Linda Catlin Smith — Meadow

Meadow is a recently released thirty-two-minute composition from Toronto based modern classical composer Linda Catlin Smith. The works for a string trio, and is a constantly flowing & shifting work- which moves between moments of subtle melody, rewarding instrumental detail, and worthy atmospheric dwell.

The release comes in the form of either a CD or digital download- I’m reviewing the former. The CD comes presented in a four-panel digipak, and this features a rather unsettling and moody picture of a female humanoid figure with its head and shoulders partially covered by green and brown moss. Inside we get a write-up about the piece from the composer. The CD release came in an edition of just 100 copies, so I’d act sooner than later- if this sounds like your type of thing.

The piece was recorded in a studio in Dublin last year- with the players been Mia Cooper- Violin, Joachim Roewer- Viola, and William Butt- Cello. And this playing of it runs at thirty-two minutes and twenty-seven seconds.

The work is built around a continuous flow of swooning, droning, and lightly slicing string tones. At points, we do get breaks/ pauses in these flows, but these are brief- with the original flowing pace soon restarting   Over the tracks unfold the three instruments either join together on mass, pare down to single or narrowed flows, Or split with one instrument carrying the lead melody/ countermelody, and or dramatic focus- while the others creating droning-to-sawing backbone.

The work's mood goes from forlorn grandeur, onto simmering disquiet and fraught wonder- with later on more lopsided angularity and shrill unease coming into play too. The whole thing is very fluid and blending in its unfold and feel- and the way it’s scored in a  seemingly open-ended fashion means the work retains both its unpredictability and surprise, even after several plays.

In conclusion, Meadow is a wonderful example of modern string composition that shifts ‘n’ flows between the harmonic and non-harmonic, as it slowly but surely curves out its dramatic and at points mysteriously sonic path.