Robert Lemay - Aeris et spiritus. Works for Brass & Piano (Various Artists)

Information

Composer: Robert Lemay

1. Breakpoint
2. Last Call
3. À bout de bras
4. Deep Down: I. —
5. Deep Down: II. —
6. Deep Down: III. —
7. Deep Down: IV. —

Brian Roberts, trumpet

Iris Krizmanic, French horn

Cathy Stone, trombone

Jennifer Stephen, tuba

Yoko Hirota, piano

Date: 2026

Label: Navona

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Robert Lemay (b. 1960, Montreal) is a Canadian composer whose works have been performed and broadcast in more than thirty countries since the late 1980s, earning numerous international awards. His music draws inspiration from poetry, literature, cinema, visual arts, and social or political events, often incorporating theatrical elements such as spatialization, performer gestures, and stage design. Stylistically, his writing reflects influences from spectral techniques, Olivier Messiaen’s modal language, Elliott Carter’s rhythmic complexity, and Iannis Xenakis’s structural thinking, with particular emphasis on saxophone and wind instruments. Lemay studied composition at Université Laval and Université de Montréal and later in Buffalo, Paris, and Bordeaux. He taught at several universities and served as composer-in-residence and arts administrator in Sudbury.

Lemay’s compositions are known for their intellectual rigor, meticulous craftsmanship, and striking originality. The works on Aeris et Spiritus (“copper and breath”) exemplify these qualities while exploring an unusual instrumental concept: solo piano paired with brass instruments such as trumpet, trombone, tuba, or horn. Despite the bold instrumentation, Lemay focuses on blending the timbres rather than contrasting them, creating a unified and intimate musical texture. This sense of cohesion is enhanced by pianist Yoko Hirota—Lemay’s wife—whose performance reflects deep sensitivity and insight into the music. Through carefully structured compositions and innovative sound combinations, Lemay successfully expands the expressive possibilities of this distinctive ensemble.

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