Originally posted on December 22, 2008
[When I originally wrote this it was:] The second day of winter, the main day of Chanukah, three days before Christmas and as cold in New Jersey as anybody could wish. This morning’s music forms a reflective soundtrack to all of that in Paola Prestini’s Body Maps (Tzadik). I must admit the graphics on the CD are all but unreadable, a typical situation in the world of post-Wired mutations of design, so I will not complain.
Such thoughts aside the music at hand is in the contemporary concert music realm. It is a series of somewhat ruminative modern chamber pieces that avoid minimalism while remaining more or less tonal. Tone color is the order of the day and Ms. Prestini shows originality and a dramatic flair for keeping listener attention. This is pretty subtle music and all the more exceptional for it. I find myself coming to appreciate these works more and more. She is worthy of notice and I would now love to hear some of her larger ensemble, longer form works. Prestini gives us modern music of a distinctly listener friendly sort and what’s wrong with that? Signing off and glad that the heat is working. . .
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