Chadburn is a gifted pianist. In this musical offering, he takes the listener through an introspective nocturnal journey that explores the dreams, fears, mysteries and quiet serenity of the dark hours. The compositions feature Chadburn on the piano along with musicians playing English and French horns, violin and viola, oboe and clarinet, and guitar.
Most of the pieces were composed at night and emulate the classical form of the nocturne. The twelve songs are quietly reflective and insightful.
The tracks are named to follow the night-time theme:
1. Twilight - a piano solo that opens the compilation
2. Anne’s Lullaby – a sweet and plaintive piano melody
3. Stars – a floating, ethereal oboe-piano duet
4. Abundance – an opulent combination of the piano with string soloists
5. Mystery – a haunting tune that takes advantage of the viola’s human-like vocal qualities.
6. Once Upon a Time – a gently upbeat orchestral piece
7. Bella’s Lullaby – another piano-viola duet with background strings.
8. The Road – a piano-focused piece with soft string accompaniment.
9. Quiet Soul – the piano is joined with a guitar, harpsichord, and strings.
10. Peter’s Theme – the violin takes the lead in this romantic piece.
11. Journey Home – the horns shine in this piece that resolves the melodic ideas contained in the album.
12. Sunrise – a brighter and more dynamic melody that caps the collection.
Chadburn is a talented musician and composer. The production’s engineering is clean and well-balanced. The individual songs have some similarities in melodic and harmonic content, as well as similar textures. The differences lie in the balance of soloists and the nuances of pace and texture. There’s little to no dissonance; the composer sticks to very traditional, sonorous harmonies.
This CD will grow on the listener with repeated playing. It’s a lovely offering that’s perfect to play during the evening hours for relaxation, but it would also be a fine choice for massages, Reiki treatments, and meditation/visualizations. Anyone can de-stress and decompress to these beautiful melodies.
Review by Elizabeth Hazel
Artist: Daniel Chadburn
Daniel Chadburn, 2012
Twelve tracks, approximately 46 minutes
Available through CDbaby, Amazon, iTunes, eMusic, etc.
www.DanChadburn.com
