressive eloquence have inspired me to try to provide her with a suitable vehicle." Wyner’s "Quartet for Oboe and String Trio" is in a single movement lasting more than twenty four minutes, with much of the work governed by variation technique. Written for and performed by the! superb oboist Peggy Pearson, Wyner’s oboe quartet presents a dramatic series of episodes that continually change character and mood. Horntrio is more traditional in its basic design–three movements in fast-slow-fast sequence. The harmonic language of Horntrio is heavily influenced by jazz harmonies and the music of the French Impressionists. The composer himself is at the keyboard for this premiere recording.
