CCMusic.com

On their musical journey to the four corners of the world, Ensemble Esperanza are turning their sights to the West in the third album of the series. Following previous explorations of the northern and southern parts of Europe, the youthful and ambitious string ensemble is venturing across the ocean. "Western Moods" evokes feelings of happiness and sadness, nostalgic memories of home, but also of anger, rage, and desperation amidst a boundless zest for life. And time and again, the music is suffused with deep spirituality. On their voyage across the ocean, the Pilgrim Fathers had carried with them a deep longing for peace, while the limitless horizons, forests and prairies of the New World provided an ideal environment for the practice of transcendental philosophy. Music also served as an expression of the cultural roots of the United States. With "Western Moods," Ensemble Esperanza traces the development of the music of North America.