When Mark John McEncroe is asked what kind of music he composes, his reply invariably is "I don't know, I just write it." It's a clever answer: at first glance it is humble and modest, but it also reveals a considerable degree of naturalness, authenticity, and intuition. The same can be said for McEncroe's music, which is unapologetically evocative and driven by sentiment, with long lyrical lines and pleasant harmonies. The neo-Romantic style of orchestration which McEncroe intuitively employs fits his ideas perfectly. The album, which consists of orchestral arrangements of piano works, is characterized by a great consistency of both musical language and quality; despite the individual pieces' fancifully varied titles, the common theme is McEncroe's ability to generate, hold, and sustain interest in his compositions. This is no wonder, considering how personal the pieces are to their maker: they are the musical result of McEncroe looking back at a life well-lived, with a mixture of wistful nostalgia and content, clear-headed reflection. But at the same time, these works are far more than chronicles of one individual's subjective experience. Thanks to their clear form and tonal language, they not only grant access to even the casual listener, but they even seem to apply to that listener as well. ORCHESTRATED PIANO WORKS VOL. I is an album perfect for a rainy Sunday afternoon: it makes for an aesthetic, graceful, pleasing (re-)listening experience in which drama is kept to a minimum, but in which movement and excitement is present at all times.

Tracklist:

Introspective Moments (Orch. M.J. Saliba For Chamber Orchestra)
Ripples On Still Water (Orch. M.J. Saliba For Chamber Orchestra)
The Calling (Orch. M.J. Saliba For Chamber Orchestra)
The Gargoyle Fountain (Orch. M.J. Saliba For Chamber Orchestra)
The Pendulum (Orch. M.J. Saliba For Chamber Orchestra)
Ghosts From The Past (Orch. M.J. Saliba For Chamber Orchestra)
Dancing In The Light (Orch. M.J. Saliba For Chamber Orchestra)
Shades Of Autumn (Orch. M.J. Saliba For Chamber Orchestra)
A Fish With The Blues (Orch. M.J. Saliba For Chamber Orchestra)
A Lazy Summer's Afternoon (Orch. M.J. Saliba For Chamber Orchestra)
Shadows In The Water (Orch. M.J. Saliba For Chamber Orchestra)
Andante Moderato (Orch. M.J. Saliba For Chamber Orchestra)
Shadows Of An Old Memory (Orch. M.J. Saliba For Chamber Orchestra)

UPC: 896931005470
Label: Navona
Release Date: 9.27.19
Format: CD

Mcencroe / Janacek Philharmonic Orch / Armore - Musical Images 1 (2 CD)