For those who think the recorder is just a boring instrument for young schoolchildren, here is the proof of the opposite!. This CD contains classic works by Handel, Vivaldi and Couperin but also new and exciting works by contemporary composers. Accompanied by a fine chamber ensemble, Australian performer Tamara Gries shows, in the words of Prof. David Tunley (University of Western Australia) that "the recorder is truly a fine and expressive instrument that finds a deserved niche in music of our own century as well as in that from earlier times".
"This is both a marvellous showcase disc for the formidable talents of Tamara Gries (née Herman) and an introduction to the profound talents of living Australian composer Stephen Cronin. The latter’s Suite for Recorder and Strings, dedicated to Ralph Vaughan Williams, is a minor masterpiece…This is a wonderful disc for the recorder aficionado but it also ought to draw a much wider appeal… all the "new" music here and much of the old is well worth your attention… and Tamara Gries is to be congratulated on recording such an interesting, stimulating and ultimately moving selection of works" *****
Neil Horner
“Its virtues far outweigh its shortcomings. Their performances of the contemporary pieces present the high point of this release. Each [composer] has his own strongly defined profile, and each receives fine advocacy here.”
William Zagorski
