A Closer Listen
Lullaby is a single, 25-minute piece written for French horn and subtle electronics. Jack Herscowitz is the composer, while Nick Ginsburg is the soloist. Multi-tracking makes the composition soar; layer upon layer are added until the very speakers seem to bloom. One must credit Spencer Adams for the intriguing artwork, which features a flower that is growing upside down and hands collecting marbles or seeds. This matches the intent of the recording; in Herscowitz’ own words, “This is comfort music: not a comfort to pacify, but to reinvigorate: a kernel cradling the promise of transfiguration.”
The composition begins and ends on the same note, prompting multiple or looped spins. The gentle, solo start and finish are like the announcement of a new day and the slow descent of the sun at twilight, with the glorious multicolor of nature in-between. As horn starts to duet with horn, one thinks first of the birds awakening and conversing with one another, then all of creation. This is comfort music, and it is incredibly soothing; but true to form, it is restful without being soporific. At first, the music washes over the listener, but soon it begins to seep into the foreground as one begins to appreciate the interplay, especially that between the high and low melodic lines. By the tenth minute, the harmonies grow so triumphant that one is encouraged, energized, and awakened. By the thirteenth minute, one puts aside anything one might have been doing, simply to enjoy the rising chords.
Beneath this beautiful music lies a story of friendship: one friend composed it for another, and then the other played it for the first. This warmth emanates from the recording like the tender touch of a hand on a shoulder, followed by a hug. This may be billed as a lullaby, but it operates as a cheer. The ending is perfect, completing the arc, the energy subsiding but not disappearing, lingering in the air. (Richard Allen)
Tue Aug 19 00:01:43 GMT 2025