Chilean cellist Pablo Mahave-Veglia is fully committed to promoting new works from his native land, and his program for this 2004 release from Eroica generously introduces the music of six of his compatriots, whose virtuosic solo cello pieces range stylistically across the contemporary spectrum. Yet in spite of the different methods and techniques explored in each, there is a sameness of texture, timbre, and range that makes these avant-garde works blend together too much; the succession of pieces may seem to the casual listener like a long, desultory soliloquy. There are a few distinctions to be marked in the pieces by Federico Heinlein, Juan Lémann, Alfonso Montecino, Alejandro Guarello, and Edgardo Cantón, but listeners may need to follow the track listing carefully to identify beginnings and endings. The most obviously striking and adventurous composition, though, is Andrés Alcalde's wide-ranging, nervous Der Mondbach I for solo cello, and its complement, Der Mondbach II for cello and double string quartet. The appearance of an ensemble comes as quite a surprise after the relative uniformity of the previous works, and if one's interest has flagged up to this point, this twittering work may revive it. Eroica's sound quality is clear and resonant.
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