The strong lyrical impulse of
Ned Rorem's songs is also evident in his chamber pieces for flute, an instrument for which he wrote highly expressive music. This Naxos album features performances of Mountain Song (1949), Romeo and Juliet (1977), Trio (1960), and Book of Hours (1975), which were recorded in 1993, and Four Prayers (2006), which was recorded in 2008, so the program is quite representative of
Rorem's output throughout his career. Whether using elements of folk music in a modal vein, as in Mountain Song and Four Prayers, or using more chromatic harmonies and angular lines of modernism, as in the Trio and Romeo and Juliet,
Rorem still conveys a love for the soaring single line, and his attachment to a flexible tonality keeps the music close to traditional melodic shapes, even if an actual key may be hard to identify. Flutist
Fenwick Smith presents
Rorem's music with a round tone, clear phrasing, and polished execution, and his performances with pianist Mihae Lee, guitarist
David Leisner, cellist Ronald Thomas, and harpist Ann Hobson Pilot all reflect a gentle, introspective approach to the music, which is in keeping with
Rorem's pensive moods.
Rorem's endorsement of the performances suggests a genuine connection was established with the musicians, who played with great sympathy and sincerity. Naxos' reproduction is good in the 1993 recordings, though the sound has more presence and richness in Four Prayers.