Opening Day Recordings

Trio Lyra's repertoire ranges from the Baroque through the twenticth century. They have commissioned and premiered works from some of the most prominent Canadian composers. Trio Lyra's debut CD, music of Ravel, Debussy, and Fauré, was released in September, 1997, on Opening Day Recordings, catalogue #ODR9309, and features the world premiere recording of the Fauré-Salzedo Dolly, Op. 56.

"Trio Lyra fits perfectly with Impressionists... and when the players happen to be Erica Goodman, Suzanne Shulman, and Mark Childs, who wouldn't want to bend an ear?" William Littier, The Toronto Star

"...An altogether charming program performed with grace and subtlety... notable for Shulman's warm-toned flute, Goodman's cascading harp scales...and for the exuberant mood of the finale... A wonderfil disc 5 stars." Rick MacMillan, Classical Music Magazine

"Overall this is an excellent recording. All the playing is first-rate, and the recording is excellently engineered..." Elaine Fine, American Record Guide

"The Canadian ensemble Trio Lyra has expanded the repertoire for this instrumentation considerably... there are fine performances by harpist Erica Goodman, flautist Suzanne Shulman, and violist Mark Childs throughout, and both sound and balance are exceptional". Elissa Poole, The Globe and Mail, Toronto.

"But superb as the individuals of this group are... it is in their collectivity that they shine. The clarity of their musical thought and the depths and insights they bring to their readings are what make an evening in their company so exceptional The musical dialogue between them is erudite, absorbing and moving." Hugh Fraser, The Hamilton Spectator

----

"Harbord Street" evokes memories of downtown Toronto where Barnes grew up. This entertaining suite (drawn from his repertoire and re-created for Trio Lyra) was premiered on CBC Radio and has been additionally adapted as a triple concerto for Trio Lyra with string orchestra.

"Trio for flute, viola & harp." Mr. Glick writes, "To me this commission represents a gesture of great beauty and is a symbol of deep and abiding love, and a consecration of marriage... This trio expresses within it the joys and sorrows of our everyday life, with its variety of human feelings and emotions. The colours of the three instruments create a rich, interweaving tapestry. The first movement alternates between two basic ideas, the first lyrical and expressive, and the second dance-like and aggressive. The second movement is more introspective and emotional The third movement is buoyant and playful and expresses moods of joy and tenderness, which bring the work to a positive and happy conclusion."

"Touchpoints." Mr. Freedman comments, "The contrast in the three instruments that make up Trio Lyra was what struck me when I first began to think about what kind of piece I was going to write for them. The very means of producing sound on the three instruments is so completely different that almost immediately I became fascinated by the possibilities inherent in comparing and contrasting these very different means (tone production - especially in textures and articulations common to all three, e.g. rapidly repeated notes, short staccato notes. It is these areas in common - touchpoints - that tend to ameliorate the differences, and gave the piece its name."

"Pleiades Variations, Op. 45." Mr. MacDonald comments, "The Pleiades, also known as the "Seven Sisters'; is a tiny constellation prominent in the winter skies (the Northern Hemisphere. As an amateur astronomer I first viewed this beautiful galactic cluster in late autumn a few years ago and immediately knew there was a piece music in it. The perfect opportunity to realize this inspiration arose with the commission from Trio Lyra. The formal design of the work is demarcated by seven sections, each of which is a variation on a simple seven-note theme of ascending fourths. Each variation is named after something relating to the folklore surrounding the Pleiades, and the variations am placed in three groups to form distinct movements."