 |
 |
|
|
 |
 "Marilynn Mair has always had the keen ability to balance classical mandolin traditions and repertoire, while constantly breaking new musical ground… So it is with "Leave Something Unexplained". Mair teams with Adam Larrabee on classical guitar for the title track and the Villa Lobos classic "Bachianas Brasilieras". Both pieces showcase a high level of ensemble playing, dynamics, and overall musicality. But perhaps when Larrabee plays mandocello we hear a more groundbreaking sound. "From Tregian's Ground," along with "A Waltz for Evelyn Hinrichsen," certainly some of the nicest tracks on the CD, reveal a very intimate reading for this under-recorded instrumental format. "Carinhoso," by Pixinguinha, is an exquisite solo setting that lets us hear Marilynn's lyricism… while another of Marilynn's ensembles, "Enigmatica," delivers quite a moving rendition of a Bach Adagio (from BWV 1060). Maybe the biggest surprise, and somewhat of a musical departure, is a swingin' little combo number called "East of Here," written by Mair… 16 tracks, 50+ minutes of music by a superb and versatile mandolinist and composer… this CD's a must." Butch Baldassari, "Mandolin Magazine" "Smudging the lines between folk and classical is an intrepid endeavor. On Marilynn Mair's shimmering new CD, Leave Something Unexplained (QORQ), there's a formalism in play that doesn't feel formal at all. Mair's a superb mandolin player who has previously brought the instrument to unexpected places, so it's not shocking to realize she has ideas about creatively positioning it. But from Villa-Lobos laments to Bach's "Adagio" she makes the disc's broad curatorial choice all sound like they belonged together in the first place." Jim Macnie "I often think of Marilynn as a champion of new music, and she has performed and recorded her share of contemporary works. But stepping back to the 18th-century masterworks gave her the opportunity to highlight her technique with a fresh light..It seemed that on Marilynn's last CD, "Nadando em Luz," she really came into her own as a performer of choro music. This CD strikes me in a similar way — it is Marilynn's re-emergence as a classical mandolinist, and her playing is thoughtful, vibrant and a delight to listen to." Terence Pender "Bring a talented ensemble of gifted musicians together playing some of the great concertos and chamber music pieces of the 1700s, present the extraordinary classical mandolinist Marilynn Mair front and center, and you have a rare combination of the right musicians performing the right music at the right time. David McCarty "Marilynn Mair performs Brazilian mandolin music that in its lilting string compositions calls to mind staring out admiringly into a charcoal-black sky after hours on a veranda in Brasilia. Or in her swifter downbeat rhythms, Mair plays the mandolin as an instrument for all occasions — an after-dinner party and the late-night dancing, fast and close, that follows." Vaughn Watson "Mair displays an exceptionally gifted approach to this music...using her formidable mandolin technique with grace and sensitivity...It's the next best thing to a trip to Rio." David McCarty "Marilynn Mair lives up to her reputation as an excellent mandolinist, with clear tone, a beautiful tremolo, and creative expressiveness." Zupfmusik Magazin (Germany) "Marilynn Mair acquits herself very well indeed, a most accomplished player, able to deal with the many intricacies the repertoire demands of her...Marilynn Mair came through with flying colours, her double and treble stopping a feat of precision engineering on the tiny fingerboard." Chris Kilvington "She's a fabulous player with a wonderfully clear and lyrical sound." The Ottawa Citizen (Canada) "Mair is unstoppable...capable of evoking any landscape, past or present, you'd care to conjure." Mike Caito "A sparkling concert... absolutely brilliant!" Guitar Magazine (England) "A brilliant concert from beginning to end...The performance was extraordinary." La Rioja (Spain) "Sparkling mandolinist Marilynn Mair plays 'Brazilian Music -- Roots & Branches' with pianist Luiz Simas." Vaughn Watson "One was immediately taken by the loveliness and liveliness of the music created...Mair's mandolin sometimes had a gypsy quality capable of taking the music in fascinating directions." Richard Duckett "There were two New York premiers on the program. Guido Santorsola's Sonata a Duo No. 6, in three movements, began with an atonal, pointilistic interplay between the two instruments -- almost a burlesque. This was contrasted by an extremely lush movement in which a sensuous melody was carried with great effectiveness by a tremolo played on the mandolin. The piece ended in a kind of recapitulation of the first and second movements juxtaposed -- a well balanced and enjoyable piece in both conception and performance. The other premier was Fred Lilliencamp's Los Desaparecidos dedicated to the "disappeared" of Argentina's late and brutal military government. It started off very simply as a song and evolved with extreme grace, the melody reharmonized to good effect. The final repeat of the melody transmitted a strong feeling of peace and tenderness that escaped no one in the audience. It is this sensitivity and subtleness that characterized the overall performance. It was felt again in an effective transcription of Villa-Lobos' Bachianas Brasileiras No. 5, in which the mandolin expressed the well-known soprano part very effectively...Ms Mair did an excellent job." Brian Hodel "A lovely concert! We estimate your spell-bound and enthusiastic audience at close to 1800 people...You with your fine musicianship made a conquest, charming and delighting them." Jenneth Webster |
 |
|
© 2003-2008 marilynn mair &
home biography reviews press photos |