Observing Objects is in stark contrast to Voice with Piano
in several ways and it helps expand the picture of Houben and her
music. Once again, she is featured both as performer and composer, this
time playing in the company of Samuel Dunscombe on bass clarinet and
Rebecca Lane on bass flute, on recordings dating from May 2017.
Ingeniously, the album consists of two versions of the title piece, the
first with Houben on organ, the second on piano, each one lasting about
twenty-nine minutes. The 2017 co-composition with Dunscombe and Lane
contrasts dramatically with the older, more classical pieces on Voice with Piano, at times sounding as if could have been improvised rather than through-composed.
On the first version, all three instruments play prolonged notes that
overlap and, because of their similar sounds, blend to create a
richly-detailed but ever-shifting soundscape that would have satisfied
many a listener if it had filled the entire CD. On the second version,
the piano is higher than the wind instruments, but they play higher to
accommodate it, the three instruments being more distinguishable than on
the preceding version. As versions of the same piece, the two work well
side by side, complementing each other and highlighting the
composition's strengths. This CD is a good starting place to hear
Houben. (John Eyles)
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