Couloir, Wine Dark Sea

Contemporary music for harp and cello? The duo Couloir gives us some rather fine listening in this vein. These are two well-prepared Vancouver based artists--Heidi Krutzen (harp) and Ariel Barnes (cello). Wine Dark Sea (Ravello 7879) is a disk exploring three interesting works by three contemporary composers.

All three works have a sort of post-impressionist, sometimes almost Satie-esque rhapsodic ambiance which the duo plays with great resonance and impeccable style. The pieces involved are Jocelyn Morlock's "Three Meditations on Light", Baljinder Sekhon's "Drifting Seeds", and Glenn Buhr's "A monk, dancing".

I will not go into a blow-by-blow description. They flow together and work so well as a kind of triptych that you should hear the three as a whole. That was my experience.

The works have substance to them and the cello and harp performances are quite beautiful and fitting for the music at hand.

Very recommended.