LUMINA DUO

• Claude Debussy: Beau Soir (excerpt)

"This program shows off the extremely lyrical side of the oboe and English horn. Merideth Hite Estevez is an expert at this. Her sense of melodic line is exquisite and her pianissimo playing remarkable. Pianist Jani Parsons proves to be a splendid collaborator... Estevez does each of [the works] justice, displaying luminous sound and gorgeous phrasing. Her pianissimo playing is exquisite. Jani Parson’s playing is just as elegant and sensitive. This is a lovely album."

Pfeil, American Record Guide [September/October 2018]

“the focus here is on the elements of light, color and mood in impressionist painting and poetry as inspiration to French composers... this is a great introduction for home listeners to an intriguing and enthusiastic duo. In a short program that clocks in at just over 47 minutes, we are given flavorful arrangements of works by Koechlin, Ravel, Silvestrini, Fauré, Debussy, and Messiaen that perk up our ears and our imaginations... The Lumina Duo score some of their very best points in transcriptions of two memorable songs [Fauré’s Après une rêve and Debussy’s Beau Soir]... [Silvestrini's Six Ètudes] are intended to stretch the technical and expressive limits of the solo instrument. They do just that, and Estevez meets their demands admirably. She also scores high marks for the mysterious vocalise that is heard in all its endlessly flowing effervescence in [the Messiaen].”

Phil Muse, Atlanta Audio Club [June 2018]

Several years ago, we gathered together a unique program of our favorite music from the French composers of the Impressionist era, with the sole purpose of bringing beauty, life, and light into the lives of our listeners. We didn’t want to present a typical oboe/piano program - we were looking for works that stretched us, that soared beyond the traditional repertoire, and that expanded the pairing into new and wild territories. From this place, Beau Soir was born.

Beau Soir brings together songs of love, loss, and longing, wordless melodies, unique arrangements, and new takes on old favorites. The text for Debussy’s Beau Soir evokes a transcendent experience: “I left the earth to run away with you towards the light. The skies opened their clouds for us, unknown splendours, divine flashes glimpsed.” It is our hope that this album will take you on a deeply personal and meaningful journey, filled with joy and enchantment.


LUMINA is an oboe and piano duo that combines the beauty of live performance with a passion for social advocacy. Think of us as a microbrewery of chamber music groups - we bring specially crafted, hour-long programs focused on social issues to communities across the United States - unique, refreshing, and locally brewed! Our goal is to heal, stir, call to action, and light up our dark world through the power of music. We have presented concerts in Chicago, Michigan, throughout North and South Carolina, and at numerous universities across the United States that draw attention and support around specific causes. Lumina is comprised of oboist Merideth Hite Estevez (DMA from the Juilliard School) and pianist Jani Parsons (DMA from the University of Michigan). Merideth serves as director of Lumina Arts Incubator, an arts service organization in Wilmington, Delaware, which brings artists into community to unleash joy. Jani is an active soloist and collaborator and a member of the keyboard faculty at Baylor University. Their friendship and similar passions inspired the creation of Lumina, through which they hope to bring beauty and light to you and the communities with whom they engage. [ Lumina Duo ]


Howarth Xl Cocobolo Oboe; Ebonite Top Joint
Fazioli F212 Piano
  CHARLES KOECHLIN (1867-1950)
AU LOIN – Chant pour Cor Anglais and piano, Op.20 (1896-1900)

MAURICE RAVEL (1875-1937) | Transcribed for oboe and piano by David Walter
SONATINE (1903-1905)
Modéré
Mouvement de menuet
Animé

GILLES SILVESTRINI (b.1961)
SIX ÉTUDES POUR HAUTBOIS (1997)
Hôtel des Roches noire à Trouville (Claude Monet)
Potager et arbres en fleurs Printemps, Pontoise (Camille Pissaro)
Boulevard des Capucines (Claude Monet)
Sentier dans les bois (Auguste Renoir)
Scène de plage- Ciel d’orage (Eugène Boudin)
Le ballet espagnol (Edouard Manet)

GABRIEL FAURÉ (1845-1924)
APRÈS UN RÊVE (1877)

CLAUDE DEBUSSY (1862-1918)
BEAU SOIR (1880)

OLIVIER MESSIAEN (1908-1992)
VOCALISE-ÉTUDE (1935)

MAURICE RAVEL (1875-1937) | Transcribed for English horn by Charles Young
ADAGIO ASSAI from PIANO CONCERTO IN G MAJOR (1929-1931)
 



MSR Classics