Composer John Pickard has gained attention for his symphonies and other large works, but this recording will be the first that many listeners hear of his delightfully accessible chamber music. The Three Chicken Studies are not necessarily an example of Pickard's humorous side; he writes: "I have kept chickens for many years and I am fascinated by their many moods and their complex social interactions." Nevertheless, it will likely raise a smile. All of the works vividly evoke their extramusical subjects. The most serious ...
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Composer John Pickard has gained attention for his symphonies and other large works, but this recording will be the first that many listeners hear of his delightfully accessible chamber music. The Three Chicken Studies are not necessarily an example of Pickard's humorous side; he writes: "I have kept chickens for many years and I am fascinated by their many moods and their complex social interactions." Nevertheless, it will likely raise a smile. All of the works vividly evoke their extramusical subjects. The most serious work is the opening and titular The Gardener of Aleppo, which, besides giving the album its title, refers to an actual individual, Abu al-Ward, who sold plants in the midst of Syria's civil war until he was killed. Snowbound evokes a claustrophobic mood with low sounds on the piano, an effect that recurs several times, including in the final Ghost Train. The ghost train is a time-honored subject in classical music and pop alike, but Pickard's treatment is completely fresh -- a tall...
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