Written in Music review
What comes after Home Ground? After all, with that album Stephen Emmer underscored his compositional qualities, gave space to the singers he worked with, and breathed life into a beautiful album about universal love. With Maison Melody, Stephen Emmer reveals yet another completely different side of his musical character. That variation is very pleasing.
Compositions made with care
Stephen began writing the work for this album as early as last year. The album sounds very spacious in its limited instrumentation. That is a great credit to Stephen as the composer of the whole. Whereas on Home Ground there was room for the voices, here he carefully distributes it among the various instruments: piano, keyboards, the interplay of three (viola) violinists, and a cello. The compositions have been written with care, the arrangements have been made with care.
An ode to the house where the compositions were written, the setting where all this beauty comes to life, music with a calming character, music that you can absorb, playing in the background but doing so much more if you choose to listen in the here and now. Not in the background as a pastime, but with full attention to what Stephen has created, to how the performance takes place.
Maison Melody does not leave you in doubt about whether Stephen Emmer has mastered the craft of composing. On the contrary, the opening composition in which the violins and piano seem to almost go against each other, how beautiful is that? Let the music accompany the photos of the house you see. A first glimpse. And you are immediately drawn in. Your attention is focused on it. The interaction between piano, violins, and cello is delightful. And very subtle. The entire album has already been played multiple times here: there is always something to discover. Just listen to how this piece moves toward silence.
The second composition is even more subdued. It has a somewhat cinematic character. Here, the instruments actually blend together. A slightly different coloring than the first composition, but very beautiful. You can imagine this as entering a grand hall. But let’s not necessarily drag the house tour into this. Above all, let the music come to you. Step into it and enjoy. And indeed, do not use it as background music.
Cinematic character
Part three retains the cinematic character. The contrasts between light and dark are already beautifully incorporated into the piano playing. The strings provide accents. Very fine again. That applies to Maison Melody as a whole. Beautiful, atmospheric piano music, fine arrangements, fine orchestration by Willem Friede, and magnificent parts by Marcel Worms on piano, Dimitri Leivici on first violin, Vera van der Bie and Isabella Petersen on violin and viola respectively, and Annie Tangberg on cello.
Not forced, not rushed
Do not expect long, drawn-out compositions. The entire album is longer than half an hour. But that limit is not significantly exceeded. At the same time, the ten compositions offer a great deal of variety. Not forced, not rushed. In everything, you sense the tranquility emanating from this space as a muse. Inspired by the work of composer Federico Mompou, who also knew how to handle instrumentation very carefully and sparingly, Stephen has succeeded in making silence the ideal partner to complement the music of the album. Maison Melody invites you in, lets you enjoy the relaxation of the music, lets you be in the moment, and lets the world outside simply be that for a while.
Perhaps that is the core. Step into the world of Stephen Emmer, accept his invitation to listen to how he makes the environment sound where his ideas take shape. Let yourself be surprised and dare to enjoy. A delightful combination of strings, piano, and keyboards. Evocative, atmospheric, and consistently warm, even where the music is darker in nature and tone. Delightfully bordering on silence every now and then. It is wonderful to linger at Maison Melody. And what an excellent composer Stephen is! Beautiful album!
[Written In Music - Marcel Hartenberg]
Listen to Maison Melody on your favourite platform here
Or buy the digital version of Maison Melody here