African Heritage Symphonic Series Volume III is the third installment in a series devoted to African-American composers on Chicago-based Çedille Records. Conductor Paul Freeman, with the Chicago Sinfonietta, does a splendid job throughout in transmitting these works, carefully constructing and delivering them with a sense of devotion and great care.Michael Abels' Global Warming is both the shortest and most accessible of these pieces. It has already gained some traction in concert circles; it is colorful, evokes the ...
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African Heritage Symphonic Series Volume III is the third installment in a series devoted to African-American composers on Chicago-based Çedille Records. Conductor Paul Freeman, with the Chicago Sinfonietta, does a splendid job throughout in transmitting these works, carefully constructing and delivering them with a sense of devotion and great care.Michael Abels' Global Warming is both the shortest and most accessible of these pieces. It has already gained some traction in concert circles; it is colorful, evokes the signature gestures of multiple cultures, and never gets dull or long-winded. Abels has stated his preference for writing orchestral music, and based on Global Warming, one is left wanting to hear more of what he has to offer. Though not as immediate as Global Warming, William Banfield's Essay for Orchestra likewise demonstrates a deft handling of orchestral color and interesting ideas. Some of Banfield's preferences in orchestral sound is reminiscent of 1970s television scoring; not a bad...
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