Certain aspects of Mel Powell’s past deserve raised eyebrows! More worthy of our astonishment however is the purity and clarity of expression he so effortlessly demonstrates here, and the early emergence of a sensitive and organic musical personality from the potentially disparate elements of his background. This achievement has doubtless been the fruit of concentrated and intelligent effort, a diligent quest for an adequately flexible and idiomatic musical standard. Once captured by each composer in his own way for his own purposes, this standard technique may liberate the imaginative capacities and reveal the most intonate recesses of the artistic personality. To this end, Mel Powell has taken giant steps and his work reflects fidelity to the art as well as to himself.
His is an art of moderation, invention, economy. With a few choice notes he builds castles in the air, enchanted structures of sound, classic, chaste, modest, yet of a bewitching and precise charm, remarkable for their elegance and the justness of their proportion. The work is strongly controlled, guided by an active intellectual process which disdains wasted motion or superfluous material. This intellectual toughness is a palpable virtue — the charm, the very loveliness of the music disguises the inner fortification, the iron-work of inventive discipline; and this technical, intellectual aspect is an inherent part of the charm of this music, giving it added resilience and durable fascination.
[Excerpted from the original LP liner notes by Yehudi Wyner]
This title, originally issued on the CRI label, is now available as a burn-on-demand CD (CD-R) or download in MP3/320, FLAC or WAV formats. CD-Rs come in a protective sleeve; no print booklet or jewel case included. Full liner notes are accessible via the link above.
Mel Powell: Chamber Music
| MP3/320 | $13.00 | |
| FLAC | $13.00 | |
| WAV | $13.00 | |
| CD-R | $13.00 |
A *.pdf of the notes may be accessed here free of charge.
Track Listing
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Divertimento for Violin and Harp: I. Allegro
Mel Powell
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Divertimento for Violin and Harp: II. Adagio
Mel Powell
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Divertimento for Violin and Harp: III. Allegro
Mel Powell
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Divertimento for Five Winds: I. Allegro cantabile
Mel Powell
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Divertimento for Five Winds: II. Presto
Mel Powell
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Divertimento for Five Winds: III. Largo
Mel Powell
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Divertimento for Five Winds: IV. Vivo
Mel Powell
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Trio: I. Allegro comodo
Mel Powell
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Trio: II. Marcia Grottesca
Mel Powell
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Trio: III. Theme and Variations
Mel Powell
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Trio: IV. Vivace assai
Mel Powell
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