The Chandos recording label recently released its second volume to feature the music of composer Kenneth Fuchs. Of the album, Graham Williams writes, “The second volume in this Chandos series devoted to the orchestral music of the contemporary American composer Kenneth Fuchs (b. 1956) proves to be as enjoyable as the first, and those attuned to Fuchs’ instantly accessible body of work will be entranced once more by the variety on offer here.” (Williams, Graham. Fuchs: Orchestral Works, Vol. 2 – Wilson. HRAudio.net, 14 June, 2024.)
Also included in this album is the orchestral suite Light Year; the six movements are named after paintings by the American artist Helen Frankenthaler. Eventide for alto saxophone and orchestra is an adaptation of his earlier concerto for English horn, which, as Fuchs explains, was inspired by the “mysterious quality of the sunset light” that drifts through the stained-glass windows of the Riverside Church in New York City. Concluding the album, Point of Tranquility is also a revamping of a previous work for wind band; this version for orchestra was written for the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra at the request of its music director, JoAnn Falletta, in 2021. Subtitled an “Idyll for winds, brass, strings, and percussion after a painting by Morris Louis,” the work, like the painting, is an exploration of color and texture. (Jackson, Paul RW. “Fuchs: Orchestral Works Vol. 2 (Chandos).” MusicWeb International.)
Promotional videos:
Pacific Visions
Eventide