Patty MacDuffie
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Gorgeous solo cello music
“From Silence” is pure, gorgeous-sounding solo cello. Some of the best cello playing I’ve ever heard. You never hear the bow! Mr. Hurst makes the cello talk, and sing. The sound is so pure it often sounds like a clarinet, and he does little trills on the cello that belong in the province of wind instruments. Quite remarkable, actually. In Vision Obscured I ask myself over and over – is this a cello I am hearing? The album says solo cello, so it must be. Then it will dip in tone and I know it is the cello. It happens elsewhere in the album as well. The cello’s tone is sweet and pure in its middle and top, with a thrilling virility at its bottom that makes this female heart flutter.
Often the music sounds like a living being speaking, having a conversation. I don’t know if it is two people conversing, other living things conversing, or the composer having a conversation with the listener; but it is distinctly conversationalist at times - none more evident than in Early Night, which is also just lightly brushed with jazz coloring.
Empty Sky has me reaching out longingly for something - anything. It is aching, unfulfilled loneliness. That may sound like a downer, but it is not. For me there is always solace in knowing that I am not alone in feelings like this, which I’m sure we have all had at times. Combine that with the beauty of the music and it is soothing.
And, oh how Beckoning does beckon! It lifts one’s heart with its beautiful sweetness, and makes you say, “Yes! Gladly will I come to you!” It makes no difference if that “you” is a person, a place, or an intangible thing such as music. It tugs at you with delicious promise – and perhaps evokes a tear or two that one cannot, in fact, go.
Farewell is poignant, sweet melody, without being overly sad. A lovely way to end the album.
One never knows, without talking to the composer, exactly what he had in mind, or what any piece of music is meant to portray. I would not presume to know that in regard to any of these songs, I can only say what they mean to me; and who knows, some other day, they may take on a different meaning.
The composition of this music is outstanding, as well as its performance. This is simple, evocative, speaking music, filled with beautiful melodies. Looked at from the viewpoint of a classical music person, this album may be his best. I am not a fan of modern classical music, I find much of it ugly and uncommunicative (there are exceptions, no doubt); and so I had difficulty pinning down Adam Hurst’s music into a genre. It is classical music, at least this album is; it most certainly isn’t pop; though it may be used in movies, it isn’t really movie music (and by the way, movie music is often the best of modern classical!); so I have settled on “New Age Classical,” to distinguish it from Modern Classical, as there is nothing ugly about this music. It is meant to communicate, it is meant to move you, it is meant to touch your heart and spirit.
I could run down each track in the album, but this is not meant to be a definitive interpretation of this music – there never could be one – but just to give an idea to the searcher for something new and beautiful, some small idea of what he will find here.
Thank you, Adam Hurst, for your entire body of music – you make the world a more beautiful place.
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