Rebekah Heller © Tarishi Gupta
Righteous Rage
"An new album that revels in the power and allure of contemporary bassoon repertoire, out now on Cantaloupe Music" (I Care if You Listen)
From the full review
Rebekah Heller is on a mission to smash every tired stereotype or bad orchestra joke about the bassoon. On her new album Righteous Rage (Cantaloupe Music, July 31), arrangements of Julius Eastman and Steve Reich meet newly commissioned works by Jessie Cox, Fay Victor, and Brittany J. Green in a project that left me wondering why it took so long for the world to hear how cool bassoons are.
Heller’s love of the bassoon in ensemble is a revelation. The works she’s chosen are rich and layered, keeping all the clarity of solo bassoon while gaining the locked-in harmonies and blend that only similar instruments can achieve. For early premieres and workshops of some of the pieces, she thanks the Rebekah Heller Bassoon Ensemble — acknowledging that the pieces can also be performed by live groups. But Heller has multi-tracked herself on the album, putting her bassoon chops in the spotlight and adding technological flair to her production. This approach demands fluency in all the parts and accuracy down to the meanest variation. Fortunately, her staggering precision and attention to detail make the work sound effortless and leave the listener free to enjoy the interplay of parts and musical ideas.As bassoonist (since 2008) and former Co-Artistic Director of the International Contemporary Ensemble, Heller has been a passionate advocate for a more diverse and exciting musical landscape, spearheading landmark ICE commissioning programs and Co-Directing Ensemble Evolution at The New School.
