Shannon Lowe‘s new album, A Musical Bouquet — Old, New and Borrowed Works for Bassoon and Strings, features works by Alexis Ciesla, François Devienne, Edouard Du Puy, Carl Jacobi, Clara Schumann, Barbara Strozzi.
Performers:
- SHANNON LOWE, bassoon
- Kristin Pfeifer Yu and Ken Davis, violins
- Laurel Yu, viola
- Steven Taylor, violoncello
- Maurice Belle, double bass
Recorded 8-11 July 2019 in the University of Florida School of Music Recital Hall, Gainesville, Florida. Producer: Peter Geldrich. Recording engineer: Terry Moo, Soundview Multimedia. Editor: David St. Onge, DMS Productions. Consultant: Mitchell Estrin.
Program:
- Alexis Ciesla (b.1967)
Dança de Lisboa for bassoon, 2 violins, viola, violoncello and double bass - François Devienne (1759-1803)
Quartet in G minor, Op.73, No.3 for bassoon, violin, viola and violoncello - Barbara Strozzi (1619-1677) | arr. by Shannon Lowe
La vendetta for bassoon, 2 violins, viola and violoncello - Carl Jacobi (1791-1852)
Potpourri on Zampa, Op.16 for bassoon, 2 violins, viola, violoncello and double bass - Édouard du Puy (1770-1822)
Quintet in A minor for bassoon, 2 violins, viola and violoncello - Clara Schumann (1819-1896) | arr. by Shannon Lowe
Die gute Nacht, die ich dir sage for bassoon, 2 violins, viola and violoncello
Reviews:
Shannon Lowe shines her warm instrument in quite a different light… She phrases her long lyrical lines so that they not only sing but breathe with the gorgeous tone of a high baritone.
—American Record Guide [October 2021]An enjoyable collection.
—Pan Pipes, SAI [Summer 2021]The pieces are expressive in their own, very different ways, and in fact expressiveness lies at the heart of Lowe’s entire recital… She is one of many bassoonists who see the instrument as warm and pleasant, readily capable of heartfelt emotion… Lowe plays everything on the CD tastefully and with a fine sense of style… Everything is certainly enjoyable.
—Mark J. Estren, InfoDad [March 2021]… The bassoon playing of Shannon Lowe [is] unforced, delightful and relaxed… [Her] playing, demonstrating the expressive range of her instrument [and] is supported beautifully and in balance by her five friends on stringed instruments… Their performances allows the pieces on the disc to flow together, one from the 20th century, another from the 17th century, and the rest from the 19th century. These musicians obviously enjoy the music they play. They invite an encore from their audience in the form of replaying their recording again and again.
—Joel C. Thompson, Cherry grove Music Review [February 2021][Shannon Lowe] is really a dynamite performer on her chosen instrument, as we find abundantly on display in ‘A Musical Bouquet,’ together with a little help from her friends.
—Phil Muse, Atlanta Audio Club [November 2020]
