Canadian trio Bataclan is certainly one of the most strangely constituted chamber music groups around; it's made up of bandoneon, bassoon, and harpsichord. But as
Dandy, the group's second album, amply testifies, strangeness is not by any means necessarily a bad thing, and there's such of genius in this unique combination of timbres that it's hard not to ask: why didn't anyone think of this before? Especially in this repertoire of sultry tangos, waltzes, and cabaret-inspired music these instruments sound fabulous and absolutely natural together. There is nothing fancy or complex about the arrangements, and their straightforwardness is a big part of their charm. The spirits of
Weill and/or
Piazzolla hover over much of the music, most of which is simultaneously bittersweet, poignant, and light. About half of the album is devoted to original pieces by bassoonist
Mathieu Lussier and bandoneon player
Denis Plante, and they are successful in evoking the fin-de-siècle melancholy of the more traditional works. The ensemble, which also includes harpsichordist
Catherine Perrin, plays with sly panache, top-notch musicianship, and they are obviously having the time of their lives. The sound is clean, immediate, and detailed.