The first volume of Masterworks of the New Era should be regarded with some skepticism, not necessarily for its unfamiliar program and roster of emerging composers, but certainly for ERM Media's questionable choices. If John Beall's Raven Rock, Tyler Goodrich White's Elegy for the Orphans of Terror, and Sy Brandon's I Am Music smack too much of soundtrack prettiness and neo-Romantic bombast, there are also some troubling signs of neo-Impressionistic blandness in Jacco Muller's Mirage and Forrest Covington's A Winter's Poem. The confused direction of Eldad Tsabary's June 5, 1973, and the meandering, chattering counterpoint of Howard Feldsher's Concerto Grosso are hardly evidence of mastery, and seem instead to show these composers searching for accessibility in pastiche. Only a few works offer challenging music, and Thomas Delio's Than, Igor Korneitchouk's Three Haiku and a Poem, and Chihchun Lee's Fan-Jen at least show some willingness to experiment. By and large, this tame double disc is less impressive than the hype, and the quest for contemporary masterpieces will continue after the label has completed the projected 12-disc series. The Philharmonia Bulgarica, conducted by Robert Ian Winstin, is competent and sometimes emotionally engaged, though the performances fall short of true excitement and beauty. The sound quality is pleasant, but not extraordinary.
© TiVo