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Maxwell, Muhly, & Couloir
James B. Maxwell composer
Nico Muhly composer
Couloir
Ariel Barnes cello
Heidi Krutzen harp
“We’re really trying to find a whole new language,” says harpist Heidi Krutzen, “and a new way of moving our instruments forward.”
New languages and propulsive forward motion abound on MAXWELL, MUHLY, & COULOIR, the second Ravello Records release from the elegant, unusual duo COULOIR.
Krutzen and cellist Ariel Barnes utilize their unconventional timbral combination to maximum effect in Serere by composer James B. Maxwell. Originally composed for the Canadian company Ballet Kelowna, the piece features gossamer, glacial sonorities as well as aggressive, pounding rhythmic structures, all bound together over the course of an epic sonic journey.
“The feedback on the duo is always that the soundworlds we create are limitless,” says Krutzen. “And we’re so excited by that that we just keep finding new things and exploring new depths.”
Nico Muhly’s Clear Music traverses these worlds and depths with a euphoric simplicity that plays to the strengths of the performers. The piece is structured into a series of peaks where the highest voice is pitched two octaves higher than the next voice below, and Muhly employs this technique to highlight both the similarities and differences of this instrumental combination.
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Artist Information
Couloir
Known for being "...deeply connected to the moment of creation both with their own instruments and each other," (The Minnedosa Tribune) COULOIR is bringing transcendent Art Music into the 21st Century. With a palpable chemistry in their music making, they share their passion for creating fresh music with contemporary composers using the exquisite sound world of cello and harp. "...the body language of (cellist, Ariel) Barnes and harpist Heidi Krutzen drew the assemblage into their shared artistic vision so convincingly, (with) many welcome moments of emotional/intellectual bliss." JWR